Can wait for this one to come out!!!  Gotta love Travis Pastrana and the crew!

Travis Pastrana and the whole Nitro Circus crew are back together in a truly LEPICDARY (epic n' legendary) action packed 3D film. Expect the impossible, ridiculous, insane, hysterical, and purely awesome! Coming to you in 3D, it will feel like you are riding shotgun with the crew.

www.nitrocircus.com

Get ready Lake Havasu, this weekend is XDL again!!!  If you don't know what it is you will want to know. 

Everyone loves to watch stunt bikes right?   right.  Havasu is the funnest event I've been to lately.

Here's a video preview of clips from last year, and I have a little challenge and a prize to give away.....

I (petmaster5000) am in this video at least once.  The first person to send me a message and tell me accurately where I am in the video, what I'm doing, and how many seconds into the clip you see me.... wins a prize.  

What is the prize you ask?   Probably a big pack of FTR stickers and who knows what else, but it will be cool!!!!!

Have fun at Havasu everyone.  FTR wasn't able to represent this year, but we are cheering the stunters on in spirit!!!!  Good luck to all the competitors!!!!

XDL Finals - Indianapolis, Event Report
Bubash Wins FMF Cup, Speed & Strength Sickest Trick a Sellout, XDL Performs First Ever MotoGP Demos

Text: Randy Grube
Photos: David Avila

For the inaugural XDL Indy competition in 2008 the series was greeted by Hurricane Ike and pouring rain. It seems that Friday at Indy means running in the rain, because once again, an otherwise beautiful week was punctuated by heavy downpours on Friday just as qualifying was starting in the afternoon and the gates opened. The initial drizzle had little effect on the early runners, but by the time number one qualifier Bill Dixon went out it was coming down in buckets. The rain persisted until about 6:30pm, building up standing water almost 6 inches deep at the curbs. Just like any other series, XDL officials had to make a call on the weather. After checking every radar image on every iPhone app available, the decision was that the weather would hold until 10pm or so, providing enough time to get in the competitions. As the riders fired up for the K&N Circle Challenge spectators started to come out of hiding and the stands filled with fans eager to see who would be the best circle wheelie rider. Shin Kinoshita, last year's winner, was still in Japan dealing with his mystery illness so the field was wide open. But within less than 30 minutes, Aaron Twite, a perennial K&N Circle Challenge favorite had beaten out all comers and took the crown. Next it was on to FMF Cup. Since the title had been decided, this would be an all out scramble for the win. Aaron Colton, last year's winner, felt fairly confident based on his number one qualifying run. Nick Apex, the outgoing champ had a few things to prove, as did Chris McNeil who has had a rocky two seasons due to mechanical issues. About the only one completely relaxed was Bill Dixon. The surface had started to dry but was still damp so it didn't allow the riders to go all out. But whether the conditions were ideal or not didn't really matter because Brian Bubash was so on his game it seemed inconceivable anyone would be able to take him out. He closed out the '09 season by scoring his first-ever XDL FMF Cup win. Cali Alliance rider Rick Hart was only one point behind, and a once again injured Bill Dixon still managed to grab third. It seems that Indy always brings out the best in XDL athletes and they always put on a great show. And there was still plenty more action ahead.

For Saturday the weather improved dramatically and athletes and fans alike were treated to a perfect day. The show opened with the Indianapolis Bikes and Beats put on by 2 Wheel Tuner. This is a new and very attractive addition to the XDL Indy program that featured a Suzuki custom bike show, live performances by Busa Beats contest winners, as well as an Icon fashion show. The competition got under way with the Aprilia All Star Challenge in which Dan Jackson and Bill Dixon still had to settle the score for the national title. Jackson was able to lock up his second straight Aprilia All Star Challenge Championship with a best time of 26.78. Second place at Indy went to local rider Eric Pettit with a very respectable 28.15. Saturday's main event was the Speed & Strength Sickest Trick competition, which now had a purse of $2,500. Maybe it was Indy, maybe it was the prize money, or maybe it was the fact that this would be the last main event of the season, but the largest ever field lined up to wow the crowd for this one. Everyone had their game face on and the crowd got to see some of the most amazing tricks ever performed on two wheels. It ranged from pure ballsy, to acrobatic, crazy and super skilled feats of riding. In the end, skill took the crown as winner Chris McNeil (BMW) and runner up Joe Dryden (Aprilia) both uncorked amazing performances. A video of the Speed & Strength Sickest Trick competition can be seen at: http://www.xdlshow.com/videos.html Saturday ended with the Russ Brown Freestyle Burnout competition, which was won convincingly by Speed & Strength rider Jason Pullen, who spit fire and had his bike throw flames, all while standing on his bike performing a stand still burnout.

