FMF Cup Final
1. Nick Brocha
2. Bill Dixon
3. Luke Emmons
K&N Circle Challenge
1. Lin Eshalom
2. Tony Carbajal
3. Eric Pettit
Speed & Strength
Sickest Trick
Joe Dryden
Sartso Women's Cup
1. Brandy Valdez
2. Dena Sodano
3. Alicia Speck
Freestyle Burnout
Alex Flores
Nick Brocha
Luke Emmons
Dena Sodano
Brandy Valdez
Yamaha's Bill Dixon managed to close the door on the 2010 FMF Cup championship chase by finishing second to 2008 champion Nick Brocha. Brocha did what he had to do-which was win-but Dixon's point total was high enough to secure the title by one marker, even if Brocha were to win at the Indy final as well. This crucial mark came from the bonus point earned by Dixon's number one qualifying spot, proving how important it has become to qualify well in the FMF Cup.
The K&N Circle Challenge was won by veteran Lin Eshalom, but the stand-out performer was Tony Carbajal, who in only his third XDL appearance managed to beat Ernie Vigil, Nick Brocha and Bill Dixon on his way to second place and some K&N bonus money.
The Sartso Women's Cup saw the largest field of the year with four riders competing. Brandy Valdez from Texas took the win over Daytona winner, Dena Sodano, of Pennsylvania.
The XDL LA event closed out as it always does with the Speed & Strength Sickest Trick competition, which delivered an amazing final trick as well as a fair amount of controversy. Joe Dryden had gone without a win or podium in any competition and was looking at a long drive back to Florida with no money to show for his efforts. In a bid to pull a rabbit out of a hat, Dryden decided to attempt a high-speed, no-handed wheelie scrape. While this may not sound that difficult, his Aprilia doesn't run a traditional 12-bar. For Dryden to scrape the tail he'd have to lean the bike back past the balance point, essentially riding "upside down." The likelihood of Joe crashing was fairly high.
The Speed & Strength Sickest Trick rules state that a rider has two attempts to complete his trick. Dryden's first run wasn't even close. On his second run the trick started to develop. This should have been the end, but the judges and crowd felt there was enough progress to see this one through (or see Joe crash). On his fourth try Dryden pulled it off and took the win. Other riders immediately protested the rule infraction, but the win was upheld on the grounds that even if other riders had been given additional attempts and completed their tricks, Dryden's feat was simply the most stunning trick of the day. That's a rather interesting conclusion, to say the least.
The final round will be in Indianapolis, but with the championship already sealed it'll be a battle for second place.