Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto is now only a race win away from claiming a 4th consecutive title in the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) after a masterclass performance over the weekend. The Access Plus Racing rider fought hard for his 2 race wins at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC), which extends his lead to 39 points.
The team worked overtime to squeeze every bit of performance from the #77 Ducati Panigale V4. This was done in response to the technical updates that their rivals were expected to bring to BRC. Although a heavy downpour on Saturday postponed Qualifying ’til Sunday morning, the results remained unchanged. In perfectly dry conditions, TJ stopped the clock at 1:32.995 to secure pole position and set a new official track record, giving him the best shot to win both races.
With a lightning quick launch off the line, TJ safely lead the pack heading into Turn 1. His closest title rival Marvin Mangulabnan on the Aprilia then chased after the Ducati in attempt to find a way past. The pair were nose-to-tail for the entirety of the 11-lap race, leaving TJ no room for error as he had to push all the way to the chequered flag. As they made their way around the 3.700 km circuit for the last time, Mangulabnan made an error on the final corner and gave TJ some breathing room as secured a lights-to-flag win with a 5.854 secs advantage.
Seeing how close the fight was in the morning, TJ knew he had to give 110% yet again for Race 2. A clean getaway allowed the #77 Ducati Panigale V4 to maintain the lead with a hard-charging Aprilia tailing right behind. Mangulabnan once again hounded TJ and got close enough on a number of occasions. However, his attacks proved to be unsuccessful with the Ducati coming out still in front. It then became a sprint to the finish with TJ securing another victory by a 0.296 secs margin.
The weekend was a tough workout for TJ Alberto and Access Plus Racing, which resulted in back-to-back wins at BRC. It was a satisfying retribution for last year’s incident where an unwarranted collision forced them into a DNF. With official partner Shell Advance and its fully synthetic range of oils, TJ Alberto now leads the championship by 39 points.
Mathematically, he only needs to win one more race to claim the title of Philippine Superbike Rider of the Year. The showdown is set on the 12th to 13th of October at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) for the 2024 season finale.
TJ Alberto, #77: “Happy to win this one. We come home with another perfect weekend. Thanks a lot to Troy and my dad who was vital to this win. Without their help I wouldn’t have been able to figure out what I was missing in BRC.”
Toti Alberto, Team Principal: “All the team’s hard work paid off! Thank you Lord! We knew that our rivals had something new in store for BRC, so we squeezed the last possible performance out of our Ducati Panigale V4. In the end, we got pole with a lap record and 2 wins. Also, we made sure to give TJ a bike that gets off the line fast to limit the chances of last year’s first turn incident and it worked.”
Access Plus Racing is sponsored by Ducati Philippines, Shell Advance, DID, Aella, Macbeth, ArmyNavy Burger + Burrito, Extreme Components, Motoworld, Sprint Filter, Bremo, STM, and Öhlins Racing.
