It's that time of year again. Time for athletes to act like superstars and saunter down the red carpet for ESPN's annual ESPY Awards. The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award's will be hitting the Nokia Theatre in LA on July 13th. Comedian Seth Meyers returns this year as host and is sure to keep the crowd rolling with his raunchy humor.

Before the big show, ESPN wants you to vote for your favorite athletes. Several X Games athletes have been nominated for these prestigious awards and we think you should show your support for them.

See who's up for what and get on over to ESPYs.com to cast your vote.

Best Female Athlete:

Kelly Clark
- Won SuperPipe gold medal at Winter X, Winter X Europe and Burton U.S. Open.
- Became the first female snowboarder to land a 1080 in competition, at Winter X.

Lindsey Vonn
- Won the Super G, Super-Combined and Downhill titles in 2011.
- Finished the season with eight race wins.

Best Male Action Sports Athlete:

Shaun White
- Won gold in Snowboard SuperPipe at Winter X 2011 and Silver in Skateboard Vert at X Games 2010.
- Won the two Skateboard Vert stops at which he competed on the 2010 Dew Tour.

Kevin Rolland
- Winter X and Winter X Europe repeat gold in Ski SuperPipe.
- Won 2 of 3 Dew Tour events plus the Dew points crown.
- Earned the AFP Superpipe points title by an enormous margin.

Kelly Slater
-Won his 10th ASP World Tour title (most in history) in 2010 at age 38.
-Is now the youngest person to win surfing's top points title (captured at age 20) and the oldest.

Travis Pastrana
-Won Moto X Double gold at X Games 2010 (Freestyle and Speed & Style)

Tucker Hibbert
-Won his 5th straight Winter X SnoCross gold.
-Won 11 of 16 National series contests despite racing the 2nd half of the season with a wrist that needed surgery
-Captured both 2011 National series points titles.

Best Female Action Sports Athlete:

Sarah Burke
-Won Ski SuperPipe gold at both Winter X (her fourth SuperPipe gold at Winter X) and Winter X Europe.
-Also earned victories at a pair of World Cup events

Kelly Clark
-Won Winter X SuperPipe gold medal, Winter X Europe gold medal and Burton U.S. Open.
-Became the first female snowboarder to land a 1080 in competition, at Winter X.

Ashley Fiolek
-Won her second straight Moto X Racing gold at X Games 2010.
-Also finished second in points on the Women's Motocross Association tour in 2010.

Stephanie Gilmore
-At 23, won four of the eight surfing events on the 2010 ASP World Tour on her way to a fourth straight points crown.

Go get your vote on. Do it.

Lemme tell you a little secret, come in here a little closer so I don't have to say it too loud, ok you ready? Aside from Motocross.com and GrindTV, Vurb Moto is my favorite moto site (don't tell my boss). Their content is different, colorful and lacks the sort of attitude that typically comes from the mouths of SoCal's jaded editorial types (myself included).

When I started rolling through my typical batch of websites this morning I was happy to see a great piece done by Vurb Moto staffer Brent Stallo on the WMX series.

"I truly believe that twenty years from now the battles between Jessica Patterson and Ashley Fiolek will be remembered as some of the best times in women's motocross. With Patterson being the first new age women's champ and Fiolek and her unbelievable story, these two women will one day be looked at as the Godmothers of women's motocross, and for good reason. Both have exceeded the expectations of what was once thought possible in women's motocross and both are fantastic champions. But what's next? What about when these two lay down their helmets? What then?" writes, Stallo. A paragraph of statements I couldn't agree more with.

For more on the WMX Wrap-Up from Vurb, click here.

And stay tuned for a beautiful batch of photos recapping the WMX series from this year.

Deaf female motocross star, Ashley Fiolek successfully defended her 2009 X Games gold medal by winning the 2010 X Games Women's Moto-X gold tonight at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The 19-year-old Honda Red Bull Racing rider took the lead on the first lap from Sara Price after a second-place start. While Ashley's Women's Motocross Championship Series rival, Jessica Patterson chased her early, Ashley pulled away for a comfortable win after a Patterson crash.

"I am so excited right now! Christmas came early," claimed a tearful Ashley. "I just rode as smart as I could. I am so happy."

Ashley will now return to training in her defense of the Women's Motocross Championship which concludes September 11, 2010. Immediately following, Ashley will travel to deaf schools and events across the country to meet and inspire deaf youth to work hard to accomplish their dreams.

