Ducati Panigale V4 drive Access Plus Racing for PSBK Round 3 sweep

MANILA: Access Plus Racing once again dominated the 2026 Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) season at the Clark International Speedway.

Per the racing outfit, their Ducati Panigale V4 helped drive their dominant one-two finishes in two separate categories of the race. In addition, the crew also completed a clean sweep of Supersport 600 (SS600) segment despite constantly changing weather conditions throughout Sunday. 

“I think our races were won because of the excellent work of our Ducati mechanics and crew. The new Panigale V4 features quick-release wheels similar to those used in World Endurance and World Superbike racing, allowing us to make last-minute tire and suspension changes. That gave our riders the confidence to focus on riding the bikes to their full potential,” Access Plus Racing Team Principal Toti Alberto was quoted as saying. 

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Bold decisions 

According to Access Plus Racing, the victory enjoyed by the team was due to its bold, last-minute tire decisions.

The race weekend was riddled with rain showers, and the group repeatedly opted to return to the pits for tire changes, forcing both riders to start from the back of the grid in both PSBK races. 

Come Sunday’s opening race, rain fell minutes before the start, prompting the team to switch both Panigale V4s onto wet tires. When conditions improved, Access Plus Racing made the call to return both bikes to the pits for slick tires, sacrificing their front-row starting positions in the process.

Race 2 brought another weather curveball. Rain arrived shortly before the start, forcing another last-minute tire decision from the Access Plus Racing crew.

Nevertheless, in both instances, the brothers Alberto made it back on top of the pack.

“It was a really crazy race weekend. We only lined up on the grid once out of four races because we kept having to make last-minute tire changes, so I really have to commend the team for preparing the bikes so quickly. It was also great to race against Akito Haga and Ren Okabe this weekend — they really pushed us, and it's always exciting to have that level of competition on the grid,” said TJ Alberto. 

Access Plus Racing now turns its attention to Round 4, which returns to the Batangas Racing Circuit on September 5 to 6. 

With the championship entering its second half, the team will look to continue developing its new Ducati Panigale V4 while extending its advantage in both the PSBK and SS600 championships.

“I'm really happy with how the weekend went. We found a good step forward with the Supersport bike, which gave me the confidence to take on a very strong competitor like Ren Okabe. The Superbike races were especially tricky because of the changing weather, so huge credit goes to our pit crew for pulling off the last-minute tire changes and keeping us in the fight throughout the weekend,” Troy Alberto commented.

Also read:

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

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

Ducati updates Panigale V2 at 2024 EICMA

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