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TJ Alberto celebrates PSBK victory in style at rain-soaked CIS

Access Plus Racing may be unstoppable at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) in the dry. However, a sudden downpour during Round 4 of the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) put some uncertainty on their results. But Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto kept his head down to secure a breathtaking victory over the weekend to inch closer to a 4th consecutive title.

TJ feels right at home around the 4.189 km track and has won countless of times on this circuit. And it showed during Qualifying where he set a 1:48.443 lap on his #77 Ducati Panigale V4, which was only a few hundredths shy off his official best set last month. More importantly, it was over half a second faster than anyone else on track and secured him pole position for the race.

A quick getaway would allow TJ to stay in the lead in Race 1 as the field funneled into the first corner. His closest championship rival, Marvin Mangulabnan on the Aprilia, then put pressure on the Ducati rider in search for a way past. But he could only keep up with TJ for a handful of laps before the reigning champion gradually opened up a gap ’til the chequered flag dropped. It turned out to be a commanding lights-to-flag victory for Access Plus Racing with TJ finishing 5.366 secs ahead of Mangulabnan in 2nd.

But then the heavens opened up in the afternoon, forcing all the rides to switch to wets for Race 2. This also left Alberto with no other choice than to relearn the track on the warm up lap to the grid.

To the delight of everyone at Access Plus Racing, their #77 Panigale V4 was able to get a clean launch off the line and hold position. But it was to be short-lived as Mangulabnan overtook TJ just a few corners after. The Ducati rider then closely followed behind the spray of the Aprilia and gradually found grip as the laps went on. He eventually got close enough on lap 8 where he made a brave lunge to the inside of turn 1 and came out in front. From then on, TJ got his head down and never looked back to take a hard fought victory in the wet.

TJ Alberto extends his lead in the Overall and Pro Class standings to 24 points with 2 rounds to go. The Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) now returns to the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) on September 7-8 for the penultimate round of the 2024 season.

TJ Alberto, #77: “What a weekend! That makes it 4 wins so far this year at Clark with one in the wet to add to my resume. This was my first time to ride this bike in the rain and I’m glad that I was able to show that I can win in both dry and wet conditions. By extending my points lead, I’m super motivated to keep this momentum into BRC next month.”

Toti Alberto, Team Principal: “Another amazing performance from TJ and the whole Access Plus Racing team. Although we knew that we had an advantage in Clark, given the amount of time we spend here in testing, we didn’t know what to expect when it rained. This was our first wet race on the Ducati Panigale V4 and we were all praying for TJ. In the end, he impressed us by delivering another win and thanking the Lord for keeping him safe.”

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.

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Time Attack Manila

Time Attack Manila

Founded in late 2013, Time Attack Manila (TAM) is the only dedicated online magazine in the Philippines that focuses on local and international motorsports.
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Time Attack Manila

Time Attack Manila

Founded in late 2013, Time Attack Manila (TAM) is the only dedicated online magazine in the Philippines that focuses on local and international motorsports.
View All Posts
Time Attack Manila