The second half of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship began on Saturday from one of the series' most renowned facilities for the 28th running of the Rockstar Energy Spring Creek National at Spring Creek Motocross Park. Thousands of enthusiastic great plains motocross fans packed the hillsides as local hero Ryan Dungey, of nearby Belle Plaine, Minn., put his Rockstar/Makita Suzuki atop the 450 Class podium for the sixth straight race. GEICO Powersports Honda's Trey Canard, of Shawnee, Okla., captured the win in the 250 Class.

Much like the last five rounds, Dungey appeared to be rather comfortable running out front despite being a rookie in the elite division. He capitalized on a great start in Moto 1 to take the lead on the eighth lap from Honda Red Bull Racing's Kevin Windham, from Centreville, Miss., and cruise to the win. In Moto 2, he worked from just outside the top five off the holeshot to overtake Honda Red Bull Racing's Andrew Short, from Smithville, Texas, on the third lap to go on and win by over 39 seconds and sweep the day's motos.

"To put (the bike) in a good spot off the start is really important," said Dungey, who won at Spring Creek for the third consecutive season dating back to his time in the 250 Class. "I got a great start in the first moto and a not so great start in the second moto, so I had to put in some consistent laps. I grew up riding (at Spring Creek) and I definitely rode a lot here, but I haven't really rode it since I turned pro and only came to race. It's changed every year with the layout so I kind of look at it just like any other race. I got to know a lot of great people here so to come back and see them was great."

Short posted a pair of solid moto results to finish second overall (3-3) while Merge Racing Honda's Kyle Regal, of Kemp, Texas, tied a career-best finish in third (8-2). Defending class champion Chad Reed, of Australia, failed to finish the first moto and was scratched from Moto 2 with an apparent neck injury.

Dungey now holds an 89-point advantage heading into next weekend's eighth round from Washougal, Wash. He boasts the best average finish in the class at 2.2 and has led the most laps with 100.

After breaking through for his first career Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship victory at the previous round, Canard kept the momentum going with another strong effort. The third-year rider became just the second multiple-time winner in the 250 Class for 2010 while also becoming the second rider to win more than one moto this season with his 2-1 moto scores.



"My comfort level and belief in myself went up," said Canard, who raced to the Moto 2 win under heavy rain. "I came in more self relieved. When you come in like that you're less nervous and it all comes easier. The effort I put in today was good for me. I'm just excited about what's going on and I hope to keep (the momentum) going."

250 Class rookie and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Dean Wilson, of Scotland, grabbed the runner-up spot (6-2) with his teammate Tyla Rattray, of South Africa, rounding out the podium in third (4-4). Their teammate and current points leader Christophe Pourcel, of France, finished off the podium for the first time in 2010 in fifth (1-10).

Pourcel's advantage over Wilson in the championship standings sits at 32 points. The Frenchman also leads the class in laps led with 99 and an average finish of 2.9.

The MotorcycleUSA.com Women's Motocross Championship hosted its fifth of eight rounds at Spring Creek. Just one round after losing her hold on a perfect season at the previous race, DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha's Jessica Patterson, of Tallahassee, Fla., returned to the top step of the podium with 1-2 moto results. Honda Red Bull Racing's Ashley Fiolek, of St. Augustine, Fla., finished second (3-1) while Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil Honda's Tarah Gieger, of Puerto Rico, finished third (2-4).

Next weekend, the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship returns to action for Round 8 and the Motosport.com Washougal Retro National from Washougal Motocross Park in Washougal, Wash.

Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Rockstar Energy Spring Creek National
Spring Creek MX Park - Millville, Minn.
July 17, 2010
Round 7 of 12

450 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (1-1)
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (3-3)
3. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda (8-2)
4. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda (5-4)
5. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda (4-5)
6. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha (2-10)
7. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha (9-7)
8. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha (7-9)
9. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (16-6)
10. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Kawasaki (11-11)

450 Class Championship Standings
1. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 318
2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 229
3. Ben Townley, New Zealand, Honda, 223
4. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 221
5. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 215
6. Chad Reed, Australia, Kawasaki, 204
7. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 196
8. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Honda, 157
9. Ryan Sipes, Flaherty, Texas, Yamaha, 140
10. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Yamaha, 134

250 Class (Moto Finish)
1. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda (2-1)
2. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki (6-2)
3. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (4-4)
4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (3-5)
5. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (1-10)
6. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda (5-7)
7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha (7-6)
8. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda (16-3)
9. Tommy Searle, England, KTM (11-9)
10. Alex Martin, Millville, Minn., Honda (8-15)

