Damian Cudlin is inching closer and closer to his first IDM Championship title in what has been an amazing breakthrough season so far for the relentless Aussie battler.

After a sensational Grand Prix debut at Sachsenring, where he finished an impressive 7^th, Cudlin resumed his IDM Supersport duties at Schleiz in Germany and proceeded to dominate the event, claiming pole position, a new lap record and a convincing race win.

Extending his championship advantage to 20 points with 3 races remaining, Cudlin headed directly to Assen for the Dutch Championship race which he and his MRC Team used as a test for the penultimate IDM round just 2 weeks later. Cudlin claimed another victory in the 14 lap race, placing him in a strong position as the IDM returned to the historic Assen venue.

After encountering various problems during the IDM weekend, Cudlin rode a calculating race to finish a close 3^rd behind local ace Raymond Schouten and Michi Ranseder. Losing just 4 points to his nearest championship rival Ranseder, Cudlin now holds a healthy 16 point advantage with just 2 races remaining at the IDM finale in Hockenheim.

“Things have been going pretty well for us lately and I feel like I’m on a bit of a roll now.” Cudlin explained from his ‘home on the road’ mobile caravan. “The Grand Prix in Sachsenring was a great experience and the buzz from that weekend carried onto Schleiz which really put us in charge of the championship standings again. The Dutch Championship weekend went well at Assen but the IDM event was a bit of a battle for various reasons. Luckily we didn’t sacrifice many points to Ranseder and with 2 races remaining we are still in very good shape for the title.”

While riding in the World Endurance Championship as well this year, Cudlin also squeezed the Suzuka 8 hours race into his schedule for GMT Yamaha, and made a debut testing appearance on the official BMP Elf 99 BMW at Magny Cours in France.

Although the Suzuka 8 hour race was short lived for the French GMT crew, with a damaged engine dropping them out of an early 8^th place, the pace of the #99 BMW at Magny Cours had most teams sweating, as all remain in anticipation of the Bold’or 24 hour race in 3 weeks time.

“My schedule has been pretty mental lately to be honest. I’ve only spent 4 days in my apartment in the last 5 weeks, but it’s all paying off and hopefully soon we’ll have something to celebrate. My main focus now is winning the IDM championship, finishing the season strongly in World Endurance, and securing myself a ride for 2011. Once that’s all sorted I think I’ll enjoy a bit of a break back home in Australia with the mrs!” Cudlin added.

The Bold’or 24 hour will be held on the 11/12^th of September followed by the IDM Finale at Hockenheim a week later on the 18/19^th of September.

Taree’s Damian Cudlin may well have made the biggest breakthrough in his career to date, with a brilliant performance in the German Moto2 Grand Prix in Sachsenring on the weekend.

The young Aussie received a call from Tenerif Pons Kalex Team owner Sito Pons, just days before the race, offering the chance to substitute for the team’s injured regular rider, Axel Pons. Having impressed the team just weeks ago at the IRTA test in Aragon, Spain, where his skills were utilised in a development role, Cudlin jumped at the “once in a lifetime opportunity” to make his long awaited GP debut.

Showing instant promise in the opening free practice session, where Cudlin claimed the 13^th fastest time, eyebrows really began to rise as he improved to 6^th in the final free practice session on Saturday.

However his ambitions for a front row start in qualifying where dealt a heavy blow as the 42 rider field proved extremely difficult for Cudlin to find any clear racetrack, and being unable to improve on his earlier practice time, his best lap dropped him down the order to a 22^nd grid position. Never the less, Cudlin’s performance still out classed established team mate, Sergio Gadea and put him in a fighting mood for Sunday’s 29 lap race.

As the heavens opened on Sunday morning, all indications looked as though Cudlin’s GP debut would be a wet one, however as the sun came out before the start of the 125 GP, the track soon dried and the umbrellas seen in 200,000 strong crowd quickly disappeared.

As the lights went out to signal the start of the German Moto2 Grand Prix, Cudlin launched off the line and escaped any carnage at the tight first turn. Slicing his way through the pack in the opening laps, Cudlin gained 7 positions and climbed onto the back of a train of riders in front. Showing inspirational determination and speed, Cudlin had the Germans on their feet as he moved up the leader board lap after lap, working his way into 4^th position and into podium contention with 7 laps to go.

The surge up the order proved costly to Cudlin’s tyres though, and as he battled bravely with a wildly sliding motorcycle, a podium finish slipped from his grasp and Cudlin was forced to settle for a hard fought 7^th at the flag, less then 3 seconds from the 3^rd placed Roberto Rolfo.

