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Friday, 17 December 2010 08:31 |
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
Kenneth San Andres and Jean Erick Mitra lived up to their billing as the country’s best motocross riders when they clinched division titles in different categories during the final round of the 2010 Philippine National Motocross Championship held Sunday, December 12 at the Speedworld MX Circuit in SM Bicutan, Parañaque.
San Andres and Mitra had their hands full during the weekend as they competed in multiple categories that included the motos that marked the final round of the 2010 FIM Asian Motocross Supercross Championship.
San Andres made his countrymen proud by finishing 2nd in the MX2 motos of Asia’s premier motocross event to take 3rd place overall in the championship. His prolific weekend enabled him to clinch his third straight Motocross Rider of the Year title, a label that comes with winning the centerpiece MX2 crown in the national series. NAMSSA’s Most Improved Rider of the Year awardee, Migi Tolentino took second place over all while the multi-titled motocross and road race warrior Jolet Jao settled for third position.
San Andres likewise emerged champion in the Pro Open class with Migi Tolentino taking second and his elder sibling Miko third.
Mitra, on the other hand stamped his class in the Junior 85 event where he copped the Asian continental and national titles with plenty to spare. Mitra was in his usual element as he routed the competition in the Asian Junior 85cc heats finishing way ahead of his closest chaser. San Pablo City’s Mark Reggie Flores took second place overall while fellow Novo Ecijano, Gabriel Macaso claimed third overall spot.
Migi Tolentino was the champion in the Intermediate category with 513 points. A close second was Mitra who was 2 points shy with 511. Miko Tolentino settled for 3rd spot with 350 points.
Mitra bagged his third national title by winning the Novice Open Production crown with 597 markers. Mitra edged Omar Aman and Chadwick Garcia who ended up 2nd and 3rd respectively with 391 and 320 points.
Bryan Ursua was tops in the Beginner Open Production class with 427 points while Aman and Garcia ended up second and third places anew with 414 and 393 points respectively.
Cheaster Hinayo edged his perennial rival Tyrone Coralde in the Novice Local Enduro title race with 346 points against the latter’s 344. Joseph Penaso settled for third place with a 286-point output.
Penaso, however, reversed the tide in the Open Enduro category where he emerged the victor with 475 points. Hinayo and Coralde took second and third places with aggregate scores of 373 and 339.
Jason Sarmiento was crowned the 2010 Underbone Open king with 478 points. John Ryan Canillo and Napoleon Medina, Jr. took second and third overall with their 337 and 241 totals.
Gimo Gonzales showed everyone that his winning the 2010 Executive class championship was no fluke by finishing first in both motos of the final leg for a total score of 526 points. Kenneth Pumaren and Juancho Banaag wound up 2nd and 3rd in the class with their 236 and 170 totals.
Junjun San Andres, Kenneth’s father, proved to everyone that being a champion rider is in the genes. San Andres accumulated 528 points in 12 rounds to finish way ahead of his competition in the Veterans class title race. Second and third places went to Gimo Gonzales and Kenneth Pumaren.
Cabanatuan’s Zyden Buse emerged champion in the Junior 50cc category with 544 points. Second place went to Ompong Gabriel who scored 448 points while the final podium position went to Vincent Jimenez who had a 362 point total.
San Pablo’s Mark Reggie Flores’ two second place finishes against his chief rival Gabriel Macaso proved enough to allow him to clinch the Junior 65cc championship. Flores ended the series with 560 points, a 12 point spread over Macaso’s 548 total. Third place went to Mark John Saflor, another promising rider from Nueva Ecija who had a total of 291 in 12 rounds.
Trophies, cash prizes and diplomas were handed out the winners in the various categories. NAMSSA likewise presented certificates of recognition to various individuals, riders and team who lent support to the NSA’s endeavors aimed at developing motorcycle sports in the Philippines.
NAMSSA President Macky Carapiet expressed his gratitude to all the riders and teams during the fellowship dinner that followed the awards and recognition rights. He also cited San Andres and Mitra and considered their achievements as the fulfillment of NAMSSA’s mission of discovering riding talents from the grassroots level, developing their skills in national competitions and eventually sending them to compete in international and continental events. |
