Dela Cruz moooves in Cowtown

An appreciative crowd was on hand at the Cowtown Raceway Park on Sunday, as “Pretty Boy” Floyd Dela Cruz cruised to a pair of victories in the latest Marianas Racing Association points race with an impressive display of speed and fearlessness.

Dela Cruz blazed across the final tabletop to take the checkered flag in the 10-lap 250cc Open competition, and despite snatching the first heat of the 125cc Expert Class settled for second when he was edged out by Weng Yap in the final eight laps.

Yap took second in the 250 Open, but he powered around the course making short work of the field by lapping several of his fellow motor-sport enthusiasts.

While the duo duked it out down the stretch in the dirt, Roman Tudela turned in a pair of third-place finishes to end up with a solid day at the track.

The exciting races were only the final two events of a near-perfect day in which the course was dust-free due to the early morning rains. As with all of the MRA events at the home of high-flying daredevils, the weekend action thrilled all who sat back and enjoyed watching the rookies and veterans master their machines.

Relative newcomer Dave Celis was unstoppable in the 125cc Class as he twice beat out Eita Matsuda for the top spot in consecutive heats, followed by consistent third-place finisher Megan Cruz.

The smaller bikes proved to be just as exciting as the big boys as Manny Flores and Christian Manzanares went a total of 12 laps under the sun in the 80-85cc Class with Flores taking the final flag and first place and Manzanares taking second. Hank Camacho took each of the six-lap heats, and continues to improve with every circle on his cycle.

Rocker and rider Steve Sablan was unbeatable in the “Ben Gay” Class, as the veteran beat out second-place finisher Vince Tudela and third place Melvin Cepeda through 12 laps. Tudela was second in both heats, and while JV Veloira was third in the first go-round, Cepeda was the third to cross the line in the second set of laps.

The youngsters also got involved in the fray as Franklin Santos ruled the 60-65cc Class with back-to-back wins in the five-lap heats. Jared Sablan and Jacob Jones were in a fight for first runner-up, and while Jones finished in second place during the first heat, Sablan earned the daily deuce when he was the second to scream across the tabletop in the final heat.

Those with a passion for four-wheeling went around the course as well, as Chris Alepuyo bested Ton Ton Alepuyo and Jess Celis to take the top quad on the day. After taking second in the first eight-lap heat, Ton Ton took two two, while Celis took third.

A pair of mini-ATVs maneuvered through the mud as well as Britney Camacho and Edinna Cepeda each took first place in their respective classes.

The next event for the MRA is slated for Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Cowtown track in Marpi at 11:30am.