Interview: Brent Stallo/Wes Williams
Photography: Troy Lee Designs/Brent Stallo

This may be the most inspirational interviews we’ve ever conducted on Vurb. It is a true story of triumph over adversity, and is guaranteed to send chills down your spine. No matter what wall stands in your way, you will find hope in this story.

From once riding high as one of the top amateurs in the country, to nearly fading into oblivion, to making a comeback some thought was impossible, Jimmy Alberston has lived every aspect of the motocross dream. Here Jimmy goes into detail about his transition into the professional ranks in 2006, to struggling to make it to the next race, to finally landing his dream ride for 2009. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss a word. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

Alright Jimmy, let’s back up all the way to 2006. Yamaha. You got third at Loretta’s and then made the transition to Millville. However, things didn’t exactly go as planned. Take us back to that time in your career.
Loretta’s didn’t end up going so well for me that year. I ended up getting a third in one class and would have had a second in the other if not for some bike problems in the last moto. But I went in there to win and I really thought I was doing everything right. I really thought I was working hard. But looking back I really had no idea. Then I went into Millville and didn’t do too bad, but still I got really tired there. The whole transition coming out of amateurs, yeah, I was fast, but I wasn’t ready. Maybe I was just as ready as a lot of kids, but I know I wasn’t ready. I thought I was, but looking back I know I wasn’t. I didn’t deserve any of that [factory ride] coming out of the amateurs. I’ll go ahead and say that right now. What happened happened and it happened for a reason. Now, because of all that bad stuff that happened, I know what it’s like to be on the other side, driving your bikes to the races and struggling financially. It feels so good now to be in a spot that I don’t have to worry about that stuff. Just being able to go to the track and race is a big weight off my shoulders. But not getting a ride out of amateurs really made me find out how bad I want to be a professional motocross racer. There were so many times I would ask myself if maybe I should be doing something else. You know, maybe I should try to give it up. But I stuck it out and started working hard and it all paid off.

If you could go back would you change anything during that time?
You know what, if I could go back, yeah, you say you’d change a lot of things, but that whole amateur year on ’06, even though I was doing crappy at the races I still had a lot of fun not doing much. That’s just part of being a kid to me. I was still young and I didn’t understand. I was just having fun doing whatever. Right now things are a lot stricter. But I’ve got the drive to buckle down my program and be the best. So to go back and time and say that I would have done this different or done that different, yeah I would, but they don’t make time machines, so you really can’t answer that question.

Would you say you are stronger now mentally because you do know what it’s like on the other side and you don’t want to go back to that lifestyle?
Yeah, but it’s not only that. It’s more the fact that I didn’t give up and I kept pushing forward. A lot of kids once that happens, they never try and break the mold. They don’t try and fix it. They just go on and they just fizzle out slowly. I felt like at one point in time that’s what I was doing. I was just kind of fizzling out. If after my season in ’06, if ’09 rolled around and people were like, “hey, do you remember Jimmy Albertson? He used to be a pretty fast amateur rider.” I mean, I would hate for that to happen. So I buckled down and started working really hard last spring after supercross. I hooked up with a new trainer, Greg Direnzo, and started living with Trey [Canard] my old amateur racing buddy and things just took off. I kind of came into my own and found my rhythm again.

So explain what it felt like to be sitting in the motorhome with your brother Gregg wondering how to get to the next race. Was that just the scariest feeling in the world or what?
Well, we already made up our minds that we were going to make it to the next race. Even if we didn’t have any money in our bank accounts, me, my dad and my brother were going to figure something out. The tough parts were sitting in the motohome after I just got smoked and had just got completely beat up on the track by everybody that I used to whoop up on in the amateur ranks. Sitting in the motohome with my brother and my dad and they are just kind of looking at me like, “what happened?” That was kind of the bad thing. I hate to say it, but whenever you’re spending your own hard earned money on something it just like, you’ve got to bust a move. It felt like we were just spinning our wheels. It was tough, but no one ever gave up. We all stuck together and we ended up coming thorough.

How did it feel to finally make that transition last summer when you were running consistently inside the top ten?
You know, it was weird at first. The first few outdoor races I was riding with injuries, so I was kind of doing mediocre. I mean I was doing better than I ever had, but I still didn’t feel like I was riding up to my potential. I took like three weeks off and let my body heal up, then I showed up and got that first top ten finish at Red Bud and it was a big shock. I didn’t feel like I rode very well, but when I came off the track I was like man, I just landed top ten in an outdoor national. From then on I never finished outside the top ten. I just got comfortable running that pace and now I just expect myself to be one of the frontrunners. It’s kind of like it was in amateurs for me. In ’03 when I started racing intermediate and I wouldn’t even qualify for half my main events. Then it just seems like you have that one break out race and you confidence goes up and it’s just like, okay, I belong up here. That’s kind of how I feel in the professional ranks right now.

Let’s shift focus to this Troy Lee team. This is your first big ride as a pro. How is everything panning out so far?
The new team is awesome. At first I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew they were a two rider team and that they had a semi and did the west coast last year, but I didn’t know what the status of their team was. Then once I got there and met everybody it was awesome. The whole crew is great. They put a lot of work into their bikes and it’s a winning team. They’re out to win it and they really work hard. I couldn’t be any happier with the team that I’m on right now. There were a couple of decisions I had to make leading up to it, and I’m really glad that I’m on the team I’m on.

You’re obviously riding Lites, but go ahead and give everyone an official statement on that.
Yeah, I’m going to be riding Lites west coast. I’m really excited about it, too. I do like riding the 450, and I know I rode the bike well in the outdoor series, but to tell you the truth, for me to be riding the 450 indoors would kind of be a bummer for me. For me to go out and give Stewart or Reed a run for the championship would almost be impossible this early in my career. For me to be riding Lites class this year really give me an opportunity to actually work towards a championship race. I mean I know it’s a long shot and people last year really looked at me as not a very good supercross rider, but I really do think that I’m a great supercross rider. Maybe even a better supercross rider than outdoors. Last supercross season I wasn’t on near the program that I am now and I think come Anaheim 1 everyone will see that.

On an ending note, tell us how it felt to holeshot and almost lead a lap over James Stewart?
It was cool, man. I tell you what, the week before that race I didn’t even know if I was going to go. With my shoulder injury and then I got really sick right before the race, it didn’t feel like anything was really healing up at the time. Then the Wednesday before the race I was like man, I really need to at least hold onto the bike to go out there and ride. I rode for about 15 minutes, hopped off my bike and was like, “Screw it, let’s go race.” When I pulled that holeshot it was like, “Oh my God.” It felt so quiet out front. It was just a cool feeling. Then Stewart of course went by me, but then I looked back and was like, man, I wish I was healthy so I could have made a better run at that. But then again, like I said, you can’t go back and change anything and I really feel like I took advantage of the situation the best I could and I’m happy. I’m just really pumped on how everything went last season.

So the stars have finally aligned for you, bro. We wish you all the best next season and for many more to come.
Thanks guys. I’m really excited about everything.