Still grinning after his electrifying performance, Cudlin managed to thank the people who’d made it happen and claimed to be the “luckiest guy on the planet” just to be sitting on a GP bike for the weekend.

“Normally I’m trying to scab some passes just to watch the GP bikes go around, and now I’ve just ridden one of them.” Cudlin joked after the race. “Although I couldn’t quite manage the podium today, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t happy with this result. You probably won’t be able to wipe this smile off my face for a couple of days. I just desperately wanted to make the most of the chance that I was given this weekend, as they only come along like this once in a lifetime. For a guy with no money from Taree, I think I did alright today.”

“The Kalex guys are the ones I need to thank most for pushing so hard for me to ride their bike, and of course Sito Pons for taking a risk and giving me a run. As short as this buzz will be, it makes all the hard years on the road worthwhile, and I hope I can make a bit of breakthrough in my career now. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

With no time to rest, Cudlin repacked his bags and is currently headed to Japan where he’ll ride for GMT94 in the 3^rd round of the World Endurance Championship, the Suzuka 8 Hours race, on the 25^th of July.

Damian Cudlin reclaimed the top spot in the IDM Supersport Championship after an overall victory in Sachsenring on the weekend.

Coming from a turbulent previous round in Nurburgring, Cudlin was keen to return to the race winning form he’d shown earlier in the season and to take back over at the top of the standings. The Aussie fired an early warning shot to his competitors in qualifying, stealing pole position in the dry conditions with a record breaking lap time of 1.26.3.

With an intense battle forming from championship rivals Gunter Knobloch and Michi Ranseder, as well as threats from Wahr, Vostarek and Penzkofer, all eyes were on the SSP field as race one got underway.

HRP’s Kevin Wahr got the holeshot and made an early break at the front while Cudlin moved into 2^nd position ahead of Knobloch and Penzkofer. Cudlin soon set his sights on Wahr and moved within striking distance as the field started the 5^th lap. Making a calculated move into turn one, Cudlin stole the lead and turned up the pace for the remaining 15 laps. With 3 laps to go Cudlin made a break from his pursuers and eased over the line to take his second victory of the season, 2.6 seconds clear of Wahr and Knobloch.

“This one feels really good after the troubles we had in Nurburgring. I knew we could bounce back and we proved it today.” Cudlin gleamed after the race. “I got myself into a good position early in the race and once I got to the front I managed to control it from there. The MRC Austria Team, and particularly my Crew Chief, Lars Sanger, really put a lot of work in to bring us back to the front so I can’t take all the credit for this one. I hope I can give them another race win tomorrow.”

Sunday’s second race proved to be a cracker with 5 riders challenging at the front. After an awful start, Cudlin had to work his way up the order as Vostarek and Knobloch lead at the front of the field. Cudlin soon managed to latch onto the 5 bike freight train as Vostarek crashed out of the lead. Slicing his way through to the lead, Cudlin looked set to repeat his performance from the day before, however lapped riders spoiled any chance of a get away. Spurred on by the chance to attack, Ranseder and Knobloch relegated Cudlin back to 3^rd as the trio started the final lap. With his exhausted rear tyre spinning wildly, Cudlin made a daring pass on Knobloch under the bridge for 2^nd, and moved into position for a last corner attack on Ranseder. With nothing separating the pair as they entered the final turn, Ranseder held on and took the win ahead of Cudlin and Knobloch, setting up a fascinating 3 way championship battle for the final half of the season.

“Today’s race was much tougher than the first, made much harder from my crap start.” Cudlin said bluntly after the race. “I took a lot out of the tyres catching up and getting to the front, and when I finally tried to check out they just weren’t having it. It made for an exciting race at the end, and I think I probably could’ve made that pass on Michi in the final turn but it was risky and I’d prefer 20 points than a trip to the medical centre. Overall it’s been a good weekend. A pole position, a race win and we’re back in the championship lead. We needed this result and it’s a real boost for our team heading to Salzburg. I hope we can keep this momentum going now and win some more races!”

Cudlin now leads the IDM Supersport Championship with 119 points, from Knobloch on 108, and Ranseder on 98. The battle will resume at Salzburgring, Austria on the 3/4^th July.

Australia’s Damian Cudlin was forced to surrender his lead in the 2010 IDM Supersport Championship after a turbulent race in Nurburgring on the weekend.

Heading into the round with a 5 point championship lead, courtesy of 3 consecutive podium finishes and a dominating win at Lausitzring, Cudlin felt confident ahead of the Nurburgring round however the weekend proved to be disappointing in comparison to his previous outings with a lack lustre qualifying followed by a frustrating race.

