What started as a development weekend for Access Plus Racing quickly turned into one of the biggest surprises of the opening round of the 2026 Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC).
The team originally arrived on track to prepare Ducati’s heavily updated 7th-generation Panigale V4 for its race debut. Timothy Joseph “TJ” and Troy Alberto spent Thursday and Friday evaluating the new superbike around the 3.700 km circuit as the team worked through setup and development.
By Saturday, however, Access Plus Racing shifted its focus to the Ducati Panigale V2, which they were also entering in the newly introduced Supersport 600 (SS600) category that same weekend.
Despite producing less power than the Panigale V4, the lighter Panigale V2 immediately impressed with its pace around BRC. The bike proved so competitive that the team made the unexpected decision to enter it in the premier SBK1000 category instead, while continuing development work on the new Panigale V4 ahead of Round 2 next month.
The gamble paid off immediately.
Reigning 5-time PSBK champion TJ Alberto secured pole position with a 1:37.436 lap, while younger brother Troy qualified only 0.174 secs behind in P2.
When Race 1 got underway on Sunday, Troy launched into the lead heading into Turn 1 while TJ stayed close behind as the brothers quickly broke away from the rest of the field. Troy controlled the opening stages before TJ gradually closed the gap and eventually made his move on lap 8. From there, the older Alberto steadily pulled away to secure the first victory of the 2026 season.
Troy crossed the line just 0.423 secs behind to complete a dominant 1–2 finish for Access Plus Racing.
Race 2 initially looked set for another close fight between the brothers before a red flag interrupted the action on lap 4. Following the restart, Troy emerged in the lead while TJ dropped back to P4. The reigning champion quickly recovered to P2, but by then Troy had already built a sizeable gap at the front.
TJ gradually reeled his younger brother back in over the following laps before the pair fought for the lead in the closing stages of the race. After several position changes, TJ eventually secured his second victory of the weekend as the brothers crossed the line together for another Access Plus Racing 1–2 finish.
The result gives TJ Alberto an early advantage in his bid for a 6th consecutive PSBK Rider of the Year crown, while also proving just how capable Ducati’s latest Panigale V2 platform can be.
Access Plus Racing now turns its attention to Round 2 of the championship on June 6/7 at Clark International Speedway (CIS), where the team is expected to finally debut the new 7th-generation Panigale V4 in full race trim.
TJ Alberto, #77: “This opening race weekend was really more of a shakedown for the whole team. We spent the first few days developing the new 7th-generation Panigale V4 in preparation for the coming rounds. By Friday, we had already completed most of our work on the superbike and switched our focus to the supersport machine. The Panigale V2 immediately impressed us with its pace, and we eventually decided to race it in both the SS600 and SBK1000 classes. I’m seriously impressed with this new generation of Ducati machinery and I’m looking forward to Clark and stronger competition in the next rounds.”
Troy Alberto, #69: “It was a really fun way to start the season. We came into the weekend mainly focused on testing and development, so to come away with two 1–2 finishes was a great result for the whole team. The Panigale V2 was very impressive and we were able to be competitive immediately. Overall, I’m happy with the pace we showed and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do once the new Panigale V4 is fully ready.”
Toti Alberto (Team Principal): “Overall, it was a very positive start to the season for the whole team. But we know the level of competition will continue to rise as more riders join the championship in the coming rounds, and we still have a lot of work ahead as we continue developing the new Panigale V4. It was also a very enjoyable weekend for me personally, getting the chance to return to the grid and race alongside TJ and Troy again.”
Access Plus Racing is sponsored by Ducati Philippines, Shell Advance, Brembo, Öhlins Racing, Sprint Filter, Macbeth, DID Chains, Aella, Motoworld, Capit Performance, LV8 – Elevate, Extreme Components, and Rudy Project.
