MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Press Release – Guam International Raceway Motorcycle and Atv Corporation (GIRMAC)

Monster Energy 2015 Guam Motocross Championships

Round 1

The Guam International Raceway was the place to be this past Sunday for those who enjoy the thrills and spills of high flying racing. Round 1 of the scheduled twelve round Monster Energy 2015 Guam Motocross Championships kicked off at noon this past Sunday to a large contingent of racers and fans.

Under perfect track and weather conditions competitors were lining up for the start of the championship season each in their respective classes. The many classes saw riders of all ages and machines sizes both two and four wheeled. There was even an open motorcycle over 40 veteran’s class that had fans on their feet.

Motocross on Guam has moved up to the next level of organized competition just in time for the first round of the 2015 championship season. With the introduction of the Rocky Mountain Precast concrete starting pad specially prepared to F.I.M. specs for the twenty rider backward falling Monster Energy starting gates. The gates are just like those used by the AMA Supercross Series and the AMA U.S. Motocross Championships. With loads of freshly trucked in top soil and the addition of the Monster Energy starting gates mounted to spec to the Rocky Mountain Precast concrete pad the racing this past Sunday was a nonstop action packed day of excitement.

#25 Ethan Turo took a solid third during the first round of the championships Sunday.

Race Highlights

With a field of twenty-two riders staging up for the start of the Open Motorcycle class season kick off family and fans were lining the track to get an up close look at the action. When the new Monster Energy start gates fell for the first time it was a roaring motorcycle stampede heading straight into the Haw n Rock sweeping banked first turn. Emerging from the dust of the stampede was reigning champion #1 JR Cepeda aboard the Cycles Plus Kawasaki up front with #18 Jon Aguon on his Yamaha in second. Cepeda was able to pull away from the other twenty-one riders to take the win.

Making a hard charge was #57 Kim Aiken who moved past Aguon into second but by the mid point of the event Aiken was out with motor issues. This gave second place position back to Aguon who was now under serious threat from #277 Mike Shaffer on his Honda. Shaffer who had been out with an injury for several month looked faster and smoother with every lap he completed and eventually caught and passed Aguon for second. #75 Jeff Rios on a Autoworks supported Yamaha also was able to catch and pass Aguon to take third place. At the finish it was #1 Cepeda in first, #277 Mike Shaffer taking second and #75 Jeff Rios grabbing that third spot on the podium. The rest of the field finished as follows.

4^th #18 John Aguon Yamaha

5^th #30 Ethan Manibusan Kawasaki

6^th #4 Nolan Minor Yamaha

7^th #8 Shawn Aguilo Kawasaki

8^th #318 Rudy King Yamaha

9^th #768 James Gallager Yamaha

10^th #11 Brady Kruize Suzuki

11^th #28 Brad Gomez Kawasaki

12^th #89 Bobby Benson Honda

13^th #83 Ceasar Whitt Kawasaki

14^th #25y Dave Kautz Honda

15^th #8  John Aguon sr. Yamaha

16^th #19 Zachary Chang Honda

17^th #332 Zadrian Tallada Yamaha

18^th #75y Isaac Bajajadia Suzuki

19^th #25 Larry Limtiaco Kawasaki

20^th #38 Jesse Pangelinan Kawasaki

21^st #47 Franklin Perez Kawasaki

22^nd #57 Kim Aiken Honda

#7 Darien Chang moved from four wheels to two wheels for the 2015 motocross championships

In the two heats run for the Open Atv class fans saw a close and heated battle that began from the drop of the gates between multi time champion #1 Robert Bucek aboard the Cycles Plus Suzuki and the new comer #83 Dan Champion also aboard a Suzuki. At the drop of the gates it was the #83 of Champion up front with the #1 of Bucek stalking just behind the leader. Champion was on the throttle when he made an error allowing the stalking Bucek to get by for the lead. With that error Bucek held on taking the first heat win with Champion finishing second.

In the second heat it was Champion out of the gates in the lead but by the first high speed jump it was Bucek flying by into first. From that point on Champion was all over the back of Bucek doing everything and anything to make the pass. Bucek ran conservatively lap after lap for just about the entire heat holding his line and keeping the lead. It was in the last corner of the very last lap that Champion saved the move that would earn him his first Monster Energy Guam Championship motocross heat and overall round win.

The move was classic and executed perfectly as the leader Bucek came into the last corner within yards of the checkers the front bumper of the closely pursuing Suzuki of Champion tagged the rear of the Cycles Plus Suzuki just hard enough to knock Bucek out wide allowing for Champion to bully his way past the reigning champ for the checkers. Taking third was the #15 Kawasaki of Albert Garlit. The rest of the Open Atv field finished as follows.

