Access Plus Racing Launches Team To Compete In Asian Super Bike 1000 Class

Ducati in the Philippines has formed a racing team to compete in international competitions. It was formed with the Philippine Distributor Access Plus Racing headed by CEO, Toti Alberto, who will be heading this racing team also. The name of the team is Team Access Plus Racing – Ducati Philippines – Essenza.

They chose a Filipino racer who is his son, Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto to be one of the 2 racers in the team. 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. This will be the 21-year-old’s debut season in the ARRC and will be the only Filipino rider in the top ASB1000 category.

The other racer is Jonathan Serrapica, an Italian biker who has won international races even as a novice in motorbike racing. Italian-Swiss rider Jonathan Serrapica will be Alberto’s teammate for the 2019 season. Serrapica 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.

They will join the Asia Road Racing Championship in the ASB1000 class to be held in the following venues this year: 

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)

They will be using a Ducati Panigale V4R racing bike and Access Plus Racing was privileged to have 3 racing bikes available which were provided by Ducati Corse in Italy. Both Access Plus Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza riders will use the latest-spec Ducati Panigale V4 R – a 998cc World Superbike homologated version of the Panigale V4. Rated at 217 hp and 112 Nm of torque, the Panigale V4 R adopts advanced aerodynamics and adjustability similar to the GP16 MotoGP race bike. The suspension is courtesy of an Öhlins fully adjustable titanium nitride NPX front fork and rear fully adjustable Öhlins TTX36 monoshock.

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. This year, Access Plus with its partners Ducati Philippines and Essenza aims to enter the ASB1000 to properly represent the Ducati brand in the Asia Road Racing Championship and showcase the potential of the Ducati machine.

The Asia Super Bike 1000 (ASB1000) is currently the Asia Road Racing Championship’s (ARRC) highest level of production bike racing. It offers a regional platform where riders graduating from their respective national championships can compete. The ASB1000 will run based on FIM Superstock 1000 regulations with machinery that is equivalent to what is being sold for the road going public. The 2019 season will consist of seven rounds with two races per event, visiting circuits in Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan.