Lester Mekan Baha, [email protected]
KUCHING: Local rider Jong Tze Ping was in his element at the Samarahan Motocross Challenge 2012 held at Samarahan District Motocross Track, yesterday to win the Scrambler Open, Motocross Novice Open and finished first runner-up in the Motocross Open.
Jong was the Motocross Open champion of the Limbang and Miri leg, and is the reigning Indonesia International Motocross Cross Open champion.
Yesterday, he was denied a hattrick of win by a determined Murphy David Sze who took the chequered flag in style in the 11-lap Motocross Open category.
In the highlight of the championship, Murphy and Jong battled neck to neck through the 19 bumps- dusty track for the coveted podium finish. Trailing four bumps in third place was Mathew Paul.
“Dubbed as the earth busting, 19 bumps- high flying track and racing through scorching tropical heat, the Samarahan District Track is thoroughly challenging,” exclaimed Jong to thesundaypost yesterday.
The eight-lap Scrambler Closed category saw Paul Tila Kerol leading the eight competitors from start to finish to claim victory with Poi Chie Weng trailing closely in second and Brayan Jagger Kremlin in third.
Mohd Zakaria emerged champion in the BMX Junior while Bryan Eigan triumphed in the BMX senior.
“This championship was definitely challenging as the riders have to endure the scorching heat through the 1.6 km long dusty lose clay track to complete the race. The track has 19 bumps as compared to Stungkor with 11 bumps while Miri and Limbang each has eight bumps track,” said president of Sarawak Motocross Club William Sinos. A total of 36 riders from Kuching and Samarahan took part in Samarahan Motocross Challenge.
After the Samarahan Motocross Challenge, Jong leads the Motocross Amateur ranking with 100 points, from second to 10th are Mathew Paul (90), Anthony Bless (80), Mohd Simon (60), Rapheal David(55), Anlody Rutel (50), Paul Tiles Kerol (46), Rayford Bugak (39), Anthony Kimura (35) and Arthur Dublin with 34 points.