The deafening roar of bar-to-bar motocross was on the holiday table this past Thanksgiving weekend on Saipan as a large contingent of Guam racers, along with their moto head families, made the island hop for this high-flying event known as the Turkey Cross.
More than 30 racers from Guam made it to Saipan for the 2024 Turkey Cross, several of them entered in several different classes, according to Rob Bucek of the 2024 Guam Monster Energy Motocross Championships.
Highlights from the event were many but the Turkey Cross top gobbler race class was in the premier Open Motorcycle class, which saw Saipan’s top aces lining up bar to bar and elbow to elbow at the starting gates with Guam’s own top aces.
When the gates dropped for the start at the Cow Town facility, the thundering sound of stampeding high horse-powered motors was not just being heard but also could be felt as they tore their way down the straights.
The racing was close with both islands’ riders battling for position on each and every lap, keeping fans that lined the course on their feet, cell phone cameras on hand, recording every moment of the high-flying antics.
Guam podium sweep
When all the dust had settled, it was Guam’s own champ, Jr Cepeda aboard his #7 Yamaha, that took the overall win for Guam.
#31 Tim Wenden from Guam on his KTM right behind in second, and with Cycles Plus Guam rider #85 Blaze Aiken in third, making for a Guam podium sweep.
Action-packed ATV class
In the premier ATV class, the battle between Saipan and Guam was another on-your-feet-action-packed class.
It started with veteran rider Robert Bucek aboard the Cycles Plus Guam Suzuki taking an early lead, but being passed by lap four by both Guam’s reigning champ #1 James Lujan aboard a Yamaha and Saipan’s current reigning champ, #1 Christian Camacho, also on a Yamaha.
The two champs were in a completely different zip code by the time the checkers were waived, having left the rest of the field to fight over third place.
#25 Aaron Blaz on a Yamaha, along with #88 Cam Lorenzo, both on Yamahas, were stalking the old guy Bucek, with Blaz at one point up in front in third with Bucek maneuvering to take the position.
Bucek made an inside dive at the end of a long straight to take third.
At the checkers, it was #1 James Lujan of Guam taking the win with #1 Christian Camacho of Saipan in second, and Guam’s Robert Bucek in third.
Bucek said Guam’s participation would not have been possible without the generous support of the following support sponsors: Seabridge Inc., Pacific Trucking, MSA, Triple J Motors, Hertz car rental, Cycles Plus, Rocky Mountain Precast, Guam Marine Services, Proa Restaurant, Vinny’s Mart, Protection Concepts Unlimited, and Marianas Racing Association.
2024 Turkey Cross official results:
Open motorcycle
- 1st #7 James Cepeda, Guam
- 2nd #31 Tim Wenden, Guam
- 3rd #85 Blaze Aiken, Guam
- 4th #1 Shane Alvarez, Saipan
- 5th #18 Little John Aguon, Guam
- 6th #27 Aric Cruz, Saipan
- 7th #11 Michael Limtiaco, Guam
- 8th #44 Patrick Togawa, Saipan
- 9th #23 Jordan Leon Guerrero, Guam
- 10th #33 Jacob Jones, Guam
- 11th #86 Ellery Cruz, Saipan
Motorcycle vet
- 1st #31 Tim Wenden, Guam
- 2nd #111 Cuki Alvarez, Saipan
- 3rd #77 Gregorio Perez, Guam
- 4th #11 Michael Limtiaco, Guam
- 5th #827 Melvin Cepeda, Saipan
- 6th #22 Maurice Jones, Guam
- 7th #327 Ray Yumul, Saipan
- 7th #21 Charles Cepeda, Saipan
- 8th #86 Ponce Rasa, Saipan
Motorcycle legends
- 1st #75 Jeff Rios, Guam
- 2nd #21 Charles Cepeda, Saipan
- 3rd #327 Ray Yumul, Saipan
Open ATV
- 1st #1g James Lujan, Guam
- 2nd #1s Christian Camacho, Saipan
- 3rd #2 Robert Bucek, Guam
- 4th #12 Camillo Lorenzo, Guam
- 5th #24 Aaron Blaz, Guam
- 6th #38 Donavan Pitter, Guam
ATV vet
- 1st #2 Robert Bucek, Guam
- 2nd #57 Henry Camacho, Saipan
- 3rd #38 Roberto Pitter, Guam
- 4th #71 James Sandlin, Guam
Women’s open motorcycle
- 1st #28 Shade Pitter, Guam
- 2nd #33 Mariana Wenden, Guam
- 3rd #777 Billie Pangelinan, Saipan
- 4th #18 Maribel Igitol, Saipan
- 5th #86 Merissa Rasa, Saipan
Motorcycle intermediate
- 1st #33 Richard Wenden, Guam
- 2nd #27 Aric Cruz, Saipan
- 3rd #111 Vicente Palacios, Saipan
- 4th #86 Tristan Sablan, Saipan
- 5th #827 Melvin Cepeda, Saipan
- 6th #75 Owen Rios, Guam
- 7th #21 Charles Cepeda, Guam
Motorcycle novice
- 1st #08 Kanen Arceo, Guam
- 2nd #905 Mathew Guerrero, Saipan
- 3rd #28 Shade Pitter, Guam
- 4th #180 Colton Engling, Guam
- 5th #530 Wes Lane, Guam
- 6th #203 Jacob Kendal, Guam
- 7th #66 Anthony Blaz, Guam
- 8th #369 Frankie Sablan, Saipan
- 9th #29 Byron Castro, Saipan
- 10th #86 Ponce Rasa, Saipan
Open ATV novice
- 1st #71 Mathew Sandlin, Guam
- 2nd #57 Henry Camacho, Saipan
- 3rd #12 Austin Blaz, Guam
- 4th #23 Kione Sandlin, Guam
- 5th #19 Angelica Aguon, Guam
Kids classes
Mini Bike 65cc
- 1st #10 Daryan Camacho, Guam
Mini Bike 85cc
- 1st #8 Johnboy Aguon, Guam
- 2nd #141 Julian Lane, Guam
- 3rd #777 Calix Cruz, Saipan
- 4th #12 Tekoa Camacho, Guam
Mini ATV
- 1st #816 Anella Igitol, Saipan
- 2nd #32 Payton Pangelinan, Saipan
- 3rd #415 Nakoa Torres, Saipan
Power Puff Girls
- 1st #86 Miyako Celis, Saipan
- 2nd #17 Kesiil Camacho, Saipan
Making the annual pilgrimage from Guam
The Turkey Cross started in 2021 with the Marianas Racing Association hosting a fun off-season event for its members out at the Cow Town Motocross Park in Marpi just to take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
It was such an outstanding success that they immediately made plans to do it again the following Thanksgiving but this time, to reach out and invite their friends and family motocross racers from Guam to join them.
It’s become an island motocross tradition to make the pilgrimage from Guam to Saipan ever since that first invite in 2022.
The Cow Town facility is located right along the ocean on Saipan. It’s a beautiful facility run by the Marianas Racing Association, which has a respectable top-notch program that includes a championship series that runs early in the calendar year up into August.
The course itself is a hybrid of an outdoor motocross and a stadium type supercross. 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.
