Yes, the Philippine Team are all set for another racing history at the much-awaited 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). This was confirmed by Access Plus, the exclusive and authorized distributor of Ducati bikes in the country, who recently announces their participation in the Asia Super Bike 1000 (ASB1000) class category.
Representing as Access Plus-Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza, the team’s entry consists of riders Timothy Joseph “TJ” C. Alberto and Italian-Swiss rider Jonathan Serrapica, with Toti Alberto as Team Principal owner.
The 21-year old Filipino-rider “TJ” Alberto is a two-time Philippine Superbike Novice and Intermediate Class Champion before going international. He raced for two seasons in Europe, entering the Campionato Italiano Velocita (Italian Superbike Championship) in 2017 followed by the World SBK Superstock 1000 in 2018 where he consistently finished in the points. Going for his debut in the ARRC, Alberto will be the only Filipino rider in the top ASB1000 category.
Meanwhile, Johnathan Serrapica will be Alberto’s teammate for the 2019 season. Sarrapica was the 2017 Malaysian Superstock Champion and finished runner-up in the 2018 Malaysian Superbike Championship. Despite having only 4 years of racing experience, he was able to reach the top class in superbikes in such a short time.
Both riders will use the latest-spec Ducati Panigale V4 R—a 998cc World Superbike homologated version of the Panigale V4.
The Access Plus Racing Team has been involved in local motorcycle competitions for over a decade with team owner Toti Alberto a champion rider himself. The team has successfully produced race wins and national championships in multiple classes over the years and has now become a breeding ground for international-level talent.
“We’re really excited to have TJ and Jonathan compete in the ARRC’s ASB1000 category. This endeavor will be a new milestone for the team as we’ll be going up against some of the best factory teams and riders from around the region. It’s both daunting and exciting to see how we fare,” said Toti Alberto, Access Plus Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza Team Principal.
The 2019 season will consist of seven rounds with two races per event in Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan.
Here’s the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Race Schedule:
Official Test | March 5-6 (Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia)
Round 1 | March 8-10 (Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia)
Round 2 | April 25-28 (The Bend Motorsport Park, Australia)
Round 3 | May 31-June 2 (Chang International Circuit, Thailand)
Round 4 | June 28-30 (Suzuka Circuit, Japan)
Round 5 | August 9-11 (Korea International Circuit, South Korea)
Round 6 | September 19-22 (Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia)
Round 7 | November 29-December 1 (Chang International Circuit, Thailand)
*Photos courtesy of Access Plus Racing