Ducati Philippines maintains its position as one of the frontrunners in the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) and Pirelli Cup as the 2023 season passes its halfway mark. The Clark International Speedway (CIS) was also painted red as more Ducatisti took to the track in the Ducati Cup last August 5/6.
Dominance in PSBK
Access Plus Racing riders Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto and Lawrence Macalinao took the brand to the top of the podium with their pair of Ducati Panigale V4 R and Panigale V4 S. TJ was unstoppable and won both races to further extend his Pro Class championship lead to 12 points. Lawrence, on the other hand, finished 3rd in the morning race and followed it up with an Expert Class win in the afternoon to join his teammate on the Pro Class podium in 3rd. He maintains his top spot in the Expert Class also with a 12 point margin.
Josh Tan also bannered the Ducati colors in the Intermediate, Novice, and Masters Classes of the PSBK with great effect. Riding the #57 Panigale V4, he was unbeatable in both 10-lap races to secure wins for the Italian brand in all categories.
Ducati 1-2 in Pirelli Cup
Jan Timbol, Justin Guce, and Tofu Guzman lead the way for Ducati finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th relatively in the Super A Class Race 1. Although the trio couldn’t do a repeat in Race 2 after Jan crashed out just a lap towards the finish, Justin and Tofu carried the Ducati flag to a 1-2 finish during the 7-lap thriller.
Tofu fully utilized his experience during this one-off appearance as he comes out of retirement. “I was excited to be racing again as a wildcard in the Pirelli Cup racing against the best of the best riders of the Super A Class. Dicing with Clyde Relativo, Jan Timbol, and Justin Guce brought back a lot of memories of last year’s season.”
Subsequently, the rest of the Ducatisti made the Italian marque proud with Alvin Pullon and Lester Milan on the Panigale V4 secured another 1-2 finish in Heavyweight B Class (HWB). They would then swap places in Race 2 with Milan in 1st and Pullon in 2nd to secure their class lead in the points. Ric Cruz on the Streetfighter V4 and Pong Lacson on his Hypermotard RVE were neck-and-neck in the Naked Class with Cruz taking 2 victories. Lastly, Jade Regalario once again reigned atop of the Rookie Class podium riding a Panigale V4.
Consistently scoring points towards the 2023 Pirelli Cup championship, Ducati continues to plow through the competition after 4 events. Jan Timbol and Justin Guce are tied for 2nd place with 146 points in the Super A Class. Lester Milan is currently ahead of the pack in the HWB standings with 162 points and Alvin Pullon right behind with 140 points. Ric Cruz and Pong Lacson are also 1-2 for the Naked Classes, while Jade Regalario is still on top of the Rookie Class with 175 points.
Full Grid in the Ducati Cup
A total of 11 Ducatisti took to the grid in the second gathering of the Ducati Cup this 2023. The fastest man on track was Leter Milan setting a 2:03.202 lap in the morning race en route 2 victories in the Intermediate Class, ahead of Dan Dale and Emil Dolores. Pirelli Cup riders Jade Regalado and Ric Cruz also joined the action to land on the overall podium while securing wins in the Novice and SuperNaked Classes, respectively. Ryu Hyuomin continues to improve on his performance and was the best placed Rookie Class rider all weekend.
With only 2 more rounds remaining in the 2023 season, Ducati Philippines is preparing to take the fight in the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) and Pirelli Cup down to the wire. The PSBK will award 1.5x points starting from Round 5, leaving no room for error for the Access Plus Racing riders. It will be all hands on deck as the team prepares for the penultimate round scheduled on September 2 and 3 at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC).
