MONSOON SERIES HALFWAY DONE

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PRESS RELEASE -This past Sunday the Guam International Raceway saw the third round of the six round Monster Energy Offroad Monsoon Series. With classes that included both motorcycles and atv’s for both the youth mini classes along with older riders competing in the full bore engine classes. The races kicked off at 1pm with clear skies and cool breezes. Free to the public to come out and watch with the racing being action packed all afternoon.

William Dunn took fourth Sunday aboard an Al Kilgore owned and prepped Kawasaki. (courtesy photo)

The course for the big bore classes was a rough forty five minute heat for double points. Being touted as an extreme offroad lap for both the Open Atv and motorcycle classes racers found themselves navigating through a variety of different types of terrain. Portions of the course took the racers through the well worn and jump filled motocross track onto the high speed loose gravel of the Shell V-Power Smokin Wheels Offroad course where then racers made a hard right into a long back jungle trail section that was brutal. Once the racer emerged from the thick dense jungle they found themselves having to negotiate portions of the very challenging JQ designed 4×4 obstacle course. The 4×4 obstacle course that both the Atv and motorcycles had to overcome saw on one particular obstacle riders having to lift or loft the front wheel or wheels onto and over a raised and partially buried cement drainage pipe. Riders who failed to time this obstacle correctly found themselves either high centered and stuck or going over the bars and onto the ground hard. After the obstacle course the racers had a quick high speed switch back section that saw them returning back onto the motocross portion of the course. For forty five minutes racers negotiated the course that also had to the mix water crossings and thick mud where at this round speed was not the priority but just pacing and planning for surviving to the finish was.

Highlights

In the Open Motorcycle class #5 JR Cepeda on his Cycles Plus Kawasaki took the early lead and led for the entire first lap of what was a forty five minute double points scoring heat. On lap two #59 Caleb Barretto also aboard a Cycles Plus Kawasaki took the lead from Cepeda who had made an error allowing Barretto to make the pass. Cepeda was, however, able to regroup quickly and by the end of the third lap was back out front. With Cepeda pulling away from Barretto who sat in second #612 Gary Camacho on a Yamaha along with current points leader Marshal Vawter jr also Yamaha mounted fought it out for third. Thirty minutes into the race Camacho in third lost control as he landed from a big jump on the motocross portion of the course sending him crashing hard onto the ground. Camacho’s crash gave Vawter the third place position where now clear of Camacho he kicked it up a gear and proceeded to catch and pass the Cycles Plus Kawasaki rider Barretto for second. At the checkers it was Cepeda taking first, Vawter jr second, Barretto third, #30 William Dunn aboard a Al Kilgore prepared and owned Kawasaki fourth, and the round two overall winner #3 Jacob Einloth rounding out the top five.

In the Open Atv class #81 Pete Castro aboard a Yamaha tore out to the lead with #99 Ray Aromin also on a Yamaha in second and #1 Robert Bucek in third. The trio up front made easy work of both the motocross and Shell V-Power Smokin Wheels courses then proceeded to blaze through the jungle section and onto the obstacle course where each of the riders did their best to negotiate each of the challenges. By lap three Bucek had taken his Cycles Plus Suzuki to the lead with Castro maintaining second and Aromin holding onto third. By lap four things started to settle for some and unravel for others. Bucek who was leading was once more racing on a rear flat tire and doing his best to keep up the pace to maintain his lead. Castro sensing perhaps blood in the water wicked it up and was catching Bucek but just as it looked as if he would catch Bucek Castro chose the wrong line through a water crossing and flooded out his motor. Castro found himself parked on the side of the course working to get his machine back to life and back into the race. Castro’s demise was Aromin’s good fortune as his solid steady as you go pace found itself cruising past the parked Castro into the second place position. At the end it was Bucek taking the win, Aromin second and Castro who was able to re-fire his machine taking third.

Rowen Pereira used Sunday’s round 3 of the Monster Energy Offroad Series to take his Honda to the Kids Mini Bike class win. (courtesy photo)

Other results

In the Mini Bike class #17 Rowen Pereira took his 150cc Honda to the win over second place #7 Stoney Bucek aboard a Cycles Plus Kawasaki and #29 Yamaha mounted Ethan Camacho in third.

In the Kids Mini Atv class #75 Jesse Leon Guerrero on a Drx was flying and took the round win with his brother also on a Drx #23 Jordan Leon Guerrero taking second and Rocky Mountain Precast supported Apex mounted Victoria Clark placing third.

Up next will be round 4 of the Monster Energy Offroad Monsoon Race Series on Sunday November 4th. The event will see each respective class compete in two motocross heats. The course itself is infested with jumps, bumps and ruts which will challenge each of the competitors as they battle for position. Gates open at 9am at the Guam International Raceway Rt15 Yigo with racing scheduled to start at 1pm with a full day of off road racing. For more information contact GRF PIO at 727-5381 or visit www.AtvMotocrossGuam.com . Special thanks to Cycles Plus, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, GTR Motorsports, Bobcat Guam and Monster Energy.

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