MANILA, Philippines - The country’s top moto racers brace for another fierce showdown as they clash in the Pirelli Superbikes, the FDR Philippine Scooter Racing and the FDR Underbone King of the Eneos Philippine Motorsports Championship’s fifth leg at the Batangas Racing Circuit today.
Keen competition is seen in the penultimate leg of the series with the contenders going all-out in the run-up to the championship round set Oct. 1-2 at Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.
Marvin Mangulabnan of BMW Racing Team guns for a second straight triumph in the Pirelli Superbikes serving as part of the Eneos Philippine Motorsports Championship season sanctioned by the Superbikes Racing Association (SBRA) and sponsored by Pirelli and ENEOS with media partners Inside Racing Magazine, Torque Magazine, Motorcycle World Magazine, Motorsiklo Xklusibo @ DZME 1530, Driven2Ride Philippines, Motorsiklo News Magazine and BMW Motorad as official safety car.
But out to foil Mangulabnan are TJ Alberto of Team Ducati Philippines, who dominated the first two legs, and two-time champion Dashi Watanabe of Kawasaki, who topped the third stage.
Mangulabnan leads the title race with 157 points, 12 points clear of Watanabe, who pooled 145 points, while TJ and Troy Alberto tote 142 and 119 points, respectively.
Reigning Pirelli Superbikes champion Raniel Resuello of RGUTZ-Wheeltek Racing Team, at eighth overall with 90 points, is also seeking a crucial win to stay on track for back-to-back Superbikes plums, making it a four-way battle for the Superbikes crown.