A capacity crowd witnessed 2008 FMF Cup runner-up Bill Dixon clinch the 2009 XDL Championship in convincing fashion by winning his third competition in a row. His 135 points was the first-ever perfect score in XDL history, making this a remarkable achievement.
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 freestyle machine. When considering how much trouble riders generally have switching to a new bike, Bill's win on the new R6 stands out even more.
LA's Irwindale drag strip wasn't the first time XDL riders had to compete in tricky conditions, but traction issues surfaced for many competitors. Some riders switched tires, while others adapted their riding style and took measures to deal with the unpredictable surface.
Team Racing 905 rider Warren James put in a stellar run after a crash in qualifying that fractured his toes. He set the bar, but nothing fazed Dixon who was able to ride away from LA having fulfilled his lifetime ambition of becoming a well-deserved national champion.
The K&N Circle Challenge saw another new winner with Luke Emmons taking the top spot. 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.
The Russ Brown Freestyle Burnout competition saw the return of a familiar face, Jason Pullen. Known on the freestyle circuit as "The Harley guy," Pullen stunned the crowd with his fire antics and "burning bike" tricks to take home the win. He also executed a ramp jump over several audience members to win Sickest Trick, giving him quite a weekend.
The final two competitions were performed on the Irwindale oval in front of the Saturday night racing crowd and included a wheelie race around the entire quarter-mile track, as well as the Bike Night USA Team Battle that saw the Cali Alliance riders beat out the competition. The wheelie race 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 a turn and had to put his front wheel down, leaving just two for the finish. Colton looked safe but Jackson made a run and passed him, 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 the packed grandstands.
But the night belonged to a confident, calm and collected Bill Dixon who walked away as the 2009 XDL FMF Cup Champion with one more round to go at Indianapolis.
FMF Cup Results
1st Bill DIXON
2nd Warren James
3rd Nick Brocha
Circle Challenge: Luke Emmons
Freestyle Burnout: Jason Pullen
Sickest Trick: Jason Pullen
Wheelie Race: Aaron Colton