MONSOON SERIES REVS UP

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PRESS RELEASE – Guam’s motocross racers were back banging bars and tearing up our islands terra firma at the Guam International Raceway this past Sunday for round 1 of a six round Monster Energy Offroad Monsoon Race Series.

Stoney Bucek finishes in second place in the 85cc class. (courtesy photo)

Mud, rocks, spiders and a whole jungle of trees to run into round 1 of the series saw both the bigger Open Motorcycle and Open Atv classes running in a 30 minute single heat cross country motocross offroad race. The looping course took riders through a jump filled motocross course onto the high speed Shell V-Power Smokin Wheels track then into the surrounding back jungle single track trails. With an already tough course layout the early morning rains that had been received had made for a most challenging event for both the participant and the machine.

“Officials and course volunteers on duty back in the tight jungle trails learned real quickly to listen for a rider’s engine or the cracking of a tree being hit shortly followed by some unmentionable yelling,” stated a photographer who was back in the bush snapping photos.

Highlights
The Open Motorcycle class was the first of the two big classes to race and take on the challenging course. #31 Tim Wenden from New Zealand, now living on Guam, took his powerful Honda powered 450 to the front of the hungry pack right from the start. Following close behind Wenden on the first loop of ten were #99 Caleb Barretto on a Suzuki running in second, #42 JR Cepeda the newly crowned Monster Energy Guam Motocross Champion aboard his Kawasaki in third, Yamaha mounted #98 Marshal Vawter Jr. in fourth and #717 William Dunn also on a Yamaha rounded out the top five. For several laps Barretto was putting the pressure on the leader Wenden but to no avail as Wenden blazed through the jungles single track trails and eventually began to pull away to a comfortable lead.  Halfway into the 30 minute heat Wenden was far out in front with Barretto in second and Marshal Vawters Jr in third after JR Cepeda had suffered a mechanical failure and was forced to retire. At the checkers it was Wenden taking the win, Barretto second, Vawters third, Dunn took fourth and Paul Castro placed fifth.

In the Open Atv class #9 Ramon Torres blasted out to an early lead throwing a rooster tail of mud and rocks from the rear of his Suzuki. The over 40 Vet team of Tony Costa and Andy Painter on the #43 Suzuki elected to have Costa start the first portion of the race and was rewarded as Costa slipped into second off the start with #1 Robert Bucek trailing in third also aboard a Suzuki. As the lead trio disappeared into the jungles single track trails it was Torres out front leading with Bucek now in second with Costa close in third. As the riders emerged out of the trail portion of the course Torres had stretched out his lead over Bucek and Costa. Mid way into the heat it looked as if Torres was well on his way to the win when Mother Nature or perhaps lady luck along with a lot of mud and water intervened to cause the Torres machine to start to suffer and slow. The crippled and suffering machine of Torres allowed the steady pace of Bucek to quickly catch and pass to take over the lead. In the final laps it was all Torres could do to nurse his machine to the finish line to salvage a third place as the #43 Vet team with Painter now mounted and soaring through the course had also caught Torres and was now in the second place position. At the end of what was a grueling 30 minute heat it was Bucek taking the win aboard the Cycles Plus Suzuki Ltr450, the Vet team of Painter and Costa taking second on the #43 Suzuki and Torres making it to the finish for a third place.

Other Results

Paul Castro zooms through in the open class (45cc). (courtesy photo)

Running two motocross heats in the Mini Bike class #29 Ethan Camacho on a Yamaha having just moved up from the smaller 65cc class onto an 85cc machine took first in his very first event aboard the bigger sized machine. #7 Stoney Bucek after overcoming falling in the mud issues took second aboard the Cycles Plus Kawasaki. Taking third was 65cc Kawasaki mounted Ry’niko Camacho.

The Kids Open Atv was all Janissa Torres as she took her Apex to a two heat short course win sweep. Taking second by making an exciting last lap last turn pass was DRX rider #75 Jesse Leon Guerrero with his brother also contesting aboard a DRX #23 Jordan Leon Guerrero taking third. Fourth went to Apex mounted #99 Victoria Clark with #9 Vincent Woodrome rounding out the top five aboard a DRX.

Up next will be round 2 of the Monster Energy Offroad Monsoon Race Series on Sunday October 7th. Gates open at 9am at the Guam International Raceway Rt15 Yigo with racing scheduled to start at 1pm with a full day of motocross. 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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