...you just GOT to see this...

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport concluded their two day test at the Circuit de la Communitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in a happy frame of mind after making good progress. Although there was no rain throughout the two days, conditions were far from ideal. Strong winds buffeted the circuit both days and there were not enough bikes circulating to lay down enough rubber for good grip. But, thanks to the commitment of both Troy and Ruben and a tremendous all round effort, the team left the circuit happy and in a positive mood ahead of the next tests. Troy comfortably got into the low 1:36s, with Ruben improving strongly throughout to finish with a 1:36.5 - all on standard tyres.

Troy (156 laps)
"Generally we’ve gained a lot of useful information for the engineers and technicians during these two days and if I had to race the bike tomorrow, I wouldn’t be unhappy at all. It’s been good to be able to do plenty of laps and now I feel very comfortable on the bike and I can ride it without thinking about it. We found a good set up for the suspension, both front and rear, improved the balance of the bike, the brakes and made the throttle connection more consistent. I did a long run of 24 laps this afternoon and was able to do good consistent lap times and felt OK at the end of it. We used standard tyres throughout the test and, if the conditions had been a bit better and more rubber had been down, I’m sure I could’ve gone faster. I feel we’ve made big steps here and although there’s still lots of work to do, I’m pretty happy and positive about the next time out on the bike."

Ruben (106 laps)
"After Portimao, I wondered to myself how long it would take for me to understand this bike. Troy has many years of four cylinder experience, but for me, riding this bike was not so easy and I knew that I would have to adapt to the bike instead of the other way round. The first day was not so good, but the team and I really worked hard and bit by bit we began to progress. I was so happy to get into the 1:36s because I know that is a good time for me here and also because I could do 1:36s consistently. At the moment, I am still not fully comfortable with the bike and I have to understand fully where the limits are, but today was a bit of a breakthrough for me and I was so happy that I was able to do it. Now, I think that things will come better and better. I always knew that coming to this bike and the team would be a challenge, but I have never regretted this decision and now I can’t wait for continuing my progress on the bike."

GENEVA:
FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) and Sportsbrand Media Group today announced the launch of the official television series, ‘FIM Moto Show’, with the first episode going to air as of Wednesday, 28th January, 2009. The half-hour weekly show is the first of its kind, showcasing all categories and disciplines of motorcycle racing within one program. Motorsports fans will, for the first time ever, have the opportunity to access race action and review, feature stories and developments within road racing, motocross, trial, enduro/cross country and track racing.  Vito Ippolito, President of FIM expressed "It is a historical moment for FIM to have our own television programme. It will give the opportunity to everyone who follows and supports our sport to have a wider and more detailed vision of what we do at FIM. It will in addition, give to our sponsors, promoters and stakeholders the chance of a much bigger exposure. It is a great satisfaction that Sportsbrand gives us this chance and we are looking forward to this collaboration which we hope will last for a long time."
Peter Wraith, Chief Executive Officer of Sportsbrand Media Group said “Motorcycle sport is highly valued by broadcasters world-wide and from the feedback we have received; there is massive demand for a program of this kind. We are delighted to partner FIM in the creation of what will be an exciting and compelling television series”.

...I think that this is another online "broadcast", not one that you will find on your usual satellite channels...but we shall see. Click the FIM Moto Show graphic for more.

RACERS - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...HORST SAIGER'S 2009 RACING SCHEDULE

If everything goes to plan, you could end up without a free weekend for the entire year...Horst Saiger (Bolliger Kawasaki World Endurance rider) has just posted me his race schedule:
...but no Daytona this year...

