A record 44-man Philippine motocross contingent is all set to leave for Macau next week to compete in the 3rd leg of the 2005 FIM Asian Motocross Championship slated in the former Portuguese enclave on June 25-26. The NAMSSA Philippine Motocross Team’s Macau stint is supported by Air Macau and the Philippine Sports Commission.
The RP delegation will be pinning its hopes on 8-time Philippine Rider of the Year Glenn Aguilar, the overall champion of the same series in 2003. Aguilar totes a two-leg aggregate of 87 points is currently in second in the title chase. On top of the scoreboard with 94 points is Australia’s Christian Horwood, the winner of the opening round held in Guam in February and the Philippine leg held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan last March.
The Caltex Revtex Rocket is hoping to finally break the Australian’s winning run in Macau to remain on track in his quest to reclaim the Asian 125cc diadem. New Zealand’s James Robinson is in third with 75 points and remains to be a strong title contender.
Aguilar will be getting able support from his Caltex Revtex teammates Kenneth San Andres and Gabriel “Bebet” de la Cruz.
San Andres, the pride of Valenzuela City and an incoming IT freshman at the Manila Central University in Caloocan has been holding his own against more experienced rivals in the series and is currently in 6th place in the championship roster. De la Cruz, the country’s number 2 rider, is no pushover and is a perennial darkhorse in any international motocross contest. Cebu City’s Joshua Abellar, the fourth Philippine entry in the 125cc class, is looking forward to doing well in his debut into international competitions.
Jon Eleazar Adlawan, Cebu’s top junior rider will be the anchorman of the 3-man Philippine entry in the Asian Junior 85cc division. Adlawan, who marked his international debut in the same event last year, will be joined by Joanna Marie Arreglado and Jan Carlo Rellosa, two of Luzon’s top junior riders this time. Adlawan is optimistic that he will outdo his performance last year. Arreglado and Rellosa, on the other hand, are in high spirits and excited over their first chance to race on foreign shores.
The Philippine cause in the Asian 65 cc event will rely on Caltex Revtex’s Jean Erick Mitra, La Union’s racing brothers Patrick and Jacob Orbe, Cebu’s Renan Alquizola and Bicol’s Lorenzo Rellosa III. The RP tykes are expected to reclaim the Asian 65cc crown which the Troy Corpuz-led Team Guam stole from them last year the same event last year.
Meanwhile, NAMSSA Vice President Arthur Valdez was appointed by the FIM to act as the Jury President of the FIM Asian Motocross meet in Macau. The NAMSSA Philippine motocross team will have its final tune-up race for the Macau Asian motocross event this weekend in the 2nd Round of the 2005 Camel Supercross Series set in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on June 18-19.
For more details about the FIM Asian Motocross series, please email the NAMSSA Secretariat at namssa01@hotmail.com or call 0917-8992363.
For the last six years motorcycle riders in the Philippines have been actively fighting against laws, legislation and even rules dreamed up by construction companies that put motorcycle riders in danger or restrict their freedom as tax paying motor vehicle owners.
Suzuki Philippines Inc. recently launched its 2005 Suzuki Endurance Run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Open Grounds. Following a highly successful tour in 2004, this year’s nationwide run is a non-stop, 50-day course that kicked off in Manila and covers Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao showcasing Suzuki’s latest line-up of 4-stroke under bone solo bikes, ranging from 110 to 150 cc engines.
