Isaac Teasdale | JGRMX’s Potential 2020 Rider

INSTAGRAM | @isaacteasdale

Isaac Teasdale’s inclusion under the JGRMX/Yoshimura/Suzuki Factory Racing tent has raised some eyebrows in the pits. Not in a bad way, but more a sense of, “Who is this guy, where did he come from, and why is his bike set up sideways in the front of the rig and not part of the row like the others?” His Suzuki RM-Z450 isn’t exactly the same as Fredrik Noren’s, as the engine and suspension built with components that the public can purchase through JGRMX. But equipment isn’t the most important element to Teasdale’s bike; the small Cherokee stickers on the shrouds are. Thanks in part to his connection with the Eastern band of the Native American tribe, Teasdale has garnered some support from the Factory Suzuki race team through the rest of 2019, with hopes for more in 2020 should things go to plan.

Compared to some of the names around him in the results sheet, Teasdale’s backstory is far less known, as he didn’t follow the amateur circuit or take up residence at a full-time training facility. Instead he stayed in Robbinsville, North Carolina, a small town of less than a thousand people that’s just outside the Qualla Boundary land trust held by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “Where I grew up, the closest track to race at was two or three hours away, and we didn’t have the money to go to the amateur races. I didn’t have a modern bike until I was in Schoolboy 2, so we didn’t know the whole scene,” he reflected. Teasdale did get to Loretta Lynn’s three times, with a pair of sixth place overall results in 2013 (250 B Limited & 450 B Limited) and a 12^th in Open Pro Sport in 2015 being his best results. Once out the amateur ranks, he focused on Arenacross through the first part of his pro career and did not line up for a Supercross Main Event until 2019. “I raced Arenacross because I could do it on a stock bike and be competitive,” he explained of his early years in the AMSOIL Arenacross Series. With the Babbitt’s GPF Kawasaki team in 2018, Teasdale finished second overall in the AX East Regional championship and 13^th overall in the premier 250 SX championship. When the long-running AMSOIL AMA series folded in 2018, Teasdale went to the growing Kicker Arenacross Series with Phoenix Honda and finished second overall in both the 250 and Open Pro championships.

With some of the backstory details covered, we can get into this deal with JGRMX. Much has been written about Teasdale’s inclusion to the squad and how Cherokee is in negotiations with the team to be a much-needed title sponsor in 2020. It’s common for racers to bring sponsorship dollars to a team in exchange for a spot (it’s how Niki Lauda started his famed F1 career; for a motocross example, Brian Bogers used his ties to Dutch refrigerated shipping firm HSF Logistics to get in with Team HRC), but Teasdale explained those weren’t exactly his intentions when he first approached the North Carolina race team. “I didn’t come to them with that idea. I actually went to them to help do my suspension, because I was trying to figure out a way to do the outdoors on my own. I was running out of time, because High Point was a couple of weeks away,” he said. “But Jeremy (Albrecht, team manager at JGRMX) came up with the idea about the bikes and the Cherokee stuff, the connections we have there with me being Cherokee and knowing the people around there.” A quarter Cherokee and raised in a region set aside for the Native American tribe, Teasdale has close ties to the group that is eager to spread a positive message about its heritage and people with tourism to their part of North Carolina.

There’s a misconception in the pits that Teasdale’s funding is from the casino that’s located in Cherokee, North Carolina, which is understandable considering the history of Native American casino sponsorships in the sport (San Manuel with L&M Yamaha, Sycuan and Soaring Eagle with RCH Suzuki). But Teasdale was quick to explain that is not the case, and that the money comes from a different portion of the tribe not related to the casino. “In reservations, alcohol and drugs are a big problem so they want to bring in people to help with that. They want people to be able to do internships and programs with companies that they work with so that they see they don’t have to be ‘stuck’ in the area,” noted Teasdale of the troubles that often occur on tribal land. “It’s very different than what I think any other sponsor would be. They want to have more involvement with kids and with what JGR can bring, they can bring in speakers that have been through troubles.

Eventually, all three groups were able to come to an agreement that got Teasdale on a Suzuki RM-Z450 built with the JGRMX’s engine and suspension retail packages under the team’s rig for the remainder of the summer, a deal that quietly started at High Point. “They started to talk with them and it worked out to benefit me and the team, because I run the retail package that they sell and shows what it can do,” he said. During the week, Teasdale works directly with the team at their private practice track that’s located not too from the race shop. “I’ve learned so much in the last month or two that I’ve been with the team. Being there day in and day out, with Buddy helping me on the bike, I have gained a lot of speed and confidence,” he shared. “Since High Point, when I got the suspension, I’ve noticed how I can hit bumps so much faster than I ever could. Mentally, you learn how fast you can ride without going over the bars [Laughs]. It’s a slow process of getting faster and faster, mostly because the equipment is so good. We were pumped at Millville when I got that start and hopefully that helps it sell. I could tell a huge difference between that and the stock bike, because I rode the stock bike until High Point. It makes it much more ridable and the power doesn’t rip out of your arms.” Of the ten gate drops Teasdale has this summer, his best result was 13^th in the muddy Moto One at Spring Creek.

In a recent passing conversation with Albrecht, the team manager explained that if Cherokee signs on, Teasdale will have a certain spot in the 250 program. It’s very important that JGRMX secure outside funding for 2020, as they started 2019 without the desired sponsorship funding and had to make staffing changes at the conclusion of Supercross. Teasdale is hopeful that the deal comes through because he feels that he will improve even more. “Learning from these people has been huge and to continue with them would be awesome. We should find out in a month or two what is going to happen.”