Main image courtesy of Simon Cudby.
When Mike Alessi was about to graduate into the professional ranks, his father Tony made some bold claims of how he would do once he got there. When the hype put a target on Mike’s back, Tony ordered up a bunch of shirts with the phrase “Believe the Hype.”
There was so much bravado and bragging that, if we’re being honest, a lot of the motocross industry really just wanted to see Mike fail. His last test in the amateur ranks came in 2004, and it just so happened that heavy hitters like Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart were there, with their respective entourages, to watch an Alessi moto at mid-week. As expected, Mike grabbed the holeshot, and the man in position to challenge him was Tennessee-based Jacob Saylor. Saylor gated second and it was up to him to try to hit the target. There were a lot of eyes on this moto, and Saylor tried, but Alessi got away, en route to the 250/Open A Championship. Saylor finished second overall.
It was a strong enough performance for Saylor, a Yamaha prospect, to get some support as a pro. He came close, but never got all the way to the factory level. After several years as a pro which even included time in Europe, the always-friendly Saylor called it a career. Now he’s Sales Manager at a car dealership in Georgia. We called him last week to look back at his career and find out what life is like today.
Racer X: Okay I want to start with what I remember you most for. You were the guy that the entire industry wanted to see beat Alessi that day. Let’s start with that. Was that your final year as an amateur? You probably came into that race knowing you needed to perform, as well, right?
Jacob Saylor: Yeah. That was my final year at Loretta’s. Of course, all of the hype was on Mike Alessi. I was one of Yamaha’s top guys, but I was very tight-knit, family-oriented. Just kind of did my own thing and practiced on my own. Of course, I did some training with Ronnie Tichenor, and he helped me out a lot for that. The main thing that stands out to me was just seeing – I can’t remember what moto it was, but I was right behind him [Alessi]. Just random industry people, people I’ve never seen or known before were waving flags and pointing at him saying, “Go, go, go!” I’m like, “What’s going on?” I did my best to latch onto him. Really, it’s kind of how I got my ride with Bobby Regan and Star Racing was I finished second to Alessi. It worked out.
I felt like you were pretty established as an amateur guy. I know you didn’t get that Loretta’s title you wanted, but it wasn’t like you were an unknown at that time. How would you say your amateur career went? If I look at the overall results at Loretta’s, to me, they didn’t really show how fast you were going.
I definitely had a couple seconds. I had a B class title wrapped up. I went 2-1-9. I was kind of inconsistent and kind of crashed a lot. [Announcer] Kevin Kelly always made jokes about me crashing. I was on my way to the podium. He said, “Did you crash on your way to the podium to your interview? Did you crash on your way to dinner?” [Laughs] I was super proud of my amateur career. I got a few titles, NMA titles, got some world mini titles. Got some titles like that. Loretta’s, second place was my best.
You wouldn’t have had Yamaha support if you weren't showing some potential, at a variety of races.
Yeah, for sure. After Loretta’s, I went and did the Swan challenge and ran up front there, kind of on my own. Qualified pretty good at Steel City as a pro at the end of that. I think I qualified 11th or 12th. Just once again, family thing. Just me and my dad in the motorhome, drove up to Steel City. Qualified pretty good. Then Bobby Regan called me. I did ’05 season on 250 with him.
It changed so rapidly. You were just barely in the era where full-time training, coaches, training facilities, all that stuff wasn’t quite there yet. You were just kind of doing your own thing. You just missed that by maybe three or four years.
Yeah. Ronnie Tichenor was probably my biggest influence. Other than that, it was just me and my dad heading off during the week, finding tracks here and there. Honestly, just trying to make the best of it. I think right when I turned pro, of course Millsaps’ facility was the first place that kind of got going. Right when I turned pro, I did that, but as an amateur it was more or less just weekend warrior with as much training as you could do in-between.
Did you do local races? Did you race all the time?
Yeah, I did a lot of the local series and stuff like that. I’ve been to a few local races now. I don’t see a lot of the top guys racing local anymore. They’re at their facilities all the time. So, I guess I was back in the era when you raced local.
Yes, four or five years later everything had changed. What I hear from guys like you, being with your family, being with your dad, all that time on the road, people look back at those as great memories, all that stuff.
Yeah, for sure. He was a big part of my success, my dad. He probably helped me with my sales career because he taught me a lot of how to talk to sponsors. He knew how to talk to sponsors and keep me going. I remember driving in a motorhome all the way out to the world mini and staying out in California. Stuff like that, you just don’t get as much anymore.
Take me through this Star deal. How did that go, your early pro years?
After the end of ’04, I got a call from Bobby, and he was impressed. Of course, finishing second to Alessi helped. He kind of got me going for the east coast. I even went down and stayed with him in Mississippi and did some Rocky-style training with him. I visited his car dealership when I was down there. It’s all come full circle for me. I only did one year 250, went straight to 450. Did the full season with Eric Vallejo and Tamer. That was probably the best year, ’06. It was super fun. Of course, I did MXGP which was a humbling experience, and raced in Canada.
You went to the 450 in basically your second year as a pro. What led to that? After ’05, not many options were on the table. I did suit the 450 a lot better, because my riding style was just calculated and smooth. So, having a lot of horsepower, I could do that. I was able to get on with Tamer Motorsports. I ripped a few holeshots and got 11th at Anaheim 2 or 3 the first year. Was one of the top privateers until the end of the season.
So, the 450 was definitely better for you?
Yeah, it was. The four-strokes, in general. Back in my amateur days, the four-strokes, I hopped on those and with compression release and everything. But it fit my riding style very good. I didn’t take a lot of chances. Just let the four-stroke ride for me, instead of over-riding a two-stroke. I just let the four-stroke work for me.
