Grant, Fiolek are X Games gold winners

Their plans were completely opposite.

Josh Grant did not decide until the final 48 hours that he would attend X Games 16. Ashley Fiolek had the date circled on her calendar since winning the gold medal last year.

The pair won the supercross gold medals Thursday on a Coliseum track they called dusty and blind because of the afternoon sun.

"It's a breath of fresh air for sure," said Grant, the Riverside native said. "It was last minute. I didn't expect to come out and do that. I wanted to go out and have fun. I haven't had fun outdoors."

It's been a tough two years for Grant. He won the 2008 AMA supercross opener in Anaheim and then had to sit out more than a year because of two broken feet.

"I figured it was our weekend off from the outdoor stuff," he said.

"I can't really win the title there. (Ryan) Dungy's run away with the points. I figured there was nothing to lose. I'd do some big jumps and hang out."

It appeared as if Josh Hansen would win the race. He had a big lead, but missed a jump.

"I kind of let the pants drop to my knees and I let it get to me," last year's gold medalist said. "I was struggling, overshooting stuff. I got in my own way and I almost cartwheeled into the crowd."

Justin Brayton finished second for the second consecutive year and Hansen was third.

"The whole track was sketchy," Grant said. "It was dusty. You couldn't see. When I was behind these guys, I was just following their rear wheels because that's all I could see. The whole track was pretty much blown out. It wasn't good."

Fiolek, who is deaf, took the lead going through the megaramp tunnel on the first lap. Both Jessica Patterson and Tarah Geiger nearly caught her, but Fiolek had the better lines to pull away.

"Christmas is early this year," she said. "X games is the best thing ever. I was struggling with the whoops, but everything worked out."

Gieger said she hit her helmet on her handlebars on the triple, the same one the men complained about. Patterson, running in second, lost in the sun, went down and out of the race because of that sun.

"The dust and the sun, it was impossible to see," said Gieger, wo finished second.

Sara Price, who had the holeshot, finished third in her first supercross race.

Waiting for the crash-fest

Tanner Foust, who has competed in every rally event at the X Games, trained for the first Super Rally competition, which will feature four cars racing at the same time, by taking part in the sport's European version of the sport, rallycross.

The drivers will practice for four hours this afternoon at the Coliseum and then race on Saturday night.

"They're freakin' insane," Foust said of rallycross drivers. "The European guys who drive them are ticked off all the time. There is so much crashing and sliding. It's probably a lot like supercross in a car. Guys like (Brian) Deegan and (Travis) Pastrana, they are used to shouldering in on somebody, It's going to be just like that except you're in a rollcage. It's a video game mentality."

Andrew Comrie-Picard, who has also started in every X Games, said the start will be the key.

"It's a whole level up from what we've done before," he said. "I like them upping the ante."

The cars have increased their horsepower, from 320 to 600, but because the entire course is on dirt, both Comrie-Picard and Foust said that will have a negligible effect.

"It's how you're going to take out - not take out - is how you're going to win," Comrie-Picard said.

Elimination rounds

Ryan Sheckler and Gary Young had the top scores in elimination rounds on Thursday.

Sheckler, from San Clemente, scored a 95.0 in men's street skateboard. The top 10 advanced to Saturday's competition at L.A. Live. Simi Valley's Paul Rodriguez, who won last year's competition, did not compete.

Young, from San Diego, had the top score in BMX park with an 82.00.

Scotty Cranmer, who won gold last year, took the 10th and final position.

source:

Daily News