If it sounds like Indy is a non-stop event, it is. Thursday practice ends at 9pm, Friday and Saturday go past midnight and Saturday's venue tear down takes until 4am. This year, there was an 8:30am and 11:30am XDL demo at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on the race track, as part of MotoGP race day activities, so there were quite a few riders and XDL staffers that got one hour or less of sleep. But everyone pulled through and had a good time. The demos were unique because XDL put three 4-man teams on the track that did three simultaneous three minute demos. Think of it this way. Whether you were in turn 1, 9 or 16, you got to see an XDL demo, all at the same time. XDL staff and riders have worked hard at building a relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and MotoGP and it looks like that relationship will continue to expand and more sportbike freestyle will take place as part of major race weekends in the US.

The 2009 season was another big step towards building America's hottest action sport: XDL. Rider fields are bigger and more competitive, venues are better, crowds are bigger and more sponsors are engaged. In short, growth is explosive and XDL will continue to be a hot property in 2010.

FMF Cup Results (Top 5)
1. Brian Bubash 78
2. Rick Hart 77
3. Bill Dixon 72.5
4. Aaron Colton 72.5
5. Chris McNeil 69

FMF Cup National Championship (Top 5)
1. Bill Dixon
2. Aaron Colton
3. Lin Eshalom
4. Rick Hart
5. Dan Jackson (T), Warren James(T), Brian Bubash (T)

Aprilia All Star Challenge Results (Top 5)
1. Dan Jackson 26.78 seconds
2. Eric Petit 28.15 seconds
3. Bill Dixon 31.50 seconds
4. Chris McNeil 34.25 seconds
5. Brian Bubash 35.00 seconds

K&N Circle Challenge Winner
Aaron Twite

Russ Brown Freestyle Burnout Winner
Jason Pullen

Sickest Trick Winner
Chris McNeil

Bike Night USA Team Battle Winners
Dan Jackson, Brian Bubash, Bill Dixon, Dan Farris

For complete results go to: http://www.xdlshow.com/results/2009/indianapolis.html
For the complete national rankings, go to: http://www.xdlshow.com/results/2009/results09.html
For photos: http://www.xdlshow.com/images/galleries/indy09/
For hi-res images contact Randy Grube at randy@xdlshow.com

XDL Round 3 - Los Angeles, Event Report
Dixon Clinches FMF Cup with Third Win in a Row

Text: Randy Grube
Photos: David Avila

After two seasons at the Queen Mary, XDL ended its run in Long Beach and moved to its new LA home to Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The Queen Mary had been a good venue for XDL, but it was time for a change. Irwindale was more centrally located and easier to operate since it is an existing racetrack. Continuing the tradition established at Nashville, XDL riders performed demos at bike nights, including Yamaha dealer Chaparral in San Bernadino. The vendor area was vastly expanded and attractions included BMX demos, a ton of free SWAG, turntables operated by DJ Yerd and a live national anthem.

All this lead to a capacity crowd in attendance to witness 2008 FMF Cup bridesmaid Bill Dixon clinch the 2009 XDL Championship in convincing fashion by winning his third competition in a row. His 135 points were the first ever perfect score in XDL history, making this a remarkable achievement. Because of the "bye" rule, allowing a competitor to drop his lowest finish, the XDL Finals at Indy would have no impact on the points chase. Although he made it look easy, Dixon's win at the LA round was anything but. A practice injury several weeks earlier left his right shoulder in pain and restricted his range of motion. And he came to LA on a brand new '09 Yamaha R6 that was built from the ground up as a dedicated sportbike freestyle machine. When we consider how much trouble riders generally have switching to a new bike, Bill's win on the new R6 stands out all the more. And then there was the riding surface. Although Round 3 wasn't the first time XDL riders competed on a drag strip, it was the first time they had to battle it out on the section treated with VHT, creating traction issues for many competitors. Some riders switched tires, others adapted their riding style and took measures to deal with the surface. Team Racing 905 rider Warren James put in a stellar run after a crash in qualifying that fractured his toes. He set a high bar, but nothing fazed Dixon who was able to walk away from LA having fulfilled his lifetime ambition of becoming a well-deserved national champion.

The Aprilia All Star Challenge was won by Dan Jackson in a time of 25.88 seconds, setting up a showdown for the final round at Indy between himself and Bill Dixon. The K&N Circle Challenge saw another new winner in Luke Emmons. Perennial favorite Shin Kinoshita from Japan was in attendance but was stricken with a mysterious inner ear ailment the day before the competition and completely lost his sense of balance, forcing him to sit on the sidelines. It was a tough weekend for Kinoshita who traveled over 5,000 miles to compete against America's best to reclaim his title as K&N Circle Challenge champion. The Russ Brown Freestyle Burnout competition saw the return of a familiar face, Jason Pullen. Pullen, known in XDL circles as the Harley guy, stunned the crowd with his fire antics and "burning" bike tricks to take home the top spot. He also executed a ramp jump over several audience members to win Sickest Trick, and he finished 12th in FMF Cup, giving him quite a weekend.

