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IFMAlFMX Series STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOEY CASEy/PRACTICE TRACK MAGAZINE HAMPTON, VA, MAR. 23·24 ustin Miller astonished even his competition at the final W.inter Series IFMA stop. So impressive were the Thor/Metzger Motorsports-backed rider's moves that as Jake Windham (last year's champ) sat in the Casey Cycle City Hot Seat, he bowed down and waved his arms as if to worship Miller's god-like performance. Miller ended the first half of the series in dramatic form, setting new limits in his sport by performing never-beforeseen tricks. For his" A" tricks, he pulled a one-handed Hart Attack, followed by a two-handed Superman seat-grab to no-handed landing, and then a one-handed nine o'clock nacnaco It's one thing when the fans get loud, but it's another entirely when riders come out to cheer. Everyone was waving Miller on like he was coming through the pack in a race, on his way to a 93.5 score. "Every other time I've tried a double seat-grab Superman to no-handed landing, I couldn't get the landing right to leave my hands off," Miller said following his stellar Saturdaynight run. "I've never pulled that before." Miller was only slightly less impressive on Friday, still picking up the win with a final score of 91.8 to Comblnftlons a. . the name of the game In freestJle these clap. Jake Windham's new trick Is a no-footed can-can to Supennan to no-footed can-can on the opposite slde. 40 APRIL 18, 2001 • cue I • Warpt/Hessian Aggression rider Nate Adams' 91. Adams busted out a new trick of his own in Hampton; a no-footed, nohanded nac-nac. Adams' run was chock-full of "An tricks, but he killed the motor in a turn (he refired it first kick and many in the crowd probably didn't notice), with 10 seconds left in his run. To make up for the error, Adams landed a sterilizer to end his run, and the crowd went crazy. On the second night, Adams was on a better roll, until he crashed hard on his last jump, the same trick he landed so perfectly on the previous night. Adams bounced off his bike and was thrown to the floor like a rag doll. He was up a few seconds later, and ghosted his bike over each of the dirt landings to give everybody a good laugh. The crash knocked him to fourth on Saturday. Answer/St. Louis Powersports' "Mad" Mike Jones refused to be outdone and performed an extension of his trick, the "miracle whip." The jump is normally a one-handed tabletop, but this time Jones sent himself flying through the air at 25-plus feet, completely sideways, hanging on with only one hand. Jones didn't miss a beat all weekend, doing huge lookback Hart Attacks, fully stretched-out double seat-grabs, the kiss of death, and the trick that sent him to the hospital just a few weeks ago, the nofooted nac-nac. Despite his strong riding, Jones still only scored a third on each night. On any other weekend, Jones' runs would have easily won. G-Sport/Tuning by Travis' Jake Windham traded places with Adams n _ VIr S by going 4-2 on the weekend. The defending fFMA Champion wanted a win on the final night, and it showed in his run. Windham threw out his best trick-list yet, and the everimproving rider would have gotten his first win had Miller made one mistake on any of the new tricks he performed. In retaliation to everyone else's new stuff, Windham pulled a no-footed nac-nac to Superman to no-footed nac-nac, swinging his legs completely around the back of the bike from one side to the other. Windham was also perfect on his kiss of death, no-footed nac-nac, and double seat-grab Superman, which he did one· handed. LBZ/Moto XXX's Dan Pastor scored a pair of fifth-place finishes. In addition to his cliffhangers (which are so stretched that his body is competey over the front end, in -line with his fork tubes), he also hit a no-hander landing from a McMetz. O'Neal's Jesse Olson, who doesn't get to as many events as some riders, finished sixth and seventh with good seatgrab variations. Adams' teammate, Jimmie McGuire, finished up seventh and sixth after pulling good cliffhangers and cordovas, but his suicide nohander to no-handed landing was burly. KTM/LBZ rider Andy Bell made an appearance in the main on Friday, Dustin Miller swept both nights with innovative tricks that set new standards In freestyle. This one Is a _handed nine-o'clock no-footednac naco finishing eighth, and just missed out on Saturday's main, picking up his third Practice Track Puckered Starfish Award. He traded finishes with fellow Canadian, Axo-sponsored Jason Thorne, who pulled some big whips during his runs. Also, LBZ rider Derek Burlew made his first main on Saturday, after learning Hart attacks in practice. The series reaches its spring hiatus before getting back underway late this summer as part of the Vans Triple Crown. CIII HamptIla CoIiSlllllll HlIlIIP1Dn, V"U1Iin.. Results: Msrch 23·24, 2001 FRI: I. Dustin Miller (Hon): 2. Note Adoms (Suz): 3. Mike Jones (Kow); 4. Joke Windhom (Suz); 5. Dan Pastor (Hon); 6. Jesse Olson (Vern); 7. Jimmie McGuire (Yom); 8. Andy Bell (KTM); 9. Joson Thome (Suz); 10. Clint Esposito (Hon); 11. Illn Hayden (KTM); 12. Derek Burlew (Yam). SAT: 1. Dustin Miller (Hon): 2. Jake Windham (Suz); 3. Mike Jones (Kow); 4. Nate Adoms (5uz); 5. Dan Pastor (Hon); 6. Jimmie McGuire (Vern): 7. Jesse Olson (Yam); 8. Derek Burlew (Vern); 9. Andy Bell (KTM); 10. JlIson Thorne (Suz); 11. Clint Esposito (Hon); 12. Ian Hayden (KTM). IFMA/FMA FREEESTYLE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS: 1. Dustin Miller (937/9 wins); 2. Note Adorns (864/2 wins); 3. Droke McElroy (815/1); 4. Joke Windhom (804); 5. Robert Distler (672/1); 6. Dan Postor (613): 7. Jeff Doetzer (580); 8. Mike Jones (537/8); 9. Jimmie McGuire (535); 10. Andy Beli (519); 11. Kenny Bartram (518/1); 12. Dovid Tumer (464); 13. Jeff TIlton (327); 14. Jesse Olson (287); 15. John Distler (234); 16. Joson Thome (196); 17. Peter Kuchar (190); 18. Brien Downing (148); 19. Derek Burlew (133); 20. Clint Esposito (132).