Tuesday Toolbox with .... Garrett Edmisten

The roll continues for Garrett Edmisten. The early-season GNCC XC1 Bike points leader continues to put in solid results, and while he’s no longer quite fighting for the title, he’s right in the hunt for a top-five finish in his rookie pro season, which is one of the best debuts ever. Even bigger, Garrett is still riding as a full privateer, showing the factory teams how to get it done every weekend. We caught up to him for this week’s Tuesday Toolbox.

By Jenn Sheppard
Photos by Jason Hooper

Edmisten on the podium.

Garrett, what are you doing right now?

I’m with my friend Jesse Robinson. He’s working, and I’m helping his mom paint the house.

What did you do this weekend?

I went to Budds Creek for the Motocross of Nations.

How was that?

It was my very first [MXoN] and a once in a lifetime opportunity right there. I had fun. The racing was good. It was pretty amazing how the whole crowd just cheers for their country and hope their riders pull together.

At the last GNCC in New York, you finished ninth overall, but you were on the podium the race before that?

Yes, I got a decent start [at Unadilla] and just couldn’t get in a groove. I couldn’t do it. It was an off race for me. I hurt my hand that Friday before, and it was kind of hard to hang on for the first two laps. Then I couldn’t catch anybody, and I just rode consistent.

You must be confident now that you have the speed to run with those guys?

I train pretty good in the off time. I feel that I can get a couple more podiums before the year is over; we only have three races left, but I feel like I can at least get one more podium.

The next race is in Yadkinville, North Carolina. Are you familiar with the area?

Yes. I’ve been there a couple times. I like the track. It reminds me of Georgia, the way it’s red clay and rough. I actually like it there. I got second in Georgia, so hopefully I can either get second or first at this one.

You actually had the point’s lead after the race in Georgia, which earned you the Privateer Profile on racerxill.com That was pretty big…

Yeah, I was glad that it was on there. A couple of people said they had seen it on there; mostly just my friends and stuff.

Do you still train with the Mike Phillips? He used to battle with Kenny Keylon for the championship back in the nineties!

I actually haven’t been doing anything with him. He actually just got hurt and broke his shoulder. I work with his son a little bit, but I’ve kind of just been doing my own thing. My buddy Josh Williams races Pro four-wheelers in motocross, and his mom’s a personal trainer. I work with her a little bit in the off time.

What’s the latest on your privateer status?

I’m still a privateer. Most likely I’ll be a privateer next year again. Nobody has offered me anything, so I’m just going to have to go out there and make another statement next year—let them know that I’m here to stay and somebody needs to pick me up.

Garrett soldiers on with solid rides every weekend.

It’s just you and your dad on the road, right?

Yep. We drive back and forth to Florida every other weekend to each race.

How do you two get along?

We get along pretty good. When I drive the motor home, he’s always nagging at me and says that I’m going too fast, but that’s the object to try to get there as fast as you can.

What’s his role? Does he keep you motivated or just let you do your own thing?

He mostly lets me do my own thing and see what happens. Sometimes he’ll make me mad, and when he makes me mad, it gets me motivated, but mostly he lets me do my own thing and ride my own race.

He’s been there forever, huh?

Yes. He got me into it when I was three, and we’ve been doing it ever since then. It’s been a long time.

Well I have to say, I used to love watching you blaze through the ranks in the FTR series; you went all the way to the top on a ragged out Suzuki. (Note: Edmisten dominated the Florida Trail Riders with five back-to-back Harescramble Series Overall High Point awards for 2002 - 2006).

Yea, I got a Team Green ride at the end of ’01 and started full time for Kawi in ’02 and rode with them all the way up until this past year. Now I’m just a full-on privateer. I buy my own stuff and go race the race.

How did riding in Florida and racing FTR help shape you as a rider?

I think just because of the sand. All I rode every weekend was the sand and rough tracks. I’d go to a motocross race and ride eight motos and just do as much as I could on rough tracks all the time. Then I started riding GNCCs and got used to the clay. I’ve always been in shape.

You are definitely no stranger to the motocross track either…what do you prefer?

I love to practice on motocross and race whatever motocross races I can, but there’s so many fast kids in there, it’d be way too hard to try and make that my job. I’m one of the top guys in the off road series, so there’s really no reason to get out of off road. Might as well stay in it and try and make a living at it.

Could another podium be in the cards this weekend?

What makes you stand out the most, in your opinion?

This is what I want to do. I’m a kid living a dream. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid. That’s all I’ve known is to be a professional dirt bike racer, and that’s all I want to do. So I’m going to make sure that I do it.

What would you choose if you weren’t in this profession?

I couldn’t even answer that question. I don’t even know. Motorcycles have been my whole life.

Who is your mechanic now?

I’ll say 75% of the time it’s me, and the other 25% is my dad.

You’ve said that winning the championship would be great, “but I’ve got a lot of time to work on that.” Is this just the beginning for you, Garrett?

Pretty much, that’s why I said it. This is my first year in it, and I plan on being around for a good couple of years, and make a statement every season I do the best that I can and win as much as I can

Do you have any predictions for this weekend?

I’m pretty much going to ride all week until the race. My hand’s still messed up, but there’s nothing you can do about that. Just hang on and hope for the best, and that’s what I’m going to do. Hopefully I can get on the podium; I’ll definitely get in the top five. I need to make some points up. The point’s chase right now is kind of close between third back to sixth, so I need to do it.

Who do you want to thank?

I want to thank my mom and dad. Keith Walpole with Walpole Trucking. If it weren’t for him, this season really wouldn’t be possible. I want to thank Mike Phillips for helping me out earlier in the season. I want to thank Sue Williams for helping me out over the break. Moose, CTi, Shoei, Scott goggles, Acerbis, Twin air, Dunlop, Renthal, RK Chains, East Coast Green Team, Hammerhead designs and anybody else I forgot, thanks!

What about the Down South Players?

I want to thank the DSP for sure. My friends and me have this little group; it’s awesome.

Lucas Crespi told me that he practices with you a lot, because “Garrett will ride for like an hour.” But you guys never ride the trails together?

No, Lucas is one of the only DSP’s that sticks straight to motocross.

Good luck in the woods this weekend Garrett. We’ll be looking for you.

All right. Thank you.