Guam and Saipan compete in Turkey Cross

This past weekend, several motocross athletes from Guam made the pilgrimage to Saipan to compete in the Turkey Cross, a high-flying competition that produced near-deafening, bar-banging competitive racing.

“The jumps are many and range from small to big, sending riders up high into the nose-bleeding altitude zone before reentering into the many high-banked turns,” Guam Motocross’ public information officer Bob Bucek said in a press release.

“It’s become an island motocross tradition to make the pilgrimage from Guam to Saipan ever since that first invite in 2022,” he said.

Bucek, in the press release, said that the Cow Town facility, located along the ocean, is a beautiful facility, and the Marianas Racing Association runs a very respectable, top-notch program, which incudes a championship series.

Bucek described the races’ highlights as many. And in the Top Gobbler race class, aces from Guam and Saipan provided a thrilling spectacle.

“When the gates dropped for the start at the Cow Town facility, the thundering sound of stampeding high horsepowered motors was not just being heard but also could be felt as they tore their way down the straights,” Bucek sad, describing the race as “close, with both islands’ riders battling for position on each and every lap, keeping fans that lined the course on their feet, cellphone cameras on hand, recording every moment of the high-flying antics.”

When the dust settled, riders from Guam finished 1-2-3, with JR Cepeda finishing first, Tim Wenden finishing second and Blaze Aiken snagging a third-place finish.