The final two competitions of the night were performed on the Irwindale oval in front of the Saturday night racing crowd and included a wheelie race around the entire 1/4 mile track, as well as the Bike Night USA Team Battle that saw the Cali Alliance riders beat out the competition. The wheelie race was quite a sight to see since the banking and long straights allowed for high speeds and the riders went all out for the win. The Finals saw Aaron Colton, Bill Dixon and Dan Jackson face off. Colton took the early lead but was passed on the back straight by Dixon. However, Dixon couldn't carry his speed around turn 3 and had to put his front wheel down, leaving just two competitors. Colton looked safe but Jackson made a run at him in turn 4 and passed Colton, but he too had to put the front down when he couldn't carry his speed around the turn. The crowd went wild as Colton finished off a great day of competition and entertainment in front of a packed Irwindale grandstand. But the night belonged to a confident, calm and collected Bill Dixon who walked away as the unofficial 2009 XDL FMF Cup Champion.

FMF Cup Results (Top 5)
1. Bill Dixon 76
2. Warren James 75.5
3. Nick Brocha 75.5
4. Alex Flores 74.5
5. Aaron Colton 73

Aprilia All Star Challenge Results (Top 5)

2. Bill Dixon 28.25 seconds
3. Rick Hart 38.91 seconds
4. Eric Whitcomb 45.85 seconds
5. Nick Hernandez 47.89 seconds

K&N Circle Challenge Winner
Luke Emmons - Team Racing 905

Russ Brown Freestyle Burnout Winner
Jason Pullen

Sickest Trick Winner
Jason Pullen

Bike Night USA Team Battle Winners
Alex Flores, Jason Pullen, Rick Hart, Javon Stevens

For complete results go to: http://www.xdlshow.com/results/2009/losangeles.html
For the national rankings, go to: http://www.xdlshow.com/results/2009/results09.html
For images go to: http://www.xdlshow.com/images/galleries/losangeles09/index.html
For hi-res images contact Randy Grube at randy@xdlshow.com

hey stunt fans!!!!

I finally got around to correcting a few shots from the Lake havasu XDL Stunt show/contest.  
 

hope you enojy, i got sunburned for these.  heh.

XDL Kicks Off 2009 Season in Lake Havasu City

The XDL Sportbike Freestyle Championship will open its 2009 season in Lake Havasu City Saturday, April 4 as part of Spring Break Bike Week. The XDL Sportbike Freestyle Championship is the premier national stunt riding championship, now in its 4th season. Over the course of the season close to 100 professional and aspiring riders will compete for over $50,000 in prize money and the chance to win an Aprilia SXV 4.5. Competitions include Individual Freestyle, the Aprilia All-Star Challenge, Circle Challenge, Sickest Trick, Team Battle and Freestyle Burnout.

Lake Havasu City is a new addition to the XDL schedule, replacing the Phoenix stop from 2008. Stated series founder Randy Grube: "Although Phoenix was a good event, we see a lot more potential in a city like Lake Havasu City. Everyone here has been very helpful and kind, and the market is a good fit for us. And since we are running in conjunction with Spring Break Bike Week we expect this to become a destination event. ’'m really looking forward to the season opener."

The 2009 XDL season continues May 30 in Nashville, June 20 in Los Angeles and August 29 in Indianapolis. Two additional dates are tentatively scheduled but subject to TV negotiations. A revised schedule will be announced at the end of February.

Event info such as rider registration, media credential applications and an event schedule are on the event page.

A brief overview of the XDL competitions follows:

Individual Freestyle: Individual Freestyle is the battle for the national championship. All riders have 3 minutes to put on a routine and are then judged on overall performance, execution, difficulty and crashes. A rider receives one point for participating in qualifying, but has to score in the top 15 to advance to the main event. A bonus point is awarded to the highest qualifier. 45 point are awarded to the winner of Individual Freestyle, 42 points for second, 39 for third and so on, with 15th receiving 3 points.

Aprilia All-Star Challenge: This is our second national points championship event. Competitors must complete a challenging skills course in the shortest time, riding an Aprilia SXV 4.5. The points leader at the end of the season takes home an Aprilia SXV 4.5.

Sickest Trick: In this competition riders call out a trick they plan on performing and get two attempts at completing it. Judges decide the finalists and the crowd picks the winner.

Circle Challenge: In this ultimate test of skill, riders are challenged to be the first to complete 10 circles wheelies.