EXTREME MOTOCROSS BRINGS HIGH-FLYING ACT TO AREA TRACK

BENTON, Mo. -- A rider throws himself and his motorcycle 30 feet into the air, hovers there for what feels like minutes -- plenty of time to hang from the bike's handlebars or do stunts with names like "the superman" -- and lands like a feather on a mound of dirt as a crowd oohs and aahs.

It's the type of on-the-edge draw that's made the X-Games an ESPN hit and led to the birth of events like Ernie Ball's Moto Music Madness, which stops Sunday at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark.

It's the Evel Knievel tour for a new generation of extreme sport fanatics.

"Those guys are literally out there doing death-defying tricks -- it gets your attention," said Brian Hahs, who will see his first freestyle motocross event Sunday after years of watching traditional motocross competitions.

"This is one of those things I usually only see on TV, and even on TV the things they do are incredible. They do some crazy stuff."

Sunday's event will combine the acrobatic competition of 10 X-Game riders with live music from three bands, all in what ATPR president Doug Friese calls a family environment with the edgy feel of a concert.

The first band will play at about 3:30 p.m. with the 2 1/2-hour competition starting about an hour later. An autograph session and more live music will follow.

The entire program, Friese said, will end at about 8.

Friese said he was overwhelmed by the first extreme motocross demonstration he saw in the spring, enough to consider making this an annual event.

"One of the riders there went out and put on a demonstration by himself -- I had never really gotten into it that much, but when he went out there in front of 40,000 people and did those stunts, it was amazing," he said. "Even somebody who's not that interested in motorcycles or racing would be blown away by what these guys do."

Riders will compete in a series of events, each given a specified amount of time to perform tricks and stunts to score points and crowd response. Audience participation will help narrow the field and set up a final round of events to determine a winner. It all happens on a newly designed motocross track built out of 95 truckloads of dirt and situated inside the facility's existing oval track.

Tommy Clowers, a 2000 X-Games gold medalist, leads the charge into ATPR after an event today in Farley, Iowa. Louisville, Ky., is the next stop on the five-month tour, which is owned by Indy car racer Davey Hamilton and former motocross champ Marc Burnett.

"I've been to supercrosses where they're actually racing, but as far as strictly something set up like this, this is new for me and this area," Hahs said. "What'll be interesting is to see what kind of stuff these guys do, because they're always coming up with new tricks and stunts just to keep out-doing everybody else."

Want to go?

WHAT: Ernie Ball Moto Music Madness

WHEN: Sunday, gates open 3 p.m., competition at 4:30

WHERE: Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, Highway 77 and County Road 505 east of Benton, Mo.

HOW MUCH: Adults $15, children 6-12 $8, ages 5-under free. Advance tickets are $12 and $6 available at the track, Motorsports Unlimited or Auto Tire and Parts stores

INFORMATION: 573-545-9366 or 573-335-7463 or at autotireandpartsracepark.com