250 Class Championship Standings
1. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 296
2. Dean Wilson, Scotland, Kawasaki, 264
3. Trey Canard, Shawnee, Okla., Honda, 252
4. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 248
5. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 209
6. Justin Barcia, Ochlocknee, Ga., Honda, 201
7. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 175
8. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 174
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 165
10. Martin Davalos, Ecuador, Yamaha, 147

WMX Class (Moto Finish)
1. Jessica Patterson, Tallahassee, Fla., Yamaha (1-2)
2. Ashley Fiolek, St. Augustine, Fla., Honda (3-1)
3. Tarah Gieger, Winter Gardens, Fla., Honda (2-4)
4. Vicki Golden, El Cajon, Calif., Yamaha (4-3)
5. Sarah Whitmore, Cheboygan, Mich., KTM (9-5)
6. Mariana Balbi, Brazil, Yamaha (8-6)
7. Sara Price, Canyon Lake, Calif., Kawasaki (7-7)
8. Jacqueline Strong, Sedona, Ariz., Yamaha (6-8)
9. Penni Cyrus, Queen Creek, Ariz., Kawasaki (10-10)
10. Erica Cook, Natalia, Texas, Yamaha (11-12)

Red Bud was another great weekend of racing, filled with not only great on-track action but a fair bit of interesting side-stories too. As an added touch of pizzazz, the Ritchie family (proprietors of the track since it's inception) had these cool dirt 'vessels' made up into trophies for the podium finishers. Since the soil make-up at the track is one of the primary reasons why it is so widely loved within the racing world, it seemed like an appropriate thing to do.


Under a cloudless sky and moderately high heat and humidity, the fans were out in full force and were not just cheering, but making statements as well. Since part of the race was broadcast LIVE on NBC, many of them took the time to make their statements on national TV, and this sign says a lot to those in the know. Primarily it says that the sport doesn't need James Stewart (Bubba Who?) and takes a jab at his reality television series (Bubba's World). Taking it a step further, it makes the prophetic statement that Red Bud would indeed be Ryan Dungey's World, as indeed it turned out to be. Whether or not we agree if the sport "needs" James Stewart is beside the point - we just thought it was a cool sign that made some interesting statements.


More support for Dungey, this time in the form of mock Target-palmed gloves like the Target and Nike sponsored rider from Minnesota (not too far from Red Bud) has worn the past couple of seasons. Dungey's support in the midwest is huge, as he seems to be an ideal spokesman for the sport at least into the near future. Clean-cut, hard-working and poised in front of the microphone, he seems to be stepping into the role left by his predecessor Ricky Carmichael with ease.


But enough cheerleading about Ryan Dungey, there was also support for plenty of other riders around the track too - not the least of which was Dean Wilson. We spotted a couple of flags or banners proclaiming Wilson's Canadian citizenship (apparently nobody from Scotland made the trip), which was interesting as England and Canada both vie for his participation on their MXoN squads. What's more interesting than the flag in this shot, though, are the people surrounding it. Some interesting poses going on here for sure.


The subject of all this international affection - Dean Wilson himself - has pretty well set the sport on fire. In his rookie season, Deano's more consistently up front than Barcia was last year (or this year) and now finds himself between his two teammates (Pourcel and Rattray) in the points race. With those two riders being quite experienced in this level of competition, not to mention both being former world champions, it's nothing short of amazing that Deano's beaten them both a couple times each this season. On top of that, he's a great kid, and his Dad's a riot too.


One of the coolest features on the Red Bud track is the big ski jump after the start, where riders air it out while completely pinned into the deep braking bumps and ruts at the bottom. One of the not-so-cool features here is that they added a drop-off to it this year, and this time it claimed the Asterisk Medical Unit's Kawasaki Mule, while Doc Bodnar was aboard. He explained the incident to us, and he simply did not know they'd cut into the hill since he'd been over it earlier in the day, and his Mule flipped end-over-end down it, causing a little bit of damage to the Mule and almost none to the Doc himself. This could've been a huge disaster, so MXSports is looking into how to better manage these relatively new track features.


Red Bud played host to a number of riders who typically make their living racing in the woods or desert, as both major series - Grand National Cross Country and WORCS - had an off-weekend. Former 125cc National Motocross Champ and current WORCS champ Mike Brown was one of those who took advantage of it. Brown was able to snag the vacant factory KTM 250SX-F of Tommy Searle for Red Bud, which means he not only had one of the sweetest rides available in the paddock, but also got it for the best track of the season. Nice move, Brownie. His results were fairly respectable for a 37 (?) year old too - 19-12 for 17th overall.


