‘Buncio crashed into a steel bar’

MOTORCYCLE RACING champion Maico Greg Buncio died from the injuries he sustained after crashing into a steel bar which protruded from a still-unfinished barrier at the Clark International Speedway last Saturday.

The family of Buncio as well as Team Suzuki Pilipinas jointly issued this statement yesterday to clarify that Buncio, the 22-year-old four-time national Superbikes champ and the country’s top gun in the Asia Road Racing Championships, “didn’t die in the crash itself.”

According to Suzuki Philippines’ Eilleen Esteban, Buncio spun out into loose gravel, “was thrown off his bike” and then “crashed into an unfinished barrier on the speedway where a protruding steel bar punctured his body and damaged his kidney and liver.”

Buncio’s family is considering filing a case against the operators of the Clark International Speedway because of the tragedy, Esteban added.

Clark Speedway operations chief Johnny Tan said the steel bar wasn’t mentioned in the incident report.

He said he will issue a statement after meeting with the people who supervised the races Saturday afternoon. Tan said he was not present when the crash happened.

Buncio was rushed to a hospital in Mabalacat town before he was transferred to the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, where he died Sunday afternoon.

This year’s Golden Wheel Awards’ Driver of the Year and Philippine Sportswriters Association awardee for motorsports, Buncio led the PH Suzuki team which debuted in the Asian circuit two weeks ago in Sepang, Malaysia.

Buncio’s remains lie at Loyola Memorial Chapels in Guadalupe, Makati.