Thai ace shines in Asian moto

MANILA, Philippines - AP Honda Thailand’s Arnon Theplib blasted away the competition, taking top individual honors in the Asian 125/MX2 motos of the 2012 FIM Asia Princesa Motocross Championship April 14-15. 

Backed by a team of topnotch factory technicians and an equally adept teammate in 16-year-old Thai motocross sensation Jugkrit Suksripaisan, the defending champion took the holeshot to score runaway victories in the two motos and reset the track’s lap record with a blistering clocking of 1:17.84 in moto 1 to send his title-retention bid on a high note.

Suksripaisan and Japan’s Tomoya Suzuki wound up second and third, respectively, with identical scores of 42 points. Suksripaisan, however, claimed the first runner-up honors by finishing ahead of Suzuki in the payoff moto. Mongolia’s Khaliunbold Erdenebileg and the Philippines’ Kenneth San Andres came in fourth and fifth to complete the podium cast.

The races marked the ninth straight year Puerto Princesa has hosted the Philippine leg of Asia’s premier motocross series. The event, organized by NAMSSA, was supported by Mayor Edward Hagedorn and his constituents from the City of Puerto Princesa, Ellen Hagedorn of the city’s Oplan Linis, city administrator Agustin Rocamora, city sports director Tony Reyes, Colt 45, Summit Mineral Water, Cobra Energy Drink, Virgin Cola, Shakey’s, Polisport, Repsol, Kia Palawan, Department of Tourism, Honda Prestige, Norkis Trading and Emcor Motor Philippines and recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. 

The event also provided the foreign and local participants the chance to experience the beauty and majesty of the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO world heritage site that was recently named to the New Seven Wonders of Nature list in a special trip to the tourist destination that was arranged for them by the city government.  

The races of the Asian veterans class were no less exciting as they were marked with dicing and side-by-side racing from the senior riders.

Fifty-year old Roman Llorente from Iriga City pulled the rug from underfavorites Junjun San Andres and Siegfred Ornopia who retired after touching bikes in the first moto.

With the victory, Llorente earned the distinction of being the first-ever Asian Veterans champion.