BROOKLYN Susulin and Christian Camacho were the brightest stars in the ATV category of the Marianas Racing Association 2021 Points Race Series.
The two topped their respective classes to earn the Red Plate trophy after the seventh and last round of the series held Sunday, July 25, at Cowtown Raceway Park.
In the PeeWee ATV Class, Susulin performed at a high level through all seven rounds.
In round 1, she earned her best score, 50 points. In the next six rounds, she scored 40, 40, 44, 44, 22 and 40 to garner a total of 280 points.
In an interview, Susulin said she has been riding an ATV since August last year.
Asked why she chose an ATV over a bike, the four-year-old answered, “I didn’t get to choose. My grandpa Henry gave my dad a 4-wheeler to fix and that’s the ATV I’ve been riding.”
She added, “I learned to ride at the Kan Pacific baseball field. My parents told me not to be scared and I like to ride fast.”
After receiving the first place trophy and $250 cash on July 28 during the awards banquet at Saipan World Resort’s Taga Hall, she said, “I feel so happy and good that it makes me want to dance.”
Brooklyn’s parents, Rex and Vanessa, said they were very happy for their daughter’s victory.
“All the practices, the gas spent, the ATV fixing and all the work we did — it definitely paid off,” her mother said.
“It felt good. One of the best feelings in the world. We couldn’t have done it all without the help of Brooklyn’s grandpa Henry, our sponsors, friends and family,” she added.
Finishing second was Keoni Rosario, who had 244 points and received $150, while Skylar Togawa came in third with 234 points and took home a $100 cash prize.
Big Boy ATV
Sharing the Red Plate spotlight at the awards banquet was Christian Camacho who dominated the Big Boy ATV Class.
Camacho scored perfect 50’s in the first four rounds of the series. After missing round 5, he returned with another 50-point finish in round 6 and ended round 7 with 47 points for a total score of 297 points.
Camacho’s love for the sport started when he and his brother were given a Suzuki LT50 mini ATV by their parents.
“We would race or just ride around the neighborhood. I would ask my dad to make my bike faster and I would get hands-on as he worked on it. I’ve tried riding on a bike when I first started motocross in 1999-2000, but it was nothing like being on an ATV,” Camacho said.
His parents eventually bought him a Yamaha Banshee. “Some people think it is easier than a bike, but they’re wrong,” Camacho said. “Yes you can hit the berm at a faster speed and exit out like a slingshot, but when it comes to jumping, that’s a different story. You have twice the weight of a bike and two more tires approaching the jump. I’m still trying to perfect my riding skills and I think that is why I choose riding an ATV over a bike. In my opinion, it’s more challenging.”
For the MRA series, Camacho’s game plan included conditioning his mind and body, and knowing his competitors’ weaknesses.
“At times I would go to the track and just watch. I wouldn’t even practice physically, just mentally. I would study the track by watching others ride and I would watch my competitors and see where their weaknesses were on the track. From there I focused on how I could improve my riding to overtake them,” Camacho said.
As for topping the series, the ATV rider said, “Winning the Red Plate is an honor and a privilege. It would set the course for me in the next season, knowing I’m the target especially when we start having off-island racers. This means that I would need to train harder and smarter.”
He added, “I will continue riding an ATV as this is what made me fall in love with the sport. I have thought about switching to a bike, but every time I would ride one, I ended up hoping I was back on my ATV.”
Besides the first place trophy, Camacho took home a $250 cash prize.
Henry Camacho Sr. finished second with 201 points and received $150 while Rex Susulin, the father of Brooklyn Susulin, came in third with 192 points and won a $100 cash prize.
Brooklyn Susulin, center, raises her Red Plate trophy during the awards banquet of the Marianas Racing Association 2021 Points Race Series at the Saipan World Resort Taga Hall. Also in photo are second placer Keoni Rosario, left, and Skylar Togawa, right, who finished third.
Brooklyn Susulin drives her ATV during the Marianas Racing Association 2021 Points Race Series at Cowtown Raceway Park.
Christian Camacho, center, smiles as he poses for a photo with his Red Plate trophy during the awards banquet of the Marianas Racing Association 2021 Points Race Series at the Saipan World Resort Taga Hall. Henry Camacho Sr., left, finished second while Rex Susulin, right, was third.
Christian Camacho gets air as he races through the course in an ATV expert class race at Cowtown Raceway Park.
