Guam – On Sunday, February 27th , at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo with the wind gusting and an overwhelming sound of roaring off road machines, a large crowd of race fans gathered, free of any charge, along side a jump infested motocross track. The crowd had gathered all in anticipation of the start of round 2 of the ten round Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships series. The series includes both atv and motorcycle classes of all ages and sizes and seems as popular with women competitors as with the men.
Race Highlights
Open Motorcycle Class HEAT 1
With the crowd lining the track armed with cameras and cell phones all aimed at a pack of throttled up, open class motorcrossers, who were set for the start of the first of two heats, the green flagged was dropped.
Sprinting their way up the 75 yard straight, into the first turn like a wall of snarling rhinos, #99 Caleb Barretto, aboard a Cycles Plus Honda, took command of the herd of stampeding motorcycles. As the dirt and dust settled after the first turn it was Barretto out front with Triple J supported #33 Jake Jones, aboard his Honda, in second and #7 Jonathan Tye Lizama, aboard a Kawasaki, in third. Running in the top five were #53 Tom Tarnate in fourth and RPM Yamaha’s #4 Quirino Cabe in fifth.
As the first several laps went by, the leader Barretto was able to extend his lead leaving all the real action for position happening behind him. The first rider to strike was #7 Lizama. The Cycles Plus team rider made quick work on the younger rider of Jake Jones to slip himself past and into the second place position. On the following lap, Quirino Cabe launched his powerful Yamaha 450 past the #53 of Tom Tarnate to take over fourth place. Half way into the heat the top five settled into rhythm but in no way was the racing over as sixth through twelfth place were just starting to get their fight going. The biggest mover was the RPM Yamaha supported team rider #88 Antonio Cabe who moved his way from ninth place up to the sixth place position all within a 3 lap period.
At the finish of heat one it was the red machine of Barretto in first, Lizama in second, and Jones in third.
Open Motorcycle Class HEAT 2
At the start of heat two a crowd had once again made their way to the sides of the track in anticipation, cameras aimed, of the start of the open class. The big guns of the two wheeled class didn’t disappoint when the green flag dropped as yet another wall of motorcycles rushed itself into the first turn.
Once again it was the Cycles Plus team rider’s of #99 Caleb Barretto on the Honda and #7 Jonathan Tye Lizama, aboard a Kawasaki, up front with Triple J’s #33 Jake Jones, on a Honda, in hot pursuit. Making it through in the top five were Kawasaki mounted #53 Tom Tarnate and #111 Jacob Einloth, aboard a Honda, running fourth and fifth respectively. Charging hard and paying the price were the Cabe brothers of #4 Quirino and #88 Antonio as Quirino was forced to retire with a flat front tire and his brother Antonio had crashed hard and out while pushing for the fifth place position. As the laps counted down it was once again Barretto taking the win with Lizama in second and Jones in third.
With a win in both of the two heats, #99 Honda mounted Caleb Barretto takes the round two overall win. With Barretto’s second place overall in round one he assumes the points lead for the Open Motorcycle class with eight rounds remaining. Second place overall for round two went #7 Jonathan Tye Lizama aboard the Kawasaki, third was #33 Jake Jones on the Triple J supported Honda. Taking fourth for the round was #53 Tom Tarnate on his Kawasaki with fifth overall going to Honda mounted #111 Jacob Einloth. Rounding out the rest of the top ten overall respectively were #94 Bryan Barker on aYamaha, #5 Shawn Aguilo team Cycles Plus Kawasaki, #15 Matt Guzman on a Honda, #52 David Yamasta aboard a Yamaha, and #47 Tyanna Cruz on a Kawasaki.
Open Atv Highlights HEAT 1
The ground shook as the quads of the Open Atv class launched off the start and tore its way through the first turn that leads into the rest of the course. Taking the lead from the first turn was #1 Robert Bucek, aboard a Cycles Plus Suzuki Ltr450.
Bucek quickly put distance on the rest of the field once more leaving the fighting all for second place. The fight for second was to develop into a good one as #20 Travis Joaquin, aboard a Suzuki, was being pressured by none other than his own father #5 Jerry Joaquin, aboard a Pine Rental Honda, and #6 Donavan Pitter, also aboard a Honda. The three riders were going at it hard with the very exciting Travis Joaquin doing his best to ward off the assaults put forth by his dad, Jerry, and the hungry Donavan Pitter.
Their battle was keeping the crowd lining the track and encouraging their favorite. Be it experience or just better stamina, the older Joaquin Jerry showed the kid how its done as he slipped past to take the second place position with four laps still remaining.
