San Andres, a six-time National Young Rider of the Year, placed third behind eventual champion Luke George of Australia and runner-up Hannu Malherbe of Indonesia, but it was his wheel-to-wheel battle with the Indon that provided the drama in this FIM series featuring 10 nations.
The 14-year-old Philippine Sportswriters Association awardee, who is also backed by Oakley, HJC helmets, Renthal, UFO, Fox and JBS Bike Shop, engaged Malherbe in a down-to-the-wire duel that was decided by a wheel and elicited the most deafening applause from the frenzied crowd.
San Andres, whose stint in the FIM Series was made possible by his appointment from the National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association (NAMSSA), headed by Macky Carapiet, garnered 40 points for his feat. The Australian accumulated 50 points while the Indon had 44.
"Talagang maaawa ka du’n sa bata, paltos ’yung mga kamay niya dahil sa haba ng race track, pero kita mo talaga, pumukpok pa rin siya, especially against the second placer from Indonesia," said Kenneth’s father Jun-Jun, himself a Revtex rider.
"Dito kasi sa atin, mga six laps lang ang karera. Doon, inabot siguro ng 13 to 14 laps of 1.2 kms each. Talagang pahirapan. Ang sabi ko nga, fifth place lang dito, malaking bagay na, ’yun pa kayang third?" added the elder San Andres.
Like his Pro Open counterpart in FIM leader Glenn Aguilar, San Andres, a St. Louis-Valenzuela City student, has to settle for a borrowed bike. With his unfamiliarity of his unit, San Andres groped for form in the early stages but soon mastered his motorcycle as he joined the lead group before his exciting duel with Malherbe.
"Caltex-Revtex is proud of the achievement of its riders in their efforts of giving honor and glory to the country and our organization," said Revtex product manager Ner Marquez Dormiendo.
"Their domination of the Asian series is a manifestation of our team’s passion for excellence."
The races in Indonesia, including the remaining legs of the Asian series, will be telecast via ESPN and Star Sports, which has a combined reach of over 400 million households worldwide.