Mangulabnan burns rubber at BRC

MANILA, Philippines — Reigning superbike champion Marvin Mangulabnan showed just too much class as he ruled the kickoff leg of the 2019 Petron National Motorcycle Racing Championships at the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas recently.

Mangulabnan thundered around the 3.7-kilometer track in the 11-lap final in 17 minutes and 31.611 seconds on his brute BMW S1000RR, capping off a big weekend that also saw him top the season’s first time trial and pre-final races of the six-leg Pirelli Philippine Superbike Championships.

Now racing for Team Alpinestars MM189, the 2016 and 2018 national champion posted the quickest lap time of 1:34.351 before checking home a huge 29.088 seconds clear of former titleholder Dashi Watanabe on an Aprilia RSV4 of Team WRD Bikerbox and 1:13.705 minutes ahead of third-placer Pocholo Panlilio on a Ducati V4.