I did not know you went to Europe. Tell me about that.
Dave at Engine Ice kind of hooked me up with Sterm Racing in Europe. So, I did the German supercross, German ADAC nationals, and then I did probably half of the MXPG in 2008. That was probably the most humbling experience I’ve ever had racing motocross.
[Laughs] Every guy I’ve ever talked to who has gone to Europe has the story of going to some sand track and being like a minute a lap off, or something insane. Do you have that story?
I do. I went to Lommel. I grew up training at Croom [sand pit] with Tichenor, and I thought I could ride sand. Went to Lommel and we did so bad. I did so bad! My team was like, “Maybe we don’t go to Lierop this weekend. Maybe we skip Lierop.” It’s nothing like anything I’ve ever rode. Just the bottomless sand. It was a life-changing experience. So super thankful that I got to go over there and experience it.
Langston has the same story as you. Guys who won world titles got lapped on those sand tracks the first time they went. It’s something you’ve got to learn. Yeah. I rode really well during the German nationals, and battling with the top GP guys, Nagl and Desalle, I would battle with them in the German races. But then when I went to an MXGP I was like, this is a whole other game. Mentally it was just really hard to ride comfortably when you’re in a different world, different country, different language, different riders you’ve never seen. It was super hard. I remember the last moto of the last race of the MXGP, I finally scored points. So, it wasn’t for nothing.
You can’t take that away from you. So, you came back to America for ’09?
Yeah, I came back in ’09. Did the Wonder Warthog thing. BSY Yamaha. Did ’09 east coast. Just like everyone who comes back from Europe, my corner speed was amazing. My fitness was great. I transitioned back to a 250. I did a couple of east coast races. I think I got 11th, was probably my best. Then after that didn’t pan out, just kind of did the old privateer thing for the next two or three years. That was all she wrote.
It sounds like you stuck with it for a little bit but didn’t go crazy on just spending money and getting hurt or just chasing it, chasing it, chasing it. You maybe could have dragged it out a few more years.
Yeah, I could have. Once I found out that showing up at a supercross with minimal testing, minimal riding…it was starting to get really hard. I’d make the night show, but after that I was like, this is not worth it. I had some local sponsors helping me out. I’d make the night show, which would pay for the next race, but I had to kind of come to reality a little bit.
You could have broken even there or lost money for five more years, but instead you started thinking time to move on, time to move to the real world? Time to move on. Time to join society. I did what most people do after racing. I was training, doing motocross schools here and there. Transitioned to a local Honda powersports dealership where I sold powersports. Now I transitioned into the car dealership world where I’m at right now.
That’s pretty cool. Working at a car dealership started by working at the motorcycle dealership?
Yeah. Of course, transition into the Honda dealership, I could sell dirt bikes, talk to people about that. I could keep hosting motocross schools. That worked hand in hand. Then once I got into the car business, I saw the fruits of that labor and I just went 100 percent dedicated to that. Got a promotion within the first two or three years into basically finance. Did that for a bit, then sales manager. Now I’m a sales manager in charge of the car dealership right now. It’s Mountain View CDJR [Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram] in Georgia.
Do you feel that some of the lessons learned from racing have helped you in your regular job?
Yeah, it did. 100 percent. The work ethic it took to compete at the highest level of motocross. When I lined up against 20 guys at a motocross race, I learned how that works. To come to the car dealership and I’ve got guys I’m competing against, and I just wanted to be the best. Just putting my nose down and working hard pays off. Now I’m in a bigger seat with more responsibility. You get there when you work hard. All those things I learned from racing, it just helps me out.
When you were working at the Honda dealership, were some people like, “Wait a minute – I know you from racing?” That must have happened.
Yeah. It did with the powersports, but probably more so in the car business, to be honest. It’s just a bigger demographic. We’ve got more people coming in. So, when I talk about motocross it’s just like, “No way!” You really can build common ground with people, especially in the motocross world. When they come into the car dealership world, they’re like, “Oh, this is cool.”
What’s your family situation?
Married to my wife, Amanda, for the past five years. We’ve been together eleven, but we’ve been married five. My son Jackson is ten. He’s got a CRF110. We ride together and we have fun.
So, you still ride a little bit yourself?
Yeah, I do. I got a 450 and he’s got the 110. He does a lot of the stuff I didn’t get to do growing up. He does baseball, soccer. He does all of that. When I was six years old, I was all motocross. So, I get to enjoy doing that stuff I never got to do with him. My son was playing soccer and they got beat real bad in the game. He said, “Dad, I want to ride my dirt bike now.” I’m like, “Okay.” I don’t push him. If he wants to ride, he’ll tell me he wants to ride. Of course, I got him a tricked-out 110. Spent a lot of money on it. He’s got one of the baddest 110’s ever and he just rides for fun!
[Laughs] You’ve still got a little bit of that in there. You still follow the stuff? You still got some old buddies for the racing side you keep in touch with?
Yeah, for sure. I watch it every single weekend. Even at work, I try to put it on when I’m selling cars. I’m putting it on the TV at work and watching.
So, you can look back like no regrets? I’m sure at one point you wanted to be 450 supercross champion, like everybody does, but it sounds like it kind of worked out pretty well for you. You could have gone to a dark place like a lot of guys do, but it sounds like you had some good memories and a good ending.
Great memories. I got to travel the world. Relatively injury-free. In all of my professional racing I never broke a bone. I only broke a bone when I was on an 85cc at 12 years old. Never really got hurt in my entire professional career. So, I’m healthy and just living the normal life.
There’s a lot of guys that probably wish they could trade places with you now!
Yeah. I’ve only had one cast on my entire body when I was like 12 when I was on 85’s. That’s it!
