FRIDAY Westcoast/Canadian rider Jeff Banks is Money in Roanoke
The
FMX Tour was greeted by unseasonably warm temperatures in Roanoke, Virgina, as
the 2008 IFMA Tour regulars were on hand to thrill some of the best fans in motorsports.
To begin, a very special thanks to the Air Force and their JR ROTC program from
Williamburg High Scool for presenting the colors and Ms. Leslie Swing for providing
an awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The 2008 Toyota lineup looked
impressive on the event floor with a great display of their new gear. On to "Showtime"...Dan
Newth started qualifying with a bang and posted a great qualifying score of 91.3.
The bar was set high, so high that it would take five more riders before, "High
Roller" Ben Veyna, would take a nod from the judges and score an impressive 92,
but he would not stay in the top slot for long as, British Columbia's Jeff Banks
went into his arsenal and fired a 92.7. During qualifying 10x National Moto Trials
Champion, Geoff Aaron, of Bailey, Colorado, wowed the crowd with his balance and
control skills!
The Hell On Wheels BMX Stunt Team, of Toms River, New
Jersey, put their skills to the test, and kudos to Auggie Simoncini and Corey
Barglar for producing some big air front flips! During the main event Rich Kearns
was first up and had a near perfect run, however the degree of difficulty did
not suit the judges as he was quickly replaced atop the Toyota Hot Seat by the
next rider "Stuntman Dan" Newth. Newth started well, then on the fifth hit he
encountered some wheel slip which forced him into a Supercross Air, however the
degree of difficulty would land him in the top spot, that was until the high-flying,
high roller, from sin city put on an aerial show that would have made the Wright
Brothers (they invented the plane!) proud, however, this night belonged to the
canuck/canadian, Jeff Banks! Banks pulled four backflip combos and SUPERSIZED
them, much to the crowd's delight! That is all for tonight but there will be plenty
more action to come!
Thanks for tuning in to WFMX! Mikey
1. Jeff
Banks 2. Ben Veyna 3. Dan Newth 4. Rich Kearns 5. Ryan Logan 6. Scott Hanlon 7.
Jadd Knox 8. James Vershuuren Saturday -7:30 PM Going Big in Hokie Country! SATURDAY The
second night of FMX in Roanoke was even bigger than the first! First, let's go
to qualifying where Jadd Knox, of Ocala, Florida, jumped his way into the final
transfer spot with a great session, boasting to yours truly that it was the first
time he did a complete run without a Supercross Air! Jadd was joined in the Main
Event by regulars, Jeff Banks, Ben Veyna and "Mr. Nasty", Slade Waltman. Knox,
an Ogio rider, was the first up, and it was evident that he was a bit nervous,
but still had a respectable run and was just pumped to take the Toyota Hot Seat
for the first time since moving onto the IFMA FMX Tour and transferring from the
Arenacross Series. His stay on the Toyota Hot Seat was short-lived though as Slade
Waltman came out and every trick he threw he flawless. Slade not only won his
stay in the Hot Seat but also announced his retirement from FMX after the next
show. The crowd obliged with a standing ovation for his six years of dedicated
service. Las Vegas resident, High Roller-Ben Veyna was next up. Ben went absolutely
huge and stole the seat from Waltman who bowed out gracefully.The scene was set
for a big clash between last night's winner Jeff Banks and Veyna! Banks started
with a One-Handed switch-up Backflip and followed it up with three different variations
of the Backflip, really stepping up his game. The judges sided with Banks once
the smoke had cleared! Jeff Banks earned his new nickname, "SUPER DUDE" by going
2 for 2 in Roanoke! Congrats Jeff! It was another great weekend of FMX, and special
thanks go out to the staff at the Roanoke Civic Center for all their hospitality.
Also, the crew for this particular FMX did a great job putting it all together...they
include Kenny, Wolfie, Six, Boston, Ms. Kim! Next show in the states will be in
Springfield, Massachusetts, I hope to see you there! Mikey
Results are
as follows... 1. Jeff Banks 2. Ben Veyna 3. Slade Waltman 4. Jadd Knox 5. Ryan
Logan 6. Scott Hanlon 7. Rich Kearns 8. Jamo Verschuuren 9. Thomas Alves
