MARIANAS UNITE IN 2023 TURKEYCROSS INVITATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE – Thirty one Guam Motocross Club racers had accepted the invite from the Marianas Racing Association, MRA, of the Northern Marianas Islands, NMI, to compete in its second annual Turkeycross Invitational held this past Saturday and Sunday November 25^th and 26^th.

The event was a high flying motocross weekend held on the island of Saipan in the northern village of Marpi at the Cowtown Motocross Park with classes that included all sizes and ages that insured that participants were racing along with others with the same skill level as them in each class. The racing was therefore tight and action packed with two heats per class on Saturday and a final heat per class on Sunday. Scores from all three heats combined would then determine the overall Turkeycross results in each class.

Heat one in the premier Open Expert Motorcycle class saw Saipan rider #117 Shane “Peekaboo” Alvarez bolting out into an early lead with a pair of Guam riders #18 “Little” John Aguon and #85 Blaze Aiken in tow. Alvarez quickly pulled away from the two Guam riders who were in a heated bar banging battle for second with Aiken working hard to pass the big Kawasaki 450 of Aguon. Five laps in the #85 of Aiken made the move past Aguon to take second where he seemed to find an extra gear and began to reel in the #117 of Alvarez. It was on lap 8 when Aiken took the Cyclesplus Kawasaki 250 into the lead moving past Alvarez in a tight hairpin corner where he would then go on to take the heat one win. Alvarez finished second with #323 Corey Pangelinan and “Little” John Aguon in third and fourth respectively.

Heat two once again saw the Kawasaki of #117 Shane “peek a boo” Alvarez bolt out into the lead where he would continue to go unchallenged as the battle for second and third was a heated one. #18 “Little” John Aguon aboard a Cyclesplus Kawasaki 450 was once again holding off the efforts of #85 Blaze Aiken to get into second and it wasn’t until the tenth lap that Aiken was able to clear Aguon to go on in an attempt to catch the leader Alvarez. Alvarez by this time was far enough ahead that he was able to secure the heat two win, Aiken took second with Aguon and Pangelinan in third and fourth respectively.

The third and final heat held on Sunday would be the determining factor of who will be the 2023 Turkeycross Open expert champion. Once again it was the #117 of Shane “Peekaboo” Alavarez out in front doing whips as he flew over the huge jumps that launched riders ten to twenty feet high up into the air. This heat saw the #85 of Blaze Aiken clear of fellow Guam rider “Little” John Aguon from the start to go onto do battle with the leader Alvarez. With a course that had received a torrential down pour just prior to the days start the course was slick and treacherous as the two front runners navigated the now muddy conditions. It was Saipan’s day as the #117 of Alvarez went wire to wire leading each and every lap of this final and championship determining heat to take the win and the 2023 Turkeycross championship. Aiken took second with Aguon in third.

Overall results are as follows:

1^st Saipan #117 Shane Alvarez

2^nd Guam #85 Blaze Aiken

3^rd Guam #18 John Aguon

4^th Saipan #323 Corry Pangelinan

5^th Guam #20 Zack Cruz

6^th Saipan #55 Ellery Cruz

7^th Saipan #44 Patrick Togawa

8^th Guam #96 Jude Sandlin

9^th Guam #77 Gorio Perez

10^th Guam #31 Tim Wenden

In the premier Open ATV Expert class heat one saw Guam’s reigning champ #27 James Lujan out front with Saipan’s champ #1 Christian “Hollywood” Camacho hot on his rear wheels and #2 Bob Bucek in third. Quickly the two leaders of Lujan and Camacho pulled away from Bucek and the rest of the field. It was looking like a sure thing for a Guam heat one victory when suddenly on the final lap and in the final turn just yards away from the finish the #27 Yamaha piloted by Lujan went dead allowing Saipan’s own Christian Camacho to steal the heat one victory. Second place rider also from Saipan #707 Greg Clark slipped by Guam’s own Bob Bucek who took third for the heat.

Heat two saw Guam out in front with #2 Bob Bucek aboard the Cyclesplus Suzuki leading where he held the lead for three laps before difficulties allowed  Saipan’s Christian Camacho to take the lead with Guam’s James Lujan in second and Saipan’s Greg Clark in third. The #1 of Christian Camacho went onto take well earned heat two win with Lujan second, Clark third and Bucek taking fourth.

Heat three had the #27 of James Lujan out in front with the #1 of Christian Camacho in second and the #2 of Bob Bucek in third. Lujan looked unbeatable once again when his machine once again went dead on him this time on his fourth lap. Lujan’s demise was Camacho’s good fortune as he took the lead with Bucek in second and Clark in third. At the finish it was Saipan’s own #1 Christian “Hollywood” Camacho aboard his Yamaha with the win completing a dominating clean three heat sweep for the 2023 Turkeycross Open ATV expert class. Taking second in the final heat was Guam rider #2 Bob Bucek with Saipan’s #707 Greg Clark in third.

