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ALL the
10 teams that set out in Honda cars from Pagudpud,
Ilocos Norte and traversed the rugged and challenging
terrains to Sorsogon in Bicol, the farthest point of
Luzon in the south, had achieved their primary goal—to
make it on one full tank of Petron Xtra Unleaded.
All the
cars reached Matnog as expected and even broke the
initial 1,114-km record of racing legend Pocholo
Ramirez. But no one was able to break the existing
record of 1,400 km set by Team Zayco-Hermanos last year.
The
participants included: Team 1: Jeff Reyes/Lester Dizon;
Team 2: Vernon Sarne/Jaykee Evangelista; Team 3: Angelo
Almonte/Ricky Velasco; Team 4: Ronald de los Reyes/Raymund
Sanchez; Team 5: Eggay Quesada/Giosi Mendoza; Team 6:
Andy Sevilla/Ira Panganiban; Team 7: Roman Floresca/Delfin
Perez; Team 8: Jess Garcia/Joseph Javier; Team 9:
Raymond Young/Brent Co and Team 10: Jing Garcia/Melvin
Calumag.
As
reported in our last issue, Team Busy Bodies of Roman
Floresca and Delfin Perez took first place, while Team
Philippine Star of Jess Reyes and Lester Dizon checked
in second and Team DZRH-DZRB of Jess Garcia and Joseph
Javier came in third.
The
organizers really treated the participants with utmost
care all throughout the seven-day sojourn. I really
enjoyed the various stops and really had fun on the
trip. For the first time in my life, I was able to go as
far as Pagudpud in the North since the farthest I had
gone before was in Clark in Pampanga and Subic Bay in
Zambales.
We were
able to taste the hospitality of various provinces and
even the delicacies that were presented to us during our
various stops. Saud Beach and Resort was really a
magnificent place with its long stretch of fine, white
sands. We were served fish head sinigang soups, pinakbet,
grilled fish with chili garlic sauce, chicken/pork adobo
and assorted fruits for our lunch when we arrived there
on January 9.
Yes, we
forgot about our diet as dinner was served in a huge
nipa hut built a few meters from the shoreline. The
fare consisted of mushroom soup, northern fried chicken,
grilled liempo, plain rice and buko pandan. Yes, there
was suman sa lijia that was prepared by the owners
themselves.
The
famous Vigan longganisa came in to the fore the next
day—the first day of competition—as breakfast was served
at the Breakfast Inn in the heart of Vigan. A mountain
of garlic rice was sufficient enough to down all the
lumo-lumo, puqui-puqui and omelet with tomatoes and
onions that went with it. By noon of that day and after
some 140 kilometers later, lunch was served at the San
Fernando Max’s Restaurant, which consisted of fried
chicken, chop suey, lumpiang shanghai and plain rice. A
few minutes later we were off to Tarlac.
After
146 kilometers, we arrived and checked-in at the La Maja
Rica Hotel where another hearty dinner of binagoongang
baboy, bangus ala pobre, Bicol express, sotanghon
guisado and pandan rice was served.
The
second day of official run from Tarlac to Naga started
around three in the morning. After two breakfasts at the
McDonald’s in Petron SLEX and at the Max’s Restaurant in
Tayabas, we traveled to del Gallego in Bicol and stopped
at the Mikainan Restawran of Marlene Veluz. Three huge
huts served as the dining area for the more than 70
participants and crews that were part of the caravan,
which logged over 100 kilometers on its way to Naga late
in the afternoon.
Villa
Caceres Hotel served as our headquarters for the next
three nights as we checked in there on January 11. A
dinner of chicken asparagus, beef steak, grilled fish,
gulay na laing and steamed rice energized us before we
went to an early sleep.
The
third and final race day saw all of us traveling on the
road to Matnog and back. It was the day of reckoning as
every official car went all out to make it to the final
destination.
But the
seemingly endless buffet did not stop there. On our way
back to Naga, we drove by an alley of small restaurants
and stopped in one of them with Ira Panganiban, Steve
Acayan, Ronald Magno, Dindo de Jesus, and Cagi
representative and Gadgets magazine’s Armin Amio. After
a bountiful merienda of rice and several viands, we were
all surprised to learn that it only cost a little over
P500!
Back in
Villa Caceres Hotel, breakfast, lunch and dinner were
served to our hearts’ content. On our way back to
Manila
on January 14, we were delighted to drop in again on the
Mikainan Restawran in del Gallego where we were served
another hearty breakfast.
Yes, I
think aside from Petron and Honda and other major
sponsors, we also have to thank the organizing ADBM
Resources headed by Belle Alba and Mika Fernandez-David
for a job well done. Our gratitude also goes to our
support crew, Dindo de Jesus and Ronald “Ospa” Magno,
who really did a great job while we were on and off of
the road. The other support crews were also great and
they were: brothers Tootsie, Mansu, Abe and Herbert
Zayco, Bernie Santos, Conrad Gacad, André Palma, Ernie
Garcia, Vic Mallare, Rolan Cruz, Jef Feliciano, Joey
“Triple Crown champion” Lanuza, Banot Castañeda, Sonny
Oliveros, Binky Siddayao, Ronnie Noel, Bong Feliciano,
Peter Binamira, Barry Ortiz, LJay Garcia, and chief Raul
Asuncion. Anvin Cortez served as the chief nurse.
The
whole event was covered by the Hotwire crew of Ronnie
Trinidad, Mitch Genato, Enzo Ruidera, Angelo da Silva,
Ronnie Vela and host Epy Quizon; DZRH’s Ding Rueda;
AAP’s Jun Espino and Mark Desales; Cagi’s Armin Amio;
Ace-Saatchi’s Denise Goco and Migs Marfori; and Petron’s
Bong Cleofe and Steve Acayan.
***
New underbone
Suzuki Raider R150
SUZUKI
redefines Underbone Sports with the introduction of its
newest motorcycle in town—the Raider R150, a
mean-looking, tough performing ride that features a
racer-replica technology combined with a big bike
interface.
Packed
with a new GSX-R inspired Aerodynamic Full Engine
Cowling Design and a convenient Electric Start, the
Suzuki Raider R150 resembles its big bike counterparts.
A
descendant from Suzuki’s flagship motorcycle model— the
Suzuki Raider150—a renowned class leader in the sporty
underbone category and the back-to-back Endurance King
for 2005 and 2006 NRA Endurance Races, the Suzuki Raider
R150 features the same signature sharp and sporty body
works, compact instrument panels, big bike speedometer
design and 10-spoke cast-aluminum wheels. Likewise, the
Suzuki Raider R150 boasts of a superior DOHC (Double
Overhead Camshafts), a 4-valve 6-speed, 150-cc engine
that produces 16.0hp of raw power and a 6-speed
transmission.
The
Suzuki Raider R150 comes in blue, black and red. Each
unit of the Raider R150 retails at P88,900. |