At the finish it was Bucek in first, Jerry Joaquin in second, with Travis Joaquin in third. Rounding out the top five was Donavan Pitter in fourth and #03 Andrew Painter in fifth, aboard a GTR Motorsports supported Kawasaki.
Open Atv Highlights HEAT 2
#1 Robert Bucek once again demonstrated how to take a lead and run away with the race as he easily took the second heat lead leaving the fight once again left for second place position.
#20 Travis Joaquin, after being schooled by his father in heat one, was bound and determined to take and hold the now much coveted second place position. The younger Joaquin was on fire flying and muscling his way around the course giving no one or no obstacle no quarter as he put down the laps. The battle then became for third place as the older Joaquin, aboard the #5 Pine rental supported Honda, and the #6 of Donavan Pitter, also aboard a Honda, fought for it for third. Early on it appeared as if Joaquin was going to be able to hold the position but as the race was getting nearer to completion the hungry Honda mounted Donavan Pitter shot through and past to take the third place position. At the checkers it was Bucek in first, Travis Joaquin in second, and Donavan Pitter in third.
With a solid sweep in both heats #1 Robert Bucek, aboard the Cycles Plus Suzuki, takes the round two overall win. Bucek extended his points lead after two rounds run and eight still remaining in the Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships. Taking second for the round was #20 Travis Joaquin, aboard a Suzuki, with his father Jerry Joaquin taking third overall for the round aboard the Pine Rental backed Honda Trx450. Fourth overall went to #6 Donavan Pitter aboard his Honda with fifth going to #10 Shane Reyes on the Aloha Maid supported Kawasaki. Rounding out the rest of the top ten overall respectively were #03 Andrew Painter team GTR Motorsports aboard a Kawasaki, Suzuki mounted #16 Jeremiah Shelton, #14 Sade Pitter aboard a Simpson family owned Suzuki, #7 Marcus Guerrero Jr. on a Pine Rental supported Suzuki, and #22 Duce Romias aboard a Honda.
Minibike Overall Results and highlights
In the Open Minibike class #14 Yamaha mounted Anthony Ignacio had to work as #111 Rico Pereira on a Honda and #1 JR Cepeda were hot on his wheels. The trio bumped and rubbed with Ignacio dominating, Pereira crashing out, and Cepeda also crashing with Ignacio with both going down. Ignacio was first to his feet and quickly was back into the race without so much as losing a single position. Cepeda stayed down a bit longer but eventually remounted and was back into the race. #14 Anthony Ignacio took the win with #10 Robit Casper Cabe aboard his Suzuki just edging out Cepeda for second, Cepeda took third. Fourth went to #12 Andrew Ignacio aboard a Yamaha with fifth place going to #4 Rowan Pereira aboard a Kawasaki.
Kids Open Atv Mini Results and highlights
To the sound of cheering parents, friends and relatives the kids of the Open Atv Mini took to the track. Looking like he was carrying the speed to run with the big guns of the four wheeled class #9 Ramon Torres took his Haul Pro Apex 90 and just hauled it to take first. Torres who nearly lapped the entire field of competitors cleared some jumps that some bigger quad racers had yet to attempt. Taking second place was #6 Stoney Bucek aboard a Simpson family owned DRX, third went to #18 Isaiah Reyes aboard an Aloha Maid supported DRX, fourth was #11 Jose Simpson aboard a DRX. Simpsons fourth place finish along with his round 1 result moved him into the Kids Open Atv Mini class points lead after two rounds with eight still remaining. Fifth place was #88 Janissa Torres aboard a Haul Pro DRX. Rounding out the rest of the top ten overall respectively were #49 Mason Manglona aboard a DRX, #8 Aubrey Taimanglo on a DRX, #3 Bernabe Guerrero on a Pine Rental supported DRX, #5 Collin Ray Cruz aboard a DRX, and #16 Luke Reyes team Aloha Maid aboard a DRX.
Round 3 of the 10 round Monster Energy Guam Motocross Championships series will be held at the Guam International Raceway in Yigo on Sunday March 13th. The races kick off at 1pm and are free to come out to watch. Special thanks to the sponsors of the series RPM Yamaha and Cycles Plus Honda. Up this coming Sunday March 6th Guam’s motocrossers are all headed to the beautiful southern village of Umatac for the Discovery Day motocross races to be held next to the Umatac Bridge. Racing kicks off on that day at just after lunch with a trophy presentation being held on the main stage shortly after the races conclude. For more information contact Bob at 727-5381 or visit www.AtvMotocrossGuam.com.
Information from a press release.
frankie@spbguam.com