SM - Swiss Championship
IDM - German Championship
WEC - World Endurance Championship
Horst: "ADI Moto Suzuki Racing Team powered by Huber heating oil and Ebiker24.de I do with GSXR1000k9"

25-27 Feb Albacete test with Bolliger
2-6 March Albacete first rollout with new GSXR1000k9
11-13 March Valencia test with ADI Moto Suzuki
25-26 March Valencia test with Bolliger
28 March Hockenheim test with ADI Moto Suzuki
1-2 April Le Mans test with Bolliger
5-6 April Landshaag mountain race in Austria, not confirmed
10-12 April Hungaroring SM
13 April test Lausitzring with ADI Moto Suzuki
18-19 April Le Mans WEC
24-26 April Lausitzring IDM
8-10 May Schleiz SM
15-17 May Oschersleben IDM
30-31 May Oschersleben WEC
12-14 June Most SM
19-21 June Sachsenring IDM
3-4 July Albacete WEC
25-26 July Suzuka WEC ??
31 July-2 August Schleiz IDM
21-23 August Assen IDM
12-13 Sep. Bol d'Or WEC
25-27 Sep. Brno SM
13-14 Nov. Doha WEC

Horst: "...you had to see the eyes of my boss, when he looked at this plan. I think this is too much, but it's better than working!"

The recession seems to be hitting Honda harder than they let on...massive racing cutbacks have also seen reports coming out of the Far East and Australia that Honda will not be fielding an official factory team at this years 8 Hour event, although they will be keeping support for various private Honda teams. This is massive news, as the 8 Hours event is the most prestigious event on the motorcycle racing calendar for the Japanese manufacturers - so, along with the pullout by Honda from Formula One for 2009, it's another measure of how hard the global recession is biting.

The news means that Carlos Checa and Ryuichi Kiyonari won't be defending their 2008 works Honda win. There was a little good news - Honda have no plans to withdraw from MotoGP but they will be scaling back their motorcycle racing activities worldwide.

Ducati rider Michel Fabrizio was the fastest rider in wet conditions at Portimao this morning, in a session much curtailed because of oil laid down by Kagayama (Suzuki) on a wet track. As the conditions dried the track was finally in a condition to be cleaned, but race control decided to cancel the first WSB session and made a restart in the afternoon. Fabrizio, fastest rider in recent Kyalami tests, set a 2'01.679 before the interruption, with Ben Spies (Yamaha) second and Italian privateer Alessandro Polita (Sterilgarda Ducati) third. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) joined the top group for the first time in this test, in fourth place.

The absolute best times of the entire test were largely set on the second day, leaving Shane Byrne as the new track best pace setter on his private Sterilgarda Ducati.

SHANE BYRNE: “I didn’t expect to be fastest in the test to be honest but I’m not surprised. The bike’s working really well and the relationship and feedback with the team and my engineer is great. This Superpole formula is not new for me, we tried something similar in the last few BSB races. It’s really exciting and spectacular and I’m sure it’ll look good on TV as well”.

Michel Fabrizio: “The new-look Superpole seems great, it was just a shame that today’s weather was as it was but this test of the new format was definitely useful. It’s clear that the riders now have to work well with the team, it’s more about strategy with this new Superpole but it’s good that changes are made to the regulations. Overall this has been a strange weekend, I feel like I only found feeling with the bike this afternoon. Of course the weather hasn’t helped us but I finally found a good tyre today and worked a lot on the race setting, running the tyres for a lot of laps and choosing not to take riskes just to record the fastest time. Now I am looking forward to Phillip Island, a track that I love and where the weather will surely be better!”

Noriyuki Haga: “Unfortunately we have not had good weather over these three days. I am however very happy with the work we’ve done, we’ve found the direction to take with the settings and I’ve enjoyed every exit I’ve made. The new Superpole is strange, and when the weather is like it was today, with rain coming on during the three Superpoles, it complicates things. We can have a plan but we cannot plan the weather! Now I’m looking forward to Phillip Island, and feel nearly ready to race. The Phillip Island tests, just a week before the race, will be useful too of course.”

Ben Spies: “For sure it was good to be here and get more time on the bike and work with the team, the rain was a bit dodgy so it’s been frustrating to get some decent track time. In the first of the new format Superpole test sessions on the last day we were quickest, unfortunately for the second session it rained and I didn’t want to do anything silly so didn’t push too hard. We worked on some settings over the test and got down to some pretty quick times. We got to try a few things with the bike and made a big step up, taking half a second a lap off, but the weather didn’t allow us to get more. The bikes got good straight line speed now and we’re continually improving. I’m very confident we’ve got what it takes to win. The team have been great, we’re working really well together. I’m looking forward to getting to Australia and getting stuck in again!”

