While his younger brother Troy recovers from injuries sustained at the previous event, Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto took Access Plus Racing back to the top step of the podium after a dominant performance over the weekend. He completed a clean sweep of Qualifying, Race 1, and Race 2 at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) as the 2024 Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) reaches its halfway point.
Flying the team’s colors solo, TJ was expecting a tough fight after seeing how much his closest title rival Marvin Mangulabnan has closed the gap at BRC. That’s why Access Plus Racing worked extra hours in testing to develop their Ducati Panigale V4 in preparation for Round 3.
Their efforts clearly translated on track as early as Friday Practice when TJ managed to set a new unofficial lap record, stopping the clock at 1:48.265. He then secured pole in Saturday Qualifying, giving him the best starting position for Sunday’s races.
With the weight of the team’s hopes resting on his shoulders, TJ got off to a quick getaway in Race 1 as the field funneled into Turn 1. Mangulabnan could only keep up for a number of laps before TJ on the red #77 Ducati Panigale V4 opened up a gap. He was unchallenged until the chequered flag dropped to take the win with a massive 13.515 secs lead. TJ also set a new official track record in the process with a 1:48.407 – beating the previous record he set during the 2023 season finale.
Race 2 was another show of force from Access Plus Racing. It was an easy lights-to-flag victory for TJ who was in a class of his own all weekend. This time, he managed to grow his lead to 10.803 secs as he pulled a wheelie across the finish line in celebration.
After his pair of wins at CIS, TJ Alberto increases his points lead in the Overall Standings as the 2024 Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) returns to the same track on August 3/4. However, it is still uncertain whether his younger brother Troy will be fit enough to race in time for Round 4.
TJ Alberto, #77: “Super amazing weekend and really good to do the triple. Honestly we didn’t expect it. We knew that there would be tough competition coming into Clark as we had a close race in BRC. That’s why the whole team has been working hard to develop the Ducati Panigale V4 for this race and you can see that we’ve reaped the rewards from testing. Really good to come to the midpoint of the season with a good points lead and looking to improve again for the next round.”
Toti Alberto, Team Principal: “TJ was obviously shaken with what happened to Troy in BRC. So coming into this round we made sure that TJ was comfortable, confident, and not to take any unnecessary risks. This way he can stay focused and perform. The results speak for itself with fast pace all weekend and easy wins. We’re doing it for TJ’s safety and glad it paid off. Test hard, race easy – that’s what we do now.”
Access Plus Racing is sponsored by Ducati Philippines, Shell Advance, DID, Aella, Extreme Components, Macbeth, Motoworld, Sprint Filter, Bremo, and Öhlins Racing.
