Tuesday, April 2

Cowboy Kenny Takes the Win

By Ginger
EXPN.com

VTC of FMX lit up an overcast Indy this weekend as the new breed of freestyle riders dominated the roster board. The explosive growth of the sport was felt as names like Adams, Bartram, Miller and Mcelroy lit up Conseco Field house to go for the first of the three Triple Crown events to be televised for NBC. Last year's shining star, Clifford Adoptante, was on hand to reclaim his 2001 VTC victory, adding the "Rock Solid" and "Stripper" to his list of tricks. Known for his smooth execution and perfect timing, Clifford's solid run for the trophy was edged out by fellow X Games medalist "The Cowboy" Kenny Bartram.

Bartram throwing out an Indian Air, just a lil' something from the bag of tricks.

Kenny lassoed the trophy both nights, coming off an unrivaled FMX winning streak. Bartram is truly a different breed of freestyler. With a Grizzly Adams beard, and executing his run to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", the crowd clapped in time with the music, cheering as Kenny's long legs kicked out the biggest tricks you can throw on a dirt bike. The gauge of judging freestyle is in execution, and Kenny has it down. From his whips to his mind-boggling combos, his timing is dead on and his aggressive style forces you out of your chair, struggling not to blink for fear of missing something. Now on the road to becoming a Vans Triple Crown champion, we will all see if Kenny continues through 2002's Summer X Games with a repeat of the event that put the spotlight on him with his gold medal win in Big Air at Summer X in 2001.

Tomcat...lookback...hart attack.

Teenage wonder Nate Adams showed up on the scene not only sporting a new sponsorship deal with Target, but ready to blow out candles for his 18th birthday celebration. One of the youngest riders in FMX, Nate shared the birthday weekend with the oldest rider in Freestyle- "Mad" Mike Jones. Mike suffered a few injuries early on Friday and could not ride the event. He was poised to be a contender having taken a win in Detroit the weekend prior during LXD's X Games qualifier. All the festivities must have thrown Nate off, as he came up a bit short in one of his first qualifying jumps on Saturday, throwing off the rest of his run and sending him into LCQ. Nate went on to lay down an impressive run, but it wasn't enough to snare a win. Nate's tricks don't disappoint however, and this star has a bright future ahead of him in Freestyle.

New to the circuit, Derek Burlew and Beau Bamberg threw out huge tricks but they need to solidify their runs if they want to take a win against such aggressive riders as Adoptante and Bartram. Trevor Vines was off his mark due to bike problems. His YZ250 wasn't starting earlier in practice and then in the main his front brake went out.

There were a lot of riders out for blood and one in particular was Dustin Miller. Dustin always goes into big events hungry and competitive, nails a killer run but then barrels himself in the hay bails to the overwhelming disappointment of the crowd. Miller's bike skills and extended tricks keep him on top of his technical game, but Ronnie Renner is on his heels with solid talent and massive crowd appeal. Renner's clown antics and his "Who's Your Daddy?" catch phrase keeps him a favorite amongst the fans. When Renner's low score had the crowd booing the judges, you knew Renner captured their attention. Watch for a lot more of Ronnie in the near future.

Ronnie Renner loses his head in this Kiss of Death.

Next stop for VTC is August 9th in Tacoma, WA, right in between Gravity Games and X Games. For more information on the Triple Crown series and the IFMA series go to www.pacefmx.com.

Friday
Kenny Bartram 93.4
Dustin Miller 93.3
Nate Adams 92.5
Tommy Clowers 92.0
Jake Windham 91.0

Saturday
Kenny Bartram 92.5
Nate Adams 92.2
Clifford Adoptante 91.7
Tommy Clowers 91.6
Ronnie Renner 91.5