4^th #7 Mathew Taimanglo Yamaha

5^th # Anthony Dillard Yamaha

6^th #5 Jason Faculo Yamaha

7^th #11 John Gilman

In the Open Minibike class #2 Stoney Bucek aboard the Cycles Plus Kawasaki 85 grabbed two great starts in both heats and went unchallenged to the in. Taking second was Yuna Song on her Honda with Kawasaki mounted #25 Ethan Turo placing third. The rest of he field finished as follows.

4^th  #75 Owen Rios Kawasaki

5^th #1 Sasha Song Honda

6^th #94 Jessthan Pano Kawasaki

7^th #7 Darien Chang Kawasaki

8^th #34 Caleb Encina Kawasaki

9^th #111 Blaze Aiken Honda

10^th #4 Tobin Perez Kawasaki

11^th #5 Jordan Leon Guerrero Kawasaki

#2 Stoney Bucek took the Cycles Plus Kawasaki to the round 1 overall win on Sunday.

#76 Deven Encina on the Phillips and Sons supported Kawasaki took the win with the #50 of Owen Turo also on a Kawasaki taking second. Third went to the hard charging #31 of Robert Encina who was on the Encina Equipment supported Kawasaki. The rest of the 65cc kids placed as follows.

4^th #74 Damien Manibusan Kawasaki

5^th #79 Avery Gallagher Kawasaki

6^th #906 Tommy King Kawasaki

7^th #20 Gavin Whitt Kawasaki

8^th #25 Laurence Limtiaco Kawasaki

In other results

50cc Minibike

1^st #31 Richard Wenden Yamaha

2^nd # Trent King Yamaha

3^rd #89 Jessani Leon Guerrero Honda

Kids Mini Atv

1^st #4 Valance Minor Yamaha

2^nd #06 Wyatt Santos Drx

3^rd #6 Zion Manibusan Drx s

4^th #18 Tashaun Sablan Yamaha

Trophy Carts

1^st Robert Bucek TC

2^nd Roberto Pitter TC

3^rd Dongman Chang TC

150cc Minibike

1^st #12 Yuna Song Honda

2^nd #25 Ethan Turo Kawasaki

3^rd #1 Sasha Song Honda

4^th #111 Blaze Aiken Honda

85cc Minibike

1^st #2 Stoney Bucek Kawasaki

2^nd #75 Owen Rios Kawasaki

3^rd #94 Jessthan Pano Kawasaki

4^th #7 Darien Chang Kawasaki

5^th #34 Caleb Encina Kawasaki

6^th #4 Tobin Perez Kawasaki

7^th #5 Jordan Leon Guerrero Kawasaki

450cc Motorcycle

1^st #76 John Aguon Yamaha

2^nd #75 Jeff Rios Yamaha

3^rd #768 James Gallagher Yamaha

4^th #332 Zadrian Tallada Yamaha

5^th #38 Jesse Pangelinan Kawasaki

6^th #19 Zachary Chang Honda

7^th #25y Dave Kautz Honda

8^th #25 Larry Limtiaco Kawasaki

250cc Motorcycle

1^st #1 JR Cepeda Kawasaki

2^nd #277 Mike Shaffer Honda

3^rd #30 Ethan Manibusan Kawasaki

4^th #4 Nolan Minor Yamaha

5^th #8 Shawn Aguilo Kawasaki

6^th #318 Rudy King Yamaha

7^th #11 Brady Kruize Suzuki

8^th #28 Brad Gomez Kawasaki

9^th #83 Ceasar Whitt Kawasaki

10^th #75y Isaac Bajajadia Suzuki

11^th #8  John Aguon sr. Yamaha

12^th #89 Bobby Benson Honda

13^th #47 Franklin Perez Kawasaki

14^th #57 Kim Aiken Honda

Vet Over 40 Motorcycle

1^st #75 Jeff Rios Yamaha

2^nd #768 James Gallagher Yamaha

3^rd #83 Ceasar Whitt Kawasaki

4^th #38 Jesse Pangelinan Kawasaki

5^th #8  John Aguon sr. Yamaha

6^th #25y Dave Kautz Honda

7^th #25 Larry Limtiaco Kawasaki

8^th #57 Kim Aiken Honda

Round 2 of the Monster Energy 2015 Guam Motocross Championships will be held on Sunday March 29^th at the Guam International Raceway. Gates open at 9am with racing set to begin at noon. For more information visit www.GuamRaceway.com or contact by e-mail at [email protected]