In the opening qualifying session, Cudlin slotted onto the front row, however some engine issues forced the Aussie down the order in the second qualifying session, leaving him in 7th position on the grid.

The MRC Austria Team worked tirelessly to solve the issues for Sunday’s 20 lap race and broke through in Warm Up where Cudlin posted the 2nd fastest time. As the ever looming clouds erupted, the race was officially declared ‘wet’ as the 50 strong Supersport field took their places on the grid.

As the lights went out, Cudlin got away with the leading group and began working his way forward when Steven Michels tried a desperate move and crashed into the side of Cudlin’s Yamaha R6, sending him to the gravel trap and Michels to the medical centre. As Cudlin rejoined the race he immediately discovered his foot peg had broken in the carnage and was forced to continue “one legged”.

A crash at the end of the main straight brought out the red flag and the race was stopped on the 5^th lap. The race was declared to be a “two part race” and the restart was reduced to 17 laps with the winner determined on combined times of both races.

Although handicapped in the first outing, Cudlin had still managed to work his way to 5^th however had lost valuable time on the leading trio. As the rider’s returned to the pits, a fuming Cudlin tried to regain his focus and prepare for his second outing as the MRC Team worked on the damage to his machine.

In the restart Cudlin immediately made his presence felt at the front, first making his way into 2^nd before briefly taking the lead with 5 laps to run. However on combined time the deficit was too great and Cudlin realised his chances of winning were just too small. As they began their final lap, Cudlin misunderstood the team’s pit signals and reduced his speed as he settled for what he thought was a safe 2^nd however the looming threat of Knobloch and Gunter laid right behind him and suddenly saw their chance to pounce. Entering the final chicane Knobloch made an aggressive pass on a surprised Cudlin, forcing the Aussie into the gravel for a 2^nd time. Holding onto the machine by the skin of his teeth, Cudlin crossed the line in 4^th place, visibly unhappy.

“The whole weekend’s been a bit of a disaster really and today was no different.” Cudlin said bluntly after the race. “On the first lap I got T-Boned by a Bone Head and it sent me into the gravel and busted my foot rest. I kept going but I was relieved when the race was red flagged as my leg felt like it was about to drop off. The guys repaired my bike for the 2^nd part of the race and in this leg I felt more comfortable. I worked my way to the front before Ranseder stepped it up a bit at the end. I knew I couldn’t beat him on combined time anyway so I decided to settle for 2^nd, only the 10 second lead I thought I had on 3^rd was actually the deficit to Ranseder on combined time. I slowed a bit on the last lap then got pushed out of the way by Knobloch in the last chicane and into the gravel again. I’m really disappointed with 4^th but it’s better than a DNF I guess. I hope we can get back on top at Sachsenring, and have a dry race for a change!”

Cudlin now trails Knobloch in the standings by 2 points in the hotly contested championship. The next round of the IDM series will be held at Sachsenring on the 19/20^th of June.

Cudlin’s weekend couldn’t have started any stronger; the Aussie claimed the top spot in each free practice session before out pacing his rather more accomplished team mate, former WEC champ Matt Lagrive, in regular qualifying. Cudlin then went on to secure his first WEC pole position, getting the upper hand in an exciting Superpole battle with 4 time World Endurance Champion Vincent Phillipe.

“Starting from Pole Position in Endurance racing really doesn’t matter that much” Cudlin conceded in the press conference after Superpole “but it matters to me. I’ve been trying since 2002 to get one of these and now I’ve done it. I proved a lot of people wrong today and that makes me feel good. I want to thank the BMP Elf Team for giving me the opportunity to show what I’m capable of, and I hope to repay them with a win in the race.”

Cudlin was elected to start the race for the BMP squad but when the flag waved early, a startled Cudlin was swallowed up by half of the field as he scampered away from the grid. Quickly slicing his way through the pack, he soon moved into 4th position and began closing in on the leaders in front when disaster struck.

An engine failure by one of the backmarker teams had spewed oil all over the circuit’s long turn 7, and with no oil flags waived by the marshals, the leading riders, including Cudlin, were thrown from their machines in spectacular style. 8 riders from the top 10, and more than a dozen in total, fell in the melee resulting in a safety car period as Gregorio Lavilla was treated for injuries and the circuit was cleaned.

The gritty Aussie returned to his machine and managed to limp it back to the pits for repairs as the race went on. The BMP Elf Team then carried out an astonishing repair which put them back in the race and on a comeback charge. Cudlin and Lagrive traded fastest laps of the race as the pair surged through the order, until a second crash by Lagrive halted their ambitions of a comeback podium. In another stunning repair time, the BMP Elf Team soon re-entered the race and battled on to secure as many championship points as possible, finally crossing the line in 7th place. A further disqualification moved the team to 6th in the final standings; a position they now also hold in the World Endurance Championship standings.

