Access Plus-Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza – 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC)

• Access Plus Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza confirms Alberto, Serrapica for Asia Road Racing Championship ASB1000 Class

Access Plus Racing has officially unveiled their entry for the 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) during a press conference at Ducati Manila in Quezon City, Philippines. Running under the team name “Access Plus-Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza”, it’ll field two Ducati Panigale V4R motorcycles in the ASB1000 Class supplied and supported by Ducati Corse. The team’s entry consists of riders Timothy Joseph “TJ” C. Alberto and Jonathan Serrapica, with Team Principal Toti Alberto at the helm.

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.

“Coming from 2 seasons racing abroad, I feel well prepared for this new championship. I’ve spent the last 5 years with Ducati and know the Ducati DNA quite well. I’m looking forward to racing against the top guys in the ARRC who also come from very prestigious championships. Most of the tracks in the 2019 calendar are new to me, so I’m really excited how everything pans out,” said TJ Alberto.

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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.

“It is a great opportunity to be part of Access Plus Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza and to have an experienced rider like TJ as my teammate. I expect it to be a difficult season, but I’ll do my best and bring something to the team. I hope to make them proud by the end of the season,” Jonathan Serrapica commented.

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. Suspension is courtesy of an Öhlins fully adjustable titanium nitride NPX front fork and a 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.

“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 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.

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)

Team Access Plus Racing-Ducati Philippines-Essenza is sponsored by by AELLA, Dickies Philippines, Öhlins Philippines, Century Hotel Angeles City, LV8, and Pradera Verde.