Moto racing season fires off in Batangas

Defending champions Marvin Mangulabnan, John Emerson Inguito and Gian Carlo Mauricio return to the track this weekend as the 2019 Petron National Motorcycle Racing Championships fire off the season with another huge field of entries at the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas.

Mangulabnan, now a privateer after competing as lead rider of the BMW Motorrad Racing last season, takes a crack at a third national title in the six-leg Pirelli Philippine Superbike Championships.

Unleashing the power of his RS1000 Bavarian track brute in every chicane, Mangulabnan won the previous season’s last race staged at the Batangas circuit over Jericho Arnaiz of Rgutz Wheeltek Kawasaki Racing on a ZX10R bike.

Former national champion Dashi Watanabe is staging a comeback in an Aprilla RSV4 and expected to challenge Mangulabnan for top honors.

Mauricio sets out to prove his selection as 2018 Golden Wheel Driver of the Year was no fluke when he defends his FDR Philippine Scooter Racing Championship title against Inguito and a host of other contenders.

Inguito is the heavy favorite to put away another FDR Philippine Underbone King crown in the busy kickoff races that also feature competitions in the Pirelli Cup Groups 1 and 2, Ducati Cup, Yamaha One Make event, Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup, MTRT Club race and Moto IR.