Brandon Clarke
On June 1, 2024 Josh Cartwright had surgery to repair his ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Solidifying his roster spot on the year of the leg injury. Right now you might find yourself scratching your head saying, Huh! Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Cartwright on the gate. Entering the season without seeing him line up was a bummer. Cartwright is a fan-favorite privateer of the everyday working man—because he is one. A 9-to-5er who clocks out on Friday and trades his laptop for a set of whoops and triples on Saturday. But after so much time away, he seemingly began to fade from memory like that high school crush you swore you’d never forget.
Not anymore! This weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, Cartwright makes his triumphant return! He’s only had three weeks on a 450 and on a Supercross track, with just around seven weeks total back on a bike—four of those on a 250 two-stroke because, well, that’s what was available to ride.
“My goal is to make the main, but really there’s no pressure this weekend—it’s about having fun with my mechanic, Miles Shugg,” Cartwright said. He’s a Texas boy, but Arlington came too soon in his recovery. Birmingham? Totally drivable. So, he and fellow privateer Henry Miller packed up and hit the road
Cartwright emphasized that this is a no-pressure weekend, all about being back in his happy place. But let’s be real—he’d love to do well enough to catch the eye of someone willing to help him finish out the season. Whether it’s a fill-in ride or support to get another bike, he wants to be on the gate for the last six rounds after skipping Seattle.
If he can’t find the backing for the Northeast rounds, he’s planning to hit Denver and Salt Lake City to get a head start on the 2026 season. Either way, don’t expect him to just fade away—Cartwright is here to show up and put in the work.
And before anyone asks—no, he’s not sliding into Steve Matthes’ DMs bugging him for a wild card in the Pulp MX LCQ Challenge. Even though, let’s be honest, as the 2023 champ and the guy who ran the #1 plate last year, he absolutely should be in the mix. I’ll say it—past champions deserve some love!
If there’s one thing we know about Cartwright, it’s that he’s not afraid to put in the work. With the right support, he can make the last stretch of the season happen. Whether it’s a fill-in ride or just the means to keep the wheels turning, he’s ready to line up and send it. I am excited to see his return and hope to see him with plenty more gate drops as the season continues.
Main image: Cartwright
