Alberto posts 5th place finishes in Thailand
The newest Filipino biking sensation, 16-year-old Troy Alberto, collared two strong fifth place finishes in the ultra competitive Thailand Talent Cup held last July 15 at the Chang Racetrack in Buriram, Thailand.
“Though I am new to this class and we faced tough competition, I am happy for all the improvement and experience we pick up every race,” said a very happy Alberto. “We are already competing with the top racers of this series and we are getting stronger and faster at every leg.”
Using the series’ one make Honda NSF250 race bike and pitted against other highly-skilled riders from Southeast Asia, Alberto qualified at eighth in a sea of talented Thai racers, considered to be among the best from that part of the world.
The Philippines’ Troy Alberto (No. 17, second from right) jockeys for position during the first race of Thailand Talent Cup held last July 15 at the Chang Racetrack in Buriram, Thailand. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
At the start, the second-generation racer from the Alberto clan diced with Thai Racers and took fifth place after a few laps. Troy went up to third place in the middle of the race until the mad dash for the last corner at the last lap. His fifth place finish was the best ever finish for a Filipino in the regional Honda series.
In the second race, Alberto took another fifth place finish, with only a fraction of a second separating the top riders at the finish line. Despite the heavy dicing and close encounters with other racers, Alberto held his own and made an impression on the other competing teams.
Alberto just started the racing at the Thai series this year.
Honda Philippines is supporting Alberto’s racing effort and hopes to get a Filipino racer in the MotoGP and World Super Bike Championship soon. Through the local Honda Dream Cup, race clinics, and the Honda Asia Talent Cup, the young Alberto has become the country’s best bet in breaking into the international super bike championships.
Alberto is now preparing for his next race in the Asia Talent Cup, which will be held in Sepang, Malaysia, this July 27 and 29.
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