Access Plus Racing, the most dominant team in recent Philippine Superbike Championship (PSBK) history confirms a 2-bike entry in the series for this year. And their goal for the new season is to score a title hat trick using the lighter, smarter, and faster 2023-spec Ducati Panigale V4.

Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto will be chasing after a third consecutive Overall and Expert Class PSBK title on board a brand new Panigale V4 R. Ducati further enhanced its flagship superbike, making this iteration the closest ever production model to a competition WorldSBK bike. The most prominent change is the new 998 cc Desmosedici Stradale R that, when fitted with an Akrapovič exhaust and use a new performance oil developed by Shell, delivers a maximum 240.5 horsepower. Revised gear ratios, a new dry clutch, and an updated Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO 2 likewise aid its usability on track. There are also new suspension components and aerodynamic package that allows the 2023-spec Panigale V4 R to take on corners with even greater confidence.

With a new #77 machine underneath him, Alberto is looking to beat his previous best of winning 10 out of the 12 races which he achieved in 2021. He will also attempt to take back the Clark International Speedway (CIS) track record that was only broken by Ducati factory Lorenzo Zanetti late last year.

The 2023-spec Panigale V4 S features the most significant evolution since the year of its launch with improvements that affects every aspect of the bike in terms of aerodynamics, engine, chassis, and electronics. Changes were also made to improve cooling and refine the Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Ride by Wire systems.

Philippine Superbike Championship 2023 Calendar

Round 1 | May 6-7 (Batangas Racing Circuit)
Round 2 | June 3-4 (Batangas Racing Circuit)
Round 3 | July 1-2 (Clark International Speedway)
Round 4 | August 5-6 (Clark International Speedway)
Round 5 | September 2-3 (Batangas Racing Circuit)
Round 6 | October 14-15 (Clark International Speedway)

The six-round calendar kicks off on the 6th of May at the Batangas Racing Circuit. It will then shuffle to-and-from the Clark International Speedway ’til the season finale on the 14th of October 2023.

TJ Alberto, #77:

“Looking forward to my third season in PSBK with Access Plus Racing and Ducati Philippines. Like last year, the goal is to defend the title and win it for a third year in a row. It’s been an amazing ride so far. I’m really happy with the team’s performance since we returned to the series in 2021. We’re also looking forward to racing the new 2023 Panigale V4 R and make the most out of the upgrades from Ducati. Acces Plus Racing has some new partners this year and I’m excited to show them what the team is all about and make them proud. Our focus is always to improve on our own performance, chase after race wins, and hopefully get another great year in 2023.”