“Obviously it’s disappointing to come away with this result as I think we really could’ve won the race, but it could’ve been much worse and we still put some points on the board.” Cudlin said after the race. “When I saw Phillipe and Giabanni go down in front of me I thought they must’ve touched each other or taken themselves out, then the next thing I knew I was sliding on my ass. As I was spinning into the gravel, I could see other bikes crashing too and, to be honest, I was worried about getting cleaned up by one of them. It was like a war zone. Once we got back into the race we’d lost a lot of ground and then after the 2nd crash our hopes of a podium were pretty much shot. I’ve got to thank my BMP crew though, they didn’t put a foot wrong all race and we had a good package this weekend. Sooner or later we’re going to win one these races; we just need lady luck on our side for a change!”

Cudlin will now switch his attention back to his IDM Supersport duties, where he currently leads the championship after 3 races. The next round of the IDM will be in Nurburgring, Germany on the 29/30th of May.

After a dominant win at the opening round in Lausitzring, Cudlin headed into Oschersleben with high expectations however the weekend proved tougher for the Team MRC rider as mixed weather conditions played havoc on the IDM competitors.

Whilst challenging for pole position in the opening wet qualifying session, Cudlin suffered a hard fall in the slippery conditions. While the team worked frantically to repair the machine for the second qualifier, a battered and bruised Cudlin managed to secure 5th position on the grid.

With no let up from the rain in freezing conditions, Cudlin rode a steady race in the opening leg, settling for 3rd after a series of frightening moments.

“This race was one of survival today” Cudlin explained about the race which saw over 20 riders fail to finish. “I moved into 2nd position but could see from early on in the race that I wouldn’t be able to fight for the win today. I had a few scary moments like the one that caught me out in qualifying and I decided to play it safe and bring it home.”

The weather improved for Sunday’s second race, and having set a blinding pace in the dry conditions on Friday, Cudlin was confident of getting back to winning ways.

Pole setter Michi Ranseder got off to a flying start while Cudlin clawed his way through the field and moved into 2nd position. The Aussie then set after the former GP regular, slowly closing the gap. However after lap 8 it appeared Cudlin was struggling to advance any further as Ranseder kept a consistent pace at the front. Unable to lap at the same pace he’d shown earlier in the week, Cudlin was forced to settle for 2nd position and another podium finish.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t get the win today as I really thought we had the package to do it.” Cudlin said after the race. “Once I moved into 2nd I tried to chase Michi down but I had a big problem with the front tyre and I wasn’t able to go as fast as I’d been previously. Michi rode a great race regardless, but I think this was one that got away from us today.”

Despite the set back in the race, Cudlin’s string of 3 podium finishes in as many races has kept him at the top of the title chase as the series heads to Nurburgring in two weeks time.

Cudlin will now turn his attention to the next round of the World Endurance Championship at Albacete in Spain this weekend, where he hopes to advance from 8th in the World Championship standings with his BMP Elf Honda Team.

Watch the Oschersleben IDM Race

Officially announced at the Team’s launch in Linz on the weekend, Cudlin will partner Austrian’s Yves Polzer and Michi Ranseder aboard Fritz tuned Yamaha R6’s in the IDM Supersport class.

Cudlin, who suffered mixed fortunes in the AMA in 2009, says he’s excited to join the Austrian squad and return to the series where he enjoyed much success on route to 3rd in the championship in 2008.

“I’m really happy to have secured a competitive ride; finally one that I believe is capable of winning in 2010.” Cudlin exclaimed.

“Last year was really tough riding for different teams most weekends and it became very frustrating to be honest. I felt I was capable of a lot more than I achieved in the AMA but politics played a big role over there. This year I plan to put 2009 behind me and get my career back on track. I’ve been given a great opportunity by the guys at MRC Austria and I plan to make the most of it. I only have one target in 2010, and that’s the IDM title.”

Team Manager Wolfgang Pernter, former manager of Gerin Ducati’s World Superbike Team between 1999-2001, shared Cudlin’s enthusiasm for the season ahead and is confident his crew can fight at the front in 2010.

“We’ve really stepped up our program this year and the addition of Damian to our rider line up is a real boost to our team. He’s a talented and intelligent rider who will be a force to be reckoned with this season, and we look forward to working with him in 2010.” Pernter said.

The team will begin its testing program in Spain this month, followed by further tests in Germany before the IDM season opener in April.