Overall results are as follows:

1^st Saipan #1 Christian “Hollywood” Camacho

2^nd Saipan #707 Greg Clark

3^rd Guam #2 Bob Bucek

4^th Guam #71 Matt Sandlin

5^th Guam #27 James Lujan

6^th Guam #12 Austin Blaz

7^th Guam #38 Donavan Pitter

8^th Guam #12w Kione Sandlin

9^th Guam #171 Glenn Malenfant

In other overall class results

*Peewee ATV :*

1st – TORRES, Nakoa (#415) zSaipan

 *PW I:*

1st – MAYO, Kyan (#4) Guam

2nd – LANE, Gianna (#23) Guam

3^rd – BUTLER, Rekk (#304) Guam

 *PW II:*

1st – BUTLER, Royce (#304) Guam

 *Mini I:*

1st – LANE, Julian (#141) Guam

2nd – CRUZ Elleayah (#33) Saipan

3rd – BUTLER, Riley (#304) Guam

 *Mini ATV:*

1st – IGITOL, Anella (#815) Saipan

2nd – MAYO, Kyan (#4) Guam

 *Power Puff Girls:*

1st – PANGELINAN,  Billie (#680) Saipan

2nd – GUZMAN, Jeriah (#8) Guam

 *Women’s:*

1st – WENDEN, Marianna (#31) Guam

2nd – CELIS, Nanako (#2) Saipan

3rd – IGITOL, Maribel (#18) Saipan

4th – TAMAGO, Dana (#88) Guam

5th – RASA, Merissa (#86) Saipan

 *Mini II:*

1st – AGUON,  Jonathan  (#8) Guam

2nd – PANGELINAN,  Billie (#680) Saipan

3rd – CRUZ Calix (#777) Saipan

4th – FERRER,  TJ  (#121) Saipan

 *NOVICE:*

1st – ARCEO, Kanen (#08) Guam

2nd – PALACIOS,  Vicente (#118) Saipan

3rd – GUERRERO,  Matthew  (#905) Saipan

4th – JONES, Maurice (#22) Guam

5th – LANE, Wesley (#530) Guam

6th – BUTLER, Ronnie  (#221) Guam

7th – WENDEN,  Mariana (#31) Guam

8th – ENGLING,  Colton (#180) Guam

9th – SABLAN, Frankie (#369) Saipan

10th – KIRK, Colin (#184) Guam

11th – TAMAGO, Dana (#88) Guam

12th – LLAGAS, Cory (#11) Saipan

13th – WENDEN,  Richard (#33) Guam

 *INTERMEDIATE:*

1st – CRUZ, Aric (#27) Saipan

2nd – ARCEO, Kanen (#08) Guam

3rd – PALACIOS,  Vicente (#118) Saipan

4th – CAMACHO, Henry Jr (#19)  Saipan

5th – WENDEN,  Richard (#31) Guam

6th – YUMUL, Ethan (#10) Saipan

7th – CAMACHO, David (#21) Saipan

8th – CEPEDA, Melvin (#827) Saipan

9th – SABLAN,  Tristan (#86) Saipan

10th – ENGLING,  Colton (#180) Guam

 *Veterans:*

1st – ALVAREZ, Cuki (#111) Saipan

2nd – PEREZ , Gregorio (#77) Guam

3rd – RIOS, Franklin (#51) Guam

4th – CELIS, Dave (#55) Saipan

5th – VILLANES, Champi (#8) Saipan

6th – RIOS, Jeffrey (#75) Guam

7th – CEPEDA,  Charles (#21) Saipan

8th – FERRER, Bob (#121) Saipan

9th – CASTRO, Byron (#29) Saipan

10th – CEPEDA, Melvin (#827) Saipan

11th – JONES, Maurice (#22) Guam

12th – WENDEN, Tim (#31) Guam

 *ATV Vet’s:*

1st – CLARK,  Greg (#707) Saipan

2nd – BUCEK, Bob (#2) Guam

3rd – CAMACHO, Henry Sr (#57) Saipan

4th – MALENFANT, Glenn (#171) Guam

 *Legends:*

1st – RIOS, Franklin (#51) Guam

2nd – RIOS, Jeffrey (#75) Guam

3rd – CEPEDA, Charles (#21) Saipan

4th – YUMUL, Ray (#327) Saipan

This would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: The  Guam Motocross Club would like to thank Seabridge, Inc., MSA Guam, Pacific Unlimited,  Inc., CTSI Logistics Saipan, Marianas Racing Association, TSL Foundation, Triple J  Motors, Rocky Mountain Precast, Unitek Environmental Guam, and Cycles Plus.