4 wins out of 4 races. It doesn’t get any better than that. Access Plus Racing-Okada Manila enjoyed a perfect race weekend in the Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) as the season reaches its halfway point last October 2/3.
Coming off a near 4-month break, TJ Alberto kicked off the double-header by qualifying on pole. He easily converted this into a lights-to-flag victory to win with a commanding 15.548 secs lead. He repeated his strong performance in Race 2 on Saturday afternoon, this time setting a new record around the Clark International Speedway. He managed to go around the 4.189 km track in 1:50.256 on board his #77 Ducati Panigale V4R.
Joining the team starting this round is his younger brother Troy. He missed out the season opener due to a shoulder injury, but was quickly up to speed and chased after the front-runners. His efforts earned him 4th place in both morning and afternoon races, which is respectable given that he’s been away from the track for over a year.
Their father also enjoyed good results with a win in the Masters Class. He got more action during Race 2 where he battled against Manuel Chu for the class lead. Their scuffle lasted all the way to the chequered flag where Toti missed out on another victory by a slim 0.243 secs.
For some reason, TJ was forced to start Race 3 from the back of the grid despite qualifying P1. But that was of little concern for the Access Plus Racing-Okada Manila rider who was back in the lead by the end of the first lap. He then opened a 7.044 secs advantage when the chequered flag dropped, breaking the track record yet again with a 1:50.137 lap. TJ completed his winning streak with another overall victory in Race 4, this time taking 1st place with a massive 19.327 secs lead.
Troy landed another 4th place finish on Sunday morning. With lessons learned from the previous day and with adjustments to his Honda CBR1000RR, he finally scored a podium in Race 4. He battled hard for 2nd, however, his Pirelli tires started to lose grip after pushing so hard forcing Troy to slow down and ensure his 3rd place.
Family patriarch Toti Alberto admitted that he was so concerned for his sons that he couldn’t focus on his own races But this didn’t stop him from claiming 2nd in the Masters Class in Race 3. He even held back until the very last lap of Race 4, but had no issues getting past the class leader and take the win.
The 2021 Philippine Superbike Championship now heads to its season finale on December 10/12 for yet another doubleheader at the Clark International Speedway.
Access Plus Racing-Okada Manila is sponsored by Okada Manila, Essenza, Macbeth, Öhlins Philippines, AELLA, Lv8, and Ducati Philippines.