Tom Sykes: “Yesterday when we had a bit more stable weather I had two hours good track time. We used the time wisely and chipped away every time went out, a bit of improvement with everything and I got a nice feeling with the bike and got fast consistent laps so was more than happy. I’m very satisfied with how the test has gone, we’ve made up for lost time in South Africa, I was a little behind before but have caught up! I’m looking forward to getting to Australia. A couple more questions we need to answer with the bike then we’re ready for the race!”

Max Neukirchner: "Over the three days we've tried a lot of different things to do with chassis, traction control, wheelie control and engine and have learnt a lot about the new bike. For me, like all of us, the biggest problem has been the rain and the fact that we have not been able to do as many laps in the dry as we would have liked, but our understanding of the bike is a lot better. The lap times are very close, so this year's championship is going to be really hard and it's going to be important to be consistent. I think the 2009 bike handles better and I have a better feeling for it in the corners, but it's not really easier to ride yet because we are going much faster! Overall I am happy because our knowledge is improving and I think we are in pretty good shape for the year ahead."

Yukio Kagayama: "Generally I feel that the conditions have been difficult and I wanted more dry track time. The conditions changed many times and each time we made a change to the bike, the conditions would alter and we would have to change the bike again! The track's grip level in the wet was not so bad, but this year I can push a bit harder in the wet because the 2009 bike is less hard work in the rain. This bike has good potential and all we need is more time to understand it better and then we will improve a lot. I am not happy about my lap times and the weather, but I am happy because of all the good work we've done and the progress we are making."

Troy Corser: "The weather didn’t help any of us during these three days and I’m guessing that we only got about two and a bit hours or so dry track time. Considering that, I think the tests weren’t too bad for us and although there is still a lot of work to do, we are continuing to make good progress and learn more every time we go out. We did managed to test some stuff we didn’t have time for in the last tests, specifically different links and different geometry settings. Considering I’m not completely comfortable on the bike, I’m pretty surprised how good my lap times are. If I can do these times, whilst not being completely comfortable, just think what I might be able to do when I am! I’m happy now with the clutch and now we need to work on smoothening out the throttle response. I feel that the bike is powerful and that’s a good feeling to have at this stage. Once we harness that power and smooth out a few things, we can exploit the bike’s potential. I don’t know how soon or how long that’s going to be, but everybody is working hard and we should have an indication of our rate of progress in our next tests. Hopefully the weather will be good and we will get a lot more dry track time."

Only two top riders improved their weekend times today, Troy Corser, who was finally ranked an impressive 11th on the all-new BMW four-cylinder, and Max Biaggi on the V-four Aprilia, who went 18th. With new rules in place for both Superpole qualifying and flag-to-flag races each was given a trial run today. In Superpole there will now be 20 riders in the qualifying group, which then drops to 16, then eight in the final 12-minute session, which determines the pole setter. The top 20 riders from this weekend’s sessions went forward to practice this discipline today, with great success, and the new format of final grid qualifying is anticipated with relish by all. The flag-to-flag practice was included in the very last practice session of all three days, with riders coming in to change to their spare bikes when the signal was given, without any interruption of the simulated race session.

In the Supersport class, held in full wet and often monsoon-like conditions, Anthony West said hello to WSS racing once more with a best time of 2'03.373 on his Stiggy Honda, to lead Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki) and Matej Smrz (Triumph), in a field where only 16 riders opted to go out and record times, and get used to the wet track surface once more. Andrew Pitt was fourth fastest on his number 1 Honda.

Cal Crutchlow: “I enjoyed the test although I was a little bit disappointed with the weather. We wanted to get quite a lot done but didn’t manage to get as much as we would have liked due to the changing conditions. We won’t be out testing again now before Australia so the final test there will be a crucial one for us. Our time here in Portugal has proved we’re up there in the championship and highly competitive. The team are working really well with me, we understand each other really well and I’m working well with the R6 too. It’s been good for me and I’m looking forward to the next session.”

