Saipan motocross riders off to RP

Ellery Cruz and Floyd de la Cruz will banner Saipan’s hopes in the Motocross Masters of Asia 2005 FIM Puerto Princesa International Motocross Championship set for tomorrow, March 20, in Palawan, Philippines.

For the second straight year, Puerto Princesa City will play host to, the Philippine leg of the FIM Asian Motocross Series. The event will be staged on the demanding FIM-compliant permanent motocross racetrack situated near the Puerto Princesa City Hall.

The 2005 Motocross Masters of Asia will again showcase the top riders from Japan, Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, New Zealand, Thailand, China, Guam, Saipan, and Sri Lanka and will be telecast by the ESPN-Star Cable TV Network to over 490 million viewers worldwide.

Last year’s Motocross Masters of Asia brought close to 100,000 spectators to the site on race day to earn the distinction of being the all-time, most-successful event in Philippine motorsports history.

The huge success of the 2004 Motocross Masters of Asia garnered a special award for Puerto Princesa City from the Asian Motorcycle Union last December for being the best event organizer of the Asian motocross series.

Caltex Revtex-Oakley’s Glenn Aguilar of the Philippines made his country proud last year by winning the round pennant. His teammate Kenneth San Andres also shared the limelight by bagging the top plum in the FIM Asian 85cc class.

Aguilar and San Andres, who finished 2nd and 5th overall in the series opener in Guam will lead the Philippine riders competing in the premiere 125cc category this year. The pair won’t be pushovers when they clash against the best riders from Asia composed of Japan’s Tadakazu Otsuka, the defending champion, Australia’s Christian Horwood, New Zealand’s James Robinson, Indonesia’s Aep Dadang, Thailand’s Chaiyan Romphan, China’s Shi Le, India’s Chika Vijayakumar, Guam’s Nic Yasuhiro and Greg Perez Jr.

The races in the Junior 85cc and Peewee classes will be no less exciting and will feature Cebu’s Jonjon Adlawan, the top RP bet in the Junior 85cc and Caltex-Revtex-Oakley’s Jerick Mitra and Philippine Airlines-Dickies Raprap Enriquez, a potent combination in the Peewee races. Mitra and Enriquez returned triumphant from Guam last week after winning the top awards in the Peewee classes.

The benefactors and sponsors of the 2005 Motocross Masters of Asia are the City of Puerto Princesa, the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Department of Tourism, Polisport, Negros Navigation, 2Go Aboitiz, Dusit Hotel, Asturias Hotel, Bridgestone, Solar Entertainment, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Highland Products, Broadband Philippines, yehey.com and motorcyclephilippines.com.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn is once again giving his full support to the undertaking to ensure that last year’s success is replicated.

The good mayor will personally award the Mayor Edward Hagedorn Cup, the top prize that awaits the winner of the centerpiece FIM Asian 125cc division. The city will also treat the visiting riders to an excursion to favorite tourist destinations such as the Crocodile Farm, the pristine beaches in the Honda Bay, the St. Paul Subterranean river, and wildlife reserve

The 2005 Motocross Masters of Asia is a presentation of the National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association. (PR)