San Andres crowned year's top rider

Kenneth San Andres solidified his status as the country’s No. 1 rider after formally claiming both the premier Pro Open and Pro 125 titles of the National Motocross Championships in simple awards rites at the Fast Track Club House in Taguig City recently.

With the twinkill, the multi-titled San Andres was crowned Motocross Rider of the Year by the organizing National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association in the shortened national series.

The rankings of the competing riders were tabulated after nine rounds of the series, with San Andres emerging as the runaway champion of the event’s two premier divisions.

The scheduled 10th and final leg, also set to be held at the San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan track, was rained out, forcing organizers to declare the standings at the end of the ninth leg as the final results of the series.

“It has been another fruitful year for me,” said San Andres, last year’s Philippine Sportswriters Association awardee for motocross. “But the important thing is the learning that is achieved in every race. The point is to get better with every race, because my biggest challenge is myself. You need to improve as you go on.”

San Andres, an information technology student at the Manila Central University, stretched his dominance to foreign shores as he also emerged as Asia’s second-best rider for the second straight year in the FIM Asia-Pacific Motocross Championships.

“The goal for next year or in the succeeding seasons is to finally capture an Asian tiara,” said the Valenzuela native, who is backed by Oakley, Bridgestone Tires, HJC Helmets, Fox Racing, Polisport, EZ Trailer, Inside Racing, JBS Motorcycle Parts and Accessories and Bike Plus.

His father-coach Junjun San Andres actually made it a double celebration after he was crowned Veterans’ Class champion.