Last year's XC2 Pro Lites class champ, current points leader and factory KTM GNCC rider Kailub Russell also showed up to try his hand. Known as a very fast motocrosser (he'll race Loretta's in the A or Pro/Sport classes next month), Russell had a forgettable pro motocross debut. Crashing hard in both practices, he was slow to get back up to speed and wasn't able to qualify. He did look good while he was on two wheels, though!


Current GNCC XC1 points leader and factory Suzuki/FMF Off-Road star Josh Strang also came up to Red Bud for the day. Strang's also known as a fast moto guy, spending much of his training time on motocross tracks all over the country working on his speed and precision. For Red Bud, the Rockstar/Makita team gave up one of Dungey's race engines for Strang's ride, which certainly didn't hurt his attempt. His results were fairly solid, as he scored his first pro point with a 20th in moto one. It's likely that Josh wasn't super-pumped on his ride, but then again, he came away uninjured and is just *that* much more confident in his abilities than he was before he showed up.


Former world and national motocross champ Grant Langston continues to struggle with his return to racing. Definitely a fan favorite no matter where he finishes, GL went down very hard in the first 450 moto (nearly cleaning this photographer out in the process!) when he drifted off the track in the corner and straightaway following LaRocco's Leap and tumbled off the track. After laying there for a while and with everyone holding their breath to see if he'd recover, he hopped up and came back to race the 2nd moto (where he crashed again, but still ended up 21st). He's a tough guy, that Langston.


This is the little tumble that took Justin Barcia out of the running for a possible win or at least overall podium finish. When he went down in this nasty, rutted, muddy corner, he allowed Canard by (who eventually went on to win) along with Rattray. Bummer for Justin, as he was clearly on a roll and looking to the front but there's a big question whether he'd have had anything for Canard as the race wore on.


Once again, Blake Wharton had a great ride in both motos but somehow ended just off the podium so it wasn't noticed as much as it should be. Wharton's having a great season but is often over-shadowed by his equally impressive teammates. He's got a win in him this season, just watch.


Tyla Rattray was in a position for the overall win via a 2-2 when he went down late in the 2nd moto. Solidly 2nd in points, Rattray's really come alive this season and is ALWAYS one of the front guys or pushing his way to the front.


Last year, Josh Grant OWNED Red Bud, moving from the back of the pack both motos to get his first overall 450 class win. This year, well, Grant LOOKED super-fast, but he just wasn't able to find the front of the pack either time out. Just a few clicks behind the battling trio of Townley/Reed/Dungey in the first moto, and a bit further back the second time out, Grant went 6-6 for 6th overall.


Darryn Durham was again one of the "really fast" pack of 250 guys, ending up 8th in moto one but he unfortunately ran out of gas in the 2nd moto while inside the top 10. Despite that, he was still scored with 20th, which wasn't too bad, considering.


250 winner Trey Canard demonstrates proper whole-length-straightaway rut riding technique on his way to the overall win at Red Bud. The entire track was disced extra-deep and watered heavily to promote a rough, rutted, and gnarly National that earned the respect of every rider out there. The Red Bud legend continues to grow.


Kyle Regal airs it out over the big uphill step-up tabletop jump with the perfect form he's becoming known for. For the umpteenth time this year, Regal finds himself battling with the elite of the sport in a true privateer effort that must be inspiring to a lot of the other riders. 7-7 for 7th right behind Josh Grant? Not too shabby.


Mike Alessi's day was, well, not so hot. He looked and rode super-aggressive in qualifying, riding the 350 more like a 250, but could muster only an 8th place starting position (and was over 2 secs down from Dungey's top time). Mediocre starts and a couple of blunders and a late-moto fade in moto two kept him way behind sniffing distance of the front pack for most of both motos. 10-9 for 9th.


Ashley Fiolek and Jessica Patterson provided edge-of-the-seat battling in both motos of the WMX class, which made it's debut at Red Bud last weekend. It was a great race for both of these girls, as they pulled a massive gap over 3rd place both times out and put on a great show that certainly helped the case for women's racing at the Nationals. Fiolek won both motos to break Patterson's perfect season attempt short.


And with this spy shot of John Tomac wandering the pits looking for another overall win for his son Eli, we'll call it a wrap for our Red Bud coverage. With a week off before the series heads to Millville, we'll likely see the return of at least a couple of riders that were recently injured (Tommy Hahn being one, and possibly Ivan Tedesco). Check back here for coverage of the Spring Creek National, where we'll try our hardest to provide quick, concise coverage with lots of eye candy to put it over the top.