Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 26th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Isaiah Burleson
Age: 18.
Current home: Lead Hill, Arkansas.
Current height/weight: 5’10”/150 pounds.
Current school grade level: 12th grade.
Began riding at age: 5 years.
First road race: 2010, Hallett, Oklahoma, CMRA, Jr. Motard, 1st place.
Current racebike: Kawasaki Ninja 400, Yamaha YZF-R6.
Current tuner/mechanic: Cory Burleson.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup, CMRA.
Top sponsors: M4 Exhaust, Bison Leathers, SportbikeTrackGear.com, Jim Cambora/RaceWorx, HP Painting, CJR Performance.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, co-rode to 1st in CMRA Lightweight Endurance Overall Championship, finished 2nd in CMRA Middleweight Solo 30 Expert Championship, finished 3rd in CMRA 500 Superbike Expert Championship, finished 5th in CMRA 500 Superstock Expert Championship, finished 9th in CMRA C Superstock Expert Championship (9 sprint race wins); 2020 season, finished 14th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (best race finish was 4th at Indianapolis); 2019 season, won 4 CMRA Expert races; 2018, won CMRA Solo 30 500 Superstock Championship (2 race wins).
Racing career goal: Show everyone that it doesn’t take a big team to go fast, that talent can come from anywhere.
Racing heroes: Mathew Scholtz, Dane Westby, Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hobby: Working with animals.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Shooting at the range or hunting wild game.
