Steele, White win Beach Road Magazine Car Rally

Two teams—one amateur and one veteran—finished even in the 5th Beach Road Magazine Car Rally held last Saturday.

The tandem of Triple J vice president Randy Steele and Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael White of car No. 12 tied the game with the double act of Pacific Islands Club Activities manager Glenn Policare and Mayuki Kebukawa of Car no.13.

The two teams bested 17 other teams in this year’s car rally, which is the longest one to date as it involved a 52-mile circuitous course timed at two hours and 43 minutes following distance and speed limits.

The course, which tested the participants’ skills and wit, started off at the base of Mt. Tapochau and meandered around the island through five different checkpoints: Joeten Store in Kagman, Tanapag Beach, Triple J Motors, Super Fresh Market, and the Oleai Beach Bar & Grill.

Oleai Beach Bar & Grill, which was the final checkpoint, also served as the venue for the awarding ceremony yesterday afternoon.

The two winning teams shared the first place prize of $150, four Magellan Lunch and Waterpark Pass gift certificates from PIC, $25 gift certificate from Oleai Beach Bar & Grill, and one car wash gift certificate from Cool Car Wash.

Coming in at second is car No. 19 which included Amanda Hayes, who signed up for the event as early as April that she almost forgot Saturday’s event. The second placer won a Nokia 6070 with $10 load from Docomo Pacific, a $25 gift certificate from Oleai Beach Bar & Grill, one car wash gift certificate from Cool Car Wash, and one Lunch Buffet for two at World Café from Fiesta Resort & Spa.

Car No. 2, which included Glen Deleon Guerrero, won a Nokia 6070 with $10 load from Docomo Pacific, a $25 gift certificate from Oleai Beach Bar & Grill, and one car wash certificate from Cool Car Wash.

All members of the two teams that placed first were present to accept their prizes yesterday.

Steele, when asked for comment, said it “feels great” that their team won the competition which they joined for the first time.

“I would like to thank all Triple J customers and staff who joined the car rally. I would also like to thank Car Rally Master Susan Marchitti for organizing such a great team,” he added.

For his part, White said that although the course was very tiring and challenging, it was also very enjoyable.

Policare, in an interview, echoed the same sentiments. “This is by far the most difficult to date. It involved intricate directions,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Policare, a Koblerville resident, said he and teammate Kebukawa, who lives in Chinatown got lost in their respective villages in the duration of the course. “There were streets that we didn’t know existed,” he added.

Car rally master Marchitti said this year’s rally had the most number of participating teams at 19.

“I’m just happy that the participants were still smiling even after a long and tricky course,” said Marchitti, who worked on the course and drove it herself for two months.

“We prepared the participating teams and provided them a nine-page document that tells them what to expect in the course and help understand diagrams and symbols. There were lots of details that they really had to pay attention to,” she added.

Other prizes were raffled off yesterday to all participating teams, which also received goodies from Triple J Motors and Foremost Scoops.