Meet The Team

Meet the coaches + staff who make this possible

AJ Catanzaro

Owner

From the time I came home from the hospital as a baby I was surrounded by dirt bikes. My room was already filled with dirt bike wallpaper, I had a hand crafted dirt bike rocker, and my dad would play motocross vhs tapes while I was sleeping. For my second birthday I learned to ride a PW50 without training wheels for the first time and my passion for two wheels has only grown from there. I raced amateur nationals like Loretta Lynn’a for 14 years straight (qualifying for two classes for 14 consecutive years without ever using a backup region, for those who know what I’m talking about), then my dad ran out of money… In a last ditch effort he agreed to let me pack up my things at age 15 and drive down to a training facility with my best friend in hopes of an opportunity arising.

Graciously, both training facilities allowed me to ride for free, so I spent that year learning Supercross on my KX450 with 200+ hours and outdoor suspension & sleeping on my friend’s couch in his RV. I made it a point to be doing my laps with Justin Barcia, Martin Davalos and other riders of status so that I would be noticed, which paid off as I was signed to Babbitts/GPF Kawasaki in the 2010 AMA Arenacross series. I went on to win the championship in my first year! After that season I was still left with no support to make my push into Supercross until a man named Rudy, now a great friend, stepped in and funded my rookie Supercross season of his own pocket. Together we packed up a Honda 250f that he purchased from a dealership a week before the first race and headed to Houston Supercross 2011. I had never been to a Supercross event in person before, so I was shocked and intimidated to say the least! I was able to qualify 16th overall in timed qualifying to all of our disbelief then qualify straight to the main event from the heat race, which in hindsight I am so proud of that accomplishment.

For the next 6 years I rode the rollercoaster ride of emotional highs and lows of trying to “make it”. With multiple top 5 finishes in Supercross main events accumulated by 2016, I began realizing my potential as a coach. I created the concept of Aj Catanzaro Moto-X Academy (now The Moto Academy), built out the business plan, created the website and took the risk of booking a few tracks around the country to attempt to fill up some classes! After all those years of racing, amateur and professional, teaching is where I found my passion.

Mitchell Prescott (Coach Mitchell)

Coach

My Motocross career started at the ripe age of 6. That is when my father gave my brother and I our first dirt bikes. At the time I rode trails and jumped drive ways as I had no clue what motocross was. As I got older and the excitement of riding dirt bikes grew I began to watch dirt bike videos on YouTube. This is when I realized Motocross was a sport and I wanted to do that sport! I then quit all the school sports I was involved in and turned my attention to motocross. In the coming years I worked and earned enough money to buy myself a kx85. I began racing at 14 years old and never looked back. I’ve always worked to improve myself in anyway possible. I would study videos of Pros and always critique myself. 7 years of blood, sweat, and tears lead to earning my Professional Motocross license. This was a dream I had ever since I discovered motocross. No matter how far fetched the dream may have seemed I kept working at it. After all these years watching and improving myself I picked up a new ability of teaching and helping other riders improve. This is why I’m honored to be apart of The Moto Academy and have the opportunity to help people from any background be the best they can be on a motorcycle!

Jackson Eckstein

Social Media & Marketing Coordinator

Eh bud! My name is Jackson Eckstein from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦 . I am the Social Media Overseer and part of the marketing team here at The Moto Academy. After a life of labour in the construction field, I am ecstatic to now dedicate my time and efforts to a sport I am so passionate about. If you need me you can find me on the golf course or ice rink depending what season we’re in.

Grant Eckardt

Film Producer

I got my first motocross bike at 3 years old. My dad had raced his whole life so that’s what got me into it. I grew up watching motocross and going to the track with my dad on the weekends. I never really raced much until I was about 17 when I really started to look at my technique and riding style and really started to try to improve. That was about the time I found Ajs Moto Academy which helped me go from novice to expert in a few short years. I was even able to qualify for a Canadian pro national this summer of 2023. As far as cameras go I’ve always liked making little edits of my friends and I riding bicycles growing up and about 4 years ago I got my first decent camera as a gift. I started doing edits at the track and worked for a few pro riders throughout the years creating content. Currently I am one of The Moto Academy's filmers/ editors putting together content for Youtube, the Moto Academy app, and social media. Motocross aside, I graduated from college with a degree in construction technology management. I have my pilots license and fly small planes which I love to do. I also love to golf, mountain bike, and kill a few beers with the fellas.

Tony Loscavio

Chief Operating Officer

At the age of 3 my dad threw me on a pw50 with training wheels and had me ride around the yard. A few hours later they came off and he was building jumps out of rocks and 2x4’s in the driveway for me. That went on for about 2 years, then I got into t-ball at 5, then peewee football at 7. T-ball turned into baseball until I was about 12, then football and track got me through middle school and high school. After high school I got a job washing dishes at a resort in Upstate NY, went to college that fall and returned to Upstate NY any break I had to wash dishes. Fast-forward post college, I returned to the same resort to work my way up in management. Sometime along the way, I bought a 2021 kx250 with the intent of getting decent at riding. I went to a class in Georgia, met AJ and Cam, invited them both up to the resort to stay for a few nights with their significant others and now here we are. Working for The Moto Academy! It is a dream come true to be working with likeminded people that are passionate about the vision and mission of keeping everyone safe on the tracks while dialing in the fundamentals of quality riding.
 
I’ll see you guys on the track!

Hannah Hardison

Team Administrator

I'm Hannah Hardison, and at The Moto Academy, I work primarily in business administration. I graduated from George Mason University with a degree in business, and after graduation, I worked in bookkeeping and accounting. After that, I changed my focus to marketing and photography and traveled the world with a professional RC car racing team. I was first introduced to Motocross and Supercross through that community. The team regularly watched the races, and some members enjoyed riding in their spare time. Through some shared friends, I got to know AJ and The Moto Academy Team, and now I work with them here! I really enjoy all elements of business and the behind the scenes work that goes into it.  Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, gardening, trail running—especially ultramarathons—and hiking!

Jamie Mahon (Driver Jamie)

Driver

I started riding dirt bikes with my dad when I was 4 years old. I’ve loved all motorcycles and motorcycle history ever since I saw one. I rode and raced locally up until I was 16. I then started riding and eventually racing street bikes. My first was a cbr600rr. After high school I attended college where I played football and then off to the military in the United States Army. I served 10 year’s total and finished my last 5 as a helicopter mechanic. When finished with my military service I tested and became a professional firefighter for 21 years. All along this time I kept riding and racing. I retired from fire dept and was my son’s mechanic for his mx racing where I met AJ. I currently drive the race van, work on bikes, and anything else asked of me. My faith is very strong and gets me through life and teaches me to always be a blessing to others. I enjoy my family, golf, riding, beer, and this awesome community called The Moto Academy.

Cameron Bushey (Cameraman Cam)

Film Producer

Growing up, I found myself in love with action sports. Skateboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, and riding dirtbikes. My first bike was a Honda CRF80 when I was 9 years old. I began riding and quickly wanted to try my hand at racing. When I showed up to my first race, I found myself in the mid pack C-class. And I stayed there for my 3 year racing career. Since all my friends were faster than me, I always ended up with the camera, and I never put it down. In high school, I had two life changing moments. First, I started following the Lord, and second, I was given a job at a local production company. Once I graduated high school I set off to start my own production company, while focusing on telling stories that have impact on people. Working with the Moto Academy is giving me the opportunity to both pursue my passion in telling stories and riding dirt bikes 🤘🏼