Ducati-backed Access Plus Racing strengthens PSBK title grip with another 1-2 finish at CIS

MANILA: Access Plus Racing has strengthened its grip on the Philippines Superbike Championship (PSBK) after securing a one-two podium finish at the series’ Round 4, held at Clark International Speedway (CIS).

Ducati Panigale V4-riding brothers Timothy Joseph (TJ) and Troy Alberto both came into the race with high expectations. Despite narrowly missing out on pole, the siblings dominated the track and bounced back.

“Our team orders were to play it safe this weekend — no need to take unnecessary risks. But TJ was absolutely flying and even set a race lap time faster than the pole lap in Qualifying. I’m also very happy we got Troy more comfortable on the bike and managed to bring home a 1-2 finish,” Access Plus Racing Team Principal Toti Alberto was quoted as saying.

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The brothers started Race 1 on the front row of the grid. TJ Alberto made a quick getaway at the start of the heat and out-dragged rival Marvin Mangulabnan, who rode on an Aprilia. While TJ was happy with his early lead, Troy slotted into second place just a corner later.

The team’s one-two formation lasted briefly as Troy Alberto got locked in a tight battle with Mangulabnan — allowing TJ to pull away.

Mangulabnan forced his way past Troy Alberto on Lap 2 and began to reel in TJ. The gap between the title contenders steadily narrowed, but TJ maintained his composure and never relinquished the top spot.

By the checkered flag, TJ Alberto had rebuilt the margin to 2.258 secs to take another commanding win, setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:48.434 time, which was quicker than Mangulabnan’s pole-setting time from Qualifying. Troy followed closely in third, securing another solid haul of points for the team.

“It was a great weekend overall. We had two strong races, shared the podium with my brother Troy, scored a one-two finish for Access Plus Racing, and set a new track record that was even quicker than the pole time in Qualifying. Things are looking good for our championship fight as we pass the halfway mark of the season. But we need to keep pushing for more wins with three rounds still to go. I’m now looking forward to returning to BRC (Batangas Racing Circuit) and seeing if we can improve on our second-place result from the last time we raced there,” TJ Alberto noted.

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For Race 2, TJ Alberto got a lightning launch from pole. Troy followed his brother to take the second spot.

Troy Alberto found himself in another tense battle with Mangulabnan, with the two running nose-to-tail for several laps until the Aprilia rider slowed down with a technical issue with four laps to go.

Out front, TJ remained untouchable and controlled the pace from the start to extend his advantage to nearly 15 seconds by the checkered flag. Behind him, Troy cruised to second place — securing a dominant one-two result for Access Plus Racing and Ducati Philippines.

“I’m happy with how the weekend went, but I’m still not fully satisfied. I tried to put up a strong fight in both races and was a bit fortunate to get second in Race 2. I know I still need to find more speed if I want to truly challenge the top two. On the positive side, I didn’t lose any points in the battle for second in the championship, and my goal is to close the gap when we return to BRC,” Troy Alberto commented.

Also read: 

Ducati Panigale V4-riding TJ Alberto emerges victorious at PSBK Round 4

Ducati Panigale V4-riding racer eyes 5th straight PSBK title

Ducati Panigale V4-riding TJ Alberto attains 4th PSBK title

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