It’s now mission accomplished for Access Plus Racing and Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto. Heading into the season finale with a 39-point lead, TJ cruised to a pair of 2nd place finishes at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) to secure a 4th consecutive Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) title.
Mathematically, TJ only needed one more race win to take the championship, but a DNF could easily throw all that away. That’s why the team sided with caution, focusing on scoring points rather than race victories. With official partner Shell Advance, TJ’s outright pace still allowed him to set a 1:48.310 lap during Qualifying to beat his previous record and earn him P2 on the grid for the races.
With his closest title rival starting from pole position, TJ got off to a clean start in Race 1 and trailed Marvin Mangulabnan as they made their way around the 4.189 km circuit. He then kept the #189 Aprilia within his sights as the laps went by – just close enough to strike in case the opportunity arises but without pushing to the limits as not take any risks. In the end, TJ comfortably crossed the finish line in 2nd place with one hand already on the championship trophy.
TJ only had to finish Race 2 and the title was his. But that didn’t stop him from giving Mangulabnan a run for his money. The pair raced to the chequered flag for one last time in 2024 with TJ again taking 2nd place to claim the title of Rider of the Year for the 4th time in a row.
The 2024 season was also a fitting send out to the 6th generation Ducati Panigale. Since making its PSBK debut in 2021, it has won 35 out of 42 race starts translating to a 72% win ratio. Access Plus Racing expects to debut the new upcoming Panigale in 2025 to chase for a 5th consecutive championship.
TJ Alberto, #77: “I’m super happy to win my 4th PSBK title. It’s really an amazing feeling and I didn’t expect to reach this level when we started. I never even expected to win 1 championship and to have 4 now is a huge blessing. It’s been an amazing team effort by Access Plus Racing and it couldn’t be done without the help of the whole team. I feel that this year we showed that we can be competitive in all situations – on both tracks, in the wet or in the dry.”
Toti Alberto, Team Principal: “After all the last-round drama we’ve experienced in past seasons, I was quite anxious heading into the season finale. I asked TJ not to race for the lead rather than risk a collision or a DNF as we have a big points lead. Thanks God for making it a calm weekend for Access Plus Racing and we look forward to next year with our new bike!”
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.
