Kopiko supercross kicks off Panaad fest

MANILA, Philippines - The third leg of the Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross Series 2013 jumpstarts the Panaad Festival in Bacolod April 16-17.

As of presstime, 119 riders from 45 teams have already signed up for the race, the third installment of the year-round series, with registration is expected to balloon as the race approaches. The bulk of riders will be coming from Mindanao.

 The previous races were held at the South Road Properties in Cebu in January and Bais High School in Negros Oriental in March. At each site, the organizers moved no less than 12,000 cubic feet of earth to create an international standard track. The Bacolod race schedule was adjusted to coincide with the launch of this year’s Panaad Festival.

A more challenging track has been laid out by the organizing Man & Machine Racing Promotions, which scouts and builds tracks at every venue prior to each race. The site is part of a residential development of Active Realty where airsoft competitions are also held. No less than three hectares of real estate have been allocated for construction of the track.

“This track in Bacolod has 36 jumps, and is almost a kilometer long,” explains Jake Alcordo, operations manager of Man & Machine. “The lay-out should make it more challenging for the riders.”

 In the first two legs of the Kopiko Astig 3-in-One Supercross Series, veteran Glenn Aguilar jumped ahead of the overall standings in line for the cumulative Rider of the Year Award at the end of the race season. Aguilar’s victory in the Pro Open and Pro Lites categories in Bais pushed him ahead of fellow internationalists like Jonjon Adlawan, Bornok Mangosong and Jovie Saulog.