Fabien Foret: "It’s been wet in the mornings and half dry in the afternoon, for me it’s pointless to push too hard in these conditions. We tried to work as much as possible on the second day and we found a pretty good bike for me. I was getting the confidence back, it was getting easier to relax on the bike and I got up to fourth until a few minutes before the end when the other riders switched to fresh tires for a fast lap. My speed is back and my confidence too, I am back to how I was before my crash last year. I’m very happy, not just about the tests but about myself. I knew I would get my speed back and I was sure I would be fine but it’s good to actually see it for real!”

THE Parkalgar Honda team completed the third and final day of the official World Supersport test at Parkalgar Algarve Motor Park circuit near Portimao in Portugal on a high, knowing that it is in excellent shape for the challenging season ahead. The final day of the test was hampered by wet weather in the morning and difficult damp conditions in the afternoon which stopped the Parkalgar Honda riders from improving on their impressive lap times set yesterday afternoon. During that dry session, Miguel Praia scorched to fourth place and Eugene Laverty upped his game to claim sixth position. Parkalgar Honda and Ten Kate Honda are the only teams to have two riders in the top six. The Ten Kate team already has seven World Supersport titles to its name and is the team to beat, so Parkalgar Honda is starting the season off in a strong position.

Miguel Praia: “I’m really pleased with how all of our testing has gone. My CBR600RR has felt good from the start and now it is set-up how I like it, I’m able to make a lot of progress. I think testing on my home track has helped too and I have improved my lap times so much even since we last raced here. I can’t wait to get to the first round and see what we can do. I feel confident in my new 2009 bike and in myself. I’m looking forward to getting back to racing.”

Eugene Laverty: “We have made a huge amount of progress during this test. We made a big breakthrough on Friday evening and on Saturday we got the bike working more how I like it and we started going in the right direction. We have finished up in sixth place just a fraction behind World Champion Andrew Pitt so I feel happy and ready to go racing. My bike is really fast and we are on a power with the opposition which was our aim. I’m looking forward to the first round at Phillip Island I know the track well and my bike is working, it is great to be leaving the test on such a high.”

Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “This test has been extremely positive for us. Both our Parkalgar Honda riders are in much better shape than at the start of the test. I’m pleased with the progress with the 2009 bike all our technicians have done a fantastic job. Also our technical partners Motech and Ohlins have helped to give us a very competitive package to start the season. I’ve seen a massive improvement in Miguel and that is good for everyone. Eugene made more changes and now the bike is starting to react how he wants it to, he has found a good setting which is really working for him. Eugene has gone from two seasons of racing two-strokes to running top six in a very competitive four-stroke championship. We are going to Australia in a very positive frame of mind and intend to be challenging for the 2009 title from the moment the lights go out.”

The World Supersport season kicks off on the 1st March in Phillip Island. For further information on Parkalgar Honda’s progress please visit www.parkalgar-honda.com.

Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) cracked the overall track best at Portimao today to head the time sheets for the second day in succession, breaking Bayliss' previous record of 1'43.340, while using Pirelli race tyres, not qualifying rubber. His 1’43.294 was a remarkable achievement for a privateer rider in his first full season of WSB competition, as he held off the factory Yamaha of Ben Spies and the factory Ducati of Noriyuki Haga. Another British rider moving up was Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike) who was fourth today, and close to Troy Bayliss’ old track best set only a few weeks ago at the final race of the 2008 season.

Carlos Checa (Honda) made the required improvements to push himself forward to fifth place in the rankings, with Max Neukirchner taking the top Suzuki slot again, sixth and less than 0.4 seconds from Byrne. Jakub Smrz was seventh fastest on an almost fully dry track surface, before crashing his Guandalini Ducati late on. Michel Fabrizio, Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam rounded out the top ten, all within a second of the leader. Troy Corser was 12th on the all-new BMW, while Shinya Nakano went 17th on the Aprilia RSV-4.

Michel Fabrizio: “Today we lost the way a little bit, I’m not sure why but I didn’t feel 100% comfortable. I’m sure that we can sort it out tomorrow and we’ll continue to test the new tyres, hopefully with much better results. I would like to be able to finish this three-test in the same way we finished at Kyalami.”

Noriyuki Haga: “Today we found a good setting but I need more track time using that setting. I am also still learning with regard to the feeling of the bike but I feel that I’m making good progress. The last few tyres we tried felt good but with us still testing different suspension settings, it means we haven’t yet found the perfect balance I don’t think. We will see what further progress we can make tomorrow.”

In the Supersport class Spaniard Joan Lascorz (Provec Motocard Kawasaki ZX-6R) was once more the fastest rider, ahead of class rookie Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport Team). Kenan Sofuoglu was finally third, ahead of local rider Miguel Praia, having a great test so far on his Parkalgar Honda. World Champion Andrew Pitt took the second Hannspree Ten Kate Honda to fifth best time today, one up on Praia’s team-mate, Eugene Laverty. Barry Veneman was top Suzuki rider, seventh fastest and 0.7 from the best mark.

Miguel Praia: “I have worked hard on my fitness and preparation over the winter and the new 2009 Parkalgar Honda is very good. We are still working on developing the bike and I am very confident we can keep on improving. My lap time is much better than the race here in November, which is very encouraging.”

Eugene Laverty: “Thank you to Miguel for giving me a tow for a couple of laps, it really helped me to get to grips with the track, I tried two different fork settings settings and found a big improvement. It has been a good day and now I am within touching distance of the front runners I am much happier.”

Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) led the time sheets for much of the first day of testing at Portimao, both in the morning session when it was wet in many places then in the afternoon as track conditions dried almost completely. His impressive pace took him to a day one overall best of 1’44.265, less than one second from the absolute track best, set by outgoing champion Troy Bayliss last year. Byrne had to put in an effort later in the session, as first Michel Fabrizio and then Ben Spies passed him, but after his 47 laps, Byrne held the upper hand on his private 1098R. Max Neukirchner pushed the new Suzuki to fourth fastest time, still inside the 1’44 bracket, as was the following Noriyuki Haga, getting used to his factory Ducati at a quick pace.

Every one of the 27 riders on show went quicker in the afternoon sessions, leaving Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati) sixth fastest as he put in a strong challenge throughout. The top Honda was the privateer Stiggy Motorsports machine of Leon Haslam, leading a three rider running flush of CBR machinery ahead of team-mates Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa. The top ten was rounded out by Yukio Kagayama’s Suzuki, with Broc Parkes the leading Kawasaki runner in 14th. The all-new BMW and Aprilia machines were out in full force at this test, with Troy Corser 15th on the S1000RR and Max Biaggi 16th on the vee-four Aprilia.

In the Supersport class, the new combination of Joan Lascorz and his Kawasaki ZX-6R proved to be the quickest overall, albeit on a slightly wetter track than the Superbike riders finally got to ride on. Second was class rookie Cal Crutchlow, on a Yamaha, with Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu third, Suzuki man Barry Veneman fourth, making for four different types of machine inside the top four.

The 22nd edition of the Superbike World Championship kicks off in just over one month’s time at Phillip Island in Australia, but the bikes will be air-freighted across the globe at the start of February so as to be ready for several teams to test there one week before the opening round. This weekend’s test at the Portuguese circuit of Portimao, from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th January, therefore represents the last remaining opportunity for major testing and development work, but above all it will be the first direct clash between all the WSBK contenders before the start of the new season. The test in Portugal will also see the official launch of the championship, which sees a record participation of 32 riders, with a press conference in the circuit.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE – Portimao will see the participation of Paul Bird Motorsport’s Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team, absent from the South African test in December, therefore all seven manufacturer teams, a record in bike racing, will be present. Aprilia Racing (Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano), BMW Motorrad Alpha Racing (Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus), Ducati Xerox (Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio), Hannspree Ten Kate Honda (Carlos Checa, Jonathan Rea and Ryuichi Kiyonari), Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team (Makoto Tamada and Broc Parkes), Suzuki Alstare (Max Neukirchner and Yukio Kagayama) and Yamaha World Superbike (Ben Spies and Tom Sykes) are the 15 riders on the factory machines.

NEW ENTRIES – The Kyalami test in December demonstrated that the battle will be exceptionally close this year, as the top riders were all separated by just over one second. Expectations are high for these tests at Portimao, with the two new entries Aprilia and BMW expected to be much closer to the leading pace.

FULL GRID – But it’s not just the factory teams that make up the starting-grid. The 2009 edition of the WSBK championship also includes several other top class satellite and private teams who will be aiming to carve out a role for themselves amongst the leaders. All eyes will be on Ducati Sterilgarda with Shane Byrne, the 2008 BSB champion, Stiggy Motorsport Honda with Leon Haslam and Roberto Rolfo and also Ducati Guandalini, with Jakub Smrz and 2008 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup winner Brendan Roberts.

MADE IN ITALY – Italy has never been able to win a Superbike title but this year the prospects are promising, with two top riders, Max Biaggi and Michel Fabrizio, on the grid. Biaggi has opted to debut the new Aprilia RSV4 and if development goes well, he can also be considered amongst the favourites. Fabrizio, in his second season with the factory Ducati team, has already slipped into the role of front-runner and is aiming for the top. Six Italian riders will be on the grid, all with different ambitions: Roberto Rolfo (Honda), Alessandro Polita (Ducati), Italian Superbike champion Luca Scassa (Kawasaki), Vittorio Iannuzzo (Honda) and the two Kawasaki PSG-1 youngsters, Ayrton Badovini and Matteo Baiocco, who however will not be present at Portimao.

NEW FOR 2009 – The Portimao test will also be a first chance to try out the two new regulation changes this year, in particular the Superpole ‘knock-out’ format. After the Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning sessions, the top 20 will go on to try out the new format in the final afternoon, an innovation that is guaranteed to add even more excitement to this year’s championship.

SUPERSPORT – Supersport will also have three days of testing in Portugal, with all teams present except for the second Suzuki Hoegee rider. It will be interesting to see the battle between the Ten Kate Honda duo of Andrew Piitt and Kenan Sofuoglu, Supersport champions respectively in 2008 and 2007, but they will be up against a number of tough adversaries including Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport’s new signing, team-mate Fabien Foret, Anthony West with the Stiggy Motorsport Honda, and youngsters Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) and Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea). Six Italians are present in this year’s championship: Gianluca Vizziello (Honda), Gianluca Nannelli (Triumph), Massimo Roccoli (Honda), Michele Pirro (Yamaha), Fabrizio Lai (Honda) and Danilo Dell’Omo (Honda).

"I must thank Damian for making this happen. He was the one to bring Phase One and me together" Alex said. "He has been racing with them for a long time now and Russell Benny, the team manager has great respect for him, which is reciprocated. They have a brilliant working relationship, and so when Damian suggested that he felt that I would be a valuable member of their team, things progressed very quickly from there".

Alex made his debut in the World Endurance Championships with team Diablo 666 three years ago, and gained his experience in long distance racing with them.

"They were an integral and invaluable part of me now being able to step up to a team like Phase One, and I will always be grateful to Miles and James Hutchins for the opportunities that they gave me" said Alex.

"The Cudlin Combo" will be looked at with eager anticipation as they enter this year's competition. Not only will they will be the only two siblings in the World Championship racing as teammates alongside each other, but they will be doing it as one of the favourites to win the World Endurance Championships in 2009. When they do step up to the podium for the first time in the 2009 season, both brandishing their now all too familiar Australian Akubras, they will be the first brothers in history to both achieve a podium finish in the same team. How sweet would the victory be if they were to achieve the ultimate prize, alongside each other, and take the World Endurance Championship under the Phase One Yamaha banner?

BLINDING INSPIRATION OR RECIPE FOR SIBLING RIVALRY? THE CUDLIN BROTHERS...

...already there is an indication that "sibling rivalry" may feature in the Phase One team - as older brother Damians website is already promoting him as "spearheading" the assault on the World Endurance Championship...UPDATE - Sebastien Scarnato has been dropped in favour of Pedro Valcaneras. This news begs the question of the predicted entry of the Spanish Folch Endurance team...but Valcaneras can do the entire Championship - and Scarnato was contracted to another team for Le Mans and the Bol d'Or.

DAMIAN CUDLIN PRESS RELEASE:
Taree’