The ATV racers on Guam were once again hitting the racetrack as the Guam Motorcycle and ATV Corporation held the third round of their scheduled ten round 2007 Guam Moto-X Championships this past Sunday February 11th. The course was located on the northern part of the island at the Calvo Memorial Off-road Park located within the Guam International Raceway in the village of Yigo. Made up of an infield section that is mostly man made double, triple and tabletop jumps that take competitors across the quarter mile dirt oval out into the wide open motocross and off-road section of the course then returns them back across the other end of the dirt oval to complete a lap. The course was extremely rutted and was choked full of large braking and acceleration bumps entering and exiting the many corners for round three. The weather on the other hand was a perfect sunny breezy 85 degrees for much of the event.

"#5 Robert Santos swept from an outside start position to take the lead in the Open Atv class"

In heat one of the Open ATV class #5 Robert Santos riding for the team of RPM Yamaha aboard a Yamaha Yfz-450 had a perfect start. Coming from second from the outside starting position Santos was able to get the launch which enabled him to sling shot down to the inside of turn one and shut the door on the rest of the field. #1 Robert Bucek also a team sponsored rider riding for the team of Cycles Plus Guam aboard their Suzuki Ltr-450 was able to slip in behind Santos with #69 Ltr-450 mounted Jason Wassom in tow. The three riders with Santos in the lead position went at each other as if every lap had been the last lap. Wassom would bump into Bucek who was busy bumping into Santos as the three riders held nothing back in their efforts to gain the lead. After five of the scheduled ten lap heat one Wassom finally started to ease off as the rough course conditions started to take a toll. Bucek on the other hand was pouring it on and was able to pull side by side with Santos by taking an outside to inside line going into a hard right hand turn and down the long rhythm portion of the course. It was all a drag race as each rider poured on the throttle after each of the five sets of doubles that make up the rhythm section. At the end of the section it was Bucek with a two bike length lead going across and out into the high speed off-road portion of the course. Bucek went on to win the heat with Santos taking second and Wassom placing third. Rounding out the top five in heat one were #13 Kawasaki mounted Mike Cochran in fourth and #73 Anthony Gumabon who placed fifth on a Yamaha Banshee.

Heat two Open ATV action was dominated from start to finish by the Cycles Plus Ltr-450 rider Bucek as he grabbed the hole-shot and checked out from the rest of the field almost immediately. This time Santos was in the runner up position with Wassom once again in third knocking hard on Santos’s rear bumper. Santos fought off Wassom for the first half of the ten lap heat two but had to succumb to the rough course conditions allowing Wassom to make a slide job pass on him to take the second place position. “I just couldn’t hold on any longer the track was so brutal” explained Santos after the heat.

"Santos and Bucek were side by side with Wassom right behind for most of the laps in heat one_resize"

Santos however fatigued was still able to hold on for a third place finish giving him third place overall in the event and moving himself up into second place in the point’s championships. Wassom who had missed a moto during round one was ecstatic as his second place finish in heat two combined with his third place finish in heat one gave him second place overall for the round and had moved him up into third place in the points championship. “I couldn’t believe I could ever keep up more than less pass Santos he is a legend and fast rider” Wassom stated at the post riders get together. Bucek who took the double heat sweep has yet to lose a single heat so far this season and has earned a perfect 150 point score and leads the championships. “ I can feel them getting closer so I’m worried it’s only a matter of time before they figure out how to beat me after all I’m 43 years old-old enough to be their father” boasted Bucek laughing at the post riders get together. Rounding out the top five were Mike Cochran taking fourth earning fourth overall for the round and #28 Brandon Mitchel aboard a Yamaha Yfz-450 who took fifth earning fifth overall for the round. Championship contender and second place overall in the 2006 championships #99 Suzuki rider Mark Schiavone was absent for round three and is not expected to return to racing action until mid May in time for the May 27th round 5 of the championships.

"Keara Bucek Open Women Atv contender"

In the Open Women ATV class the two women tied for first in the points championship took their turns leading the 6 lap heat one. #14 Kelly Simpson aboard her Suzuki Ltr-450 who took the early lead off the start was looking solid in the lead as she managed to put about a six bike length interval between herself and second place rider Keara Bucek who shares time on the Ltr-450 with her dad #1 Robert Bucek. With just two laps remaining Simpson overcooked it in a sweeper and stalled her Suzuki this allowed Bucek to slip by and get about a 15 second lead over Simpson who had trouble relighting the Suzuki’s engine before getting back into the race. Bucek took the heat one win with Simpson charging hard back up into a second place finish in the heat.

In the Women’s final heat Simpson again took the lead but this time was on a mission that saw her fly her way into a solid first place finish. Bucek who was running in second stalled on the first lap and was never a threat for the lead in heat two finishing second overall for the heat and the day. Simpson took the round three Women’s overall win and the two women of Simpson and Bucek remain tied yet again.

"Jose Simpson charges hard in the Mini Midrange class"

In the mini Midrange ATV class 31 Kawasaki kfx-80 mounted Trevor Eustaquio has yet to be beaten this year as once again in round three he swept both motos for first overall and still remains first in the championships. Blair Bates racing the #5 Hetrick racing Honda 90 who took second in both the heats and second overall has been closing in on Eustaquio but has yet been able to match the youngster Eustaquio’s speed for an entire race. Taking third in his first race this year was #9 Ramon Torres who because of lack of adequate race machinery has yet to score an overall win. Taking fourth and remaining third in the points championship was #11 Kawasaki mounted Jose Simpson who took a third place in heat one and a fourth place finish in heat two for the fourth place overall for the round.

#29 AJ Windham riding his Kawasaki Kfx-50 was on fire as he took the lead from the start followed by #77 Devin Chiguina on a Yamaha and #1 Stoney Bucek on the Cycles Plus Kawasaki 50. Windham blazed the track as he caught air off every jump on the little ATV to take first place in heat one. Chiguina had his hands full as Bucek was moving up fast. The newest member to the 50cc atv class Chiguina was proving he had the heart and the skill to go fast as he put off Bucek for several laps only allowing the reigning 50cc champ to get by after nearly all the laps had been completed. Bucek took second in the heat with Chiguina taking third.

In the second heat Bucek had the little 50cc engine screaming as if it was on steroids as he blasted from the starting line to take the lead over AJ Windham and Devin Chiguina. The three lead riders held their positions all the way to the checkers giving Bucek the overall win for the round with Windham taking second and Chiguina placing third overall.

The next scheduled round will be the fourth round of the championships scheduled for March 18th to be held once again at the Calvo Memorial Off-road Park in Yigo. Championship racing is set to start at 1pm and will be free to those fans who wish to come out and watch. The next schedule event for Guam Motorcycle and Atv Corporation will be the up coming Discovery Day celebration in the southern village of Umatac on February 25th and on March 4th. To find out more about the Guam Motorcycle and Atc Corporation visit their website at AtvMotocrossGuam.com.