Honda’s Troy Alberto proud to represent the PHL
AS the lone Filipino participating in the Asia Talent Cup (ATC) kicking off later this month, Honda Philippines, Inc. racer Troy Alberto said there is a lot pressure going into it but that he is more proud and excited, knowing that he gets to represent the Philippines in the international race.
In formal send-off ceremonies held on Feb. 27, which coincided with the grand opening of the Honda Flagship Shop in Makati, superbike racer Alberto said he is ready to go and compete at the multi-round ATC which will begin on March 16.
“Of course there is a lot of pressure if you are the lone Filipino competing because basically all eyes are on you to be successful not only for yourself but the entire country. So definitely there is pressure but I’m looking at it as a challenge to push myself harder and succeed,” said Alberto in an interview with Business World.
In qualifying for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, Alberto, now competing under the Honda banner, completed a series of tryouts in August 2017.
He went on test races last month in Malaysia all in the hopes of doing well in the sixround ATC, spread over several months and happening in various locations including Thailand, Japan and Qatar.
The 16-year-old Alberto is also set to compete in the Honda Thai Talent Cup, an international race in the Asian region that uses the Honda NSF250R, a bike made especially for racing. It begins in April.
Alberto and Honda said they hope that by competing in said international races it would set the stage for them competing in bigger events in the future, including the Motorcycle Grand Prix or Moto GP.
As part of his preparation, Alberto said he has been training with his older brother TJ, who is also an international racer, whose dynamic he described as “two-way” beneficial.
“I have been training with my brother who is also preparing for the Italian Championship and we have done a lot of training activities like cycling, swimming and gym work. And I would say it has been doing well,” he said.
Adding, “It helps a lot that I train with my brother. He is four years older than me and growing up he was always ahead of the curve and I always had to catch up with what he had learned. Now that we are a bit matured, we sort of leveled off and just feed off each other by giving feedbacks to improve our game. Both of us try to help each other. And I think it has shown results with me competing in ATC and him in the Italian Championship.”
He went on to say that he is excited for the motorcycle racing scene in the country continuing to grow and building on its gains in the last couple of years.
“Over the past few years the motorcycle community and racing here have grown a lot. We have a lot of racers participating in the local series here. Usually in a regular race we get hundreds of riders coming there to compete or watch. Also there have been Filipino riders who have been able to compete in international competitions. It’s definitely a growing sport and it will have a lot of potential for sure,” said Alberto, whose father Toti is also a multi-awarded superbike racer.
As for his newly forged partnership with Honda, Alberto said it has been going on smoothly and that he appreciates what the group is doing for him and in his preparation.
“It’s going full swing starting this year. I’m happy racing under Honda Philippines. They have been giving a lot of support. I’m very excited because it’s a new experience for me and has a lot to look forward to,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to succeeding this year along with Honda in the ATC and Thai Talent Cup and hopefully we get some good results, maybe a podium finish. And after that I look forward to bigger things like the World Championships. Our goal is to participate at the high level and this is just the start,” Alberto added. —