Best riders stage underbone clash

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s finest underbone riders brace for another showdown in the 2009 Magnolia Health Tea Philippine Underbone King Championships’ third leg this weekend at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Suzuki hopes to reassert its supremacy anew behind the duo of Johnlery Enriquez and Paul Mark Doblada in the 115cc Open class of this event sanctioned by the National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association (NAMSSA) and sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Magnolia Health Tea, Aeromed, Inside Racing and Pagcor.

Enriquez swept the 115cc Open and the 115cc Sports Production classes in the last leg while Doblada is the current leader of both classes with 94 points apiece.

Hoping to stop Suzuki’s domination is Honda, which will be banking on Herbert Lopez and Bryan “Spark” Ortile against the Enriquez-Doblada duo in the 115cc Open.

Lopez is second overall with 76 points while Ortile, who finished third in the last leg, is in fifth with 60.

Spectators get a double treat with the equally intense duel between defending champion Maico Buncio of Elf Motor Oil-YRS Racing and Glenn Aguilar of Yellow Cab-Ducati Access Plus in the 2009 BRC Superbikes Series.

Following his sweep in the last leg, Buncio not only set a new track record time of 1:38.587 but also enjoys solo leadership in the Open class with 97 points, a six-point advantage over Aguilar with Dashi Watanabe of Watanabe Racing in third place with 80 points.

Another sweep will fortify his quest for a third Superbikes crown.

Buncio also seeks another victory in the 130cc. Open class where he leads with 50 points against Dannie Daquigan and Anthony Roman, and in the 150cc Open where he holds 94 points against Fil-Japanese Masato Fernando who’s second overall with 85.

Michael Altamira also aims to keep his solo lead in the 115cc Super Stock class over Paolo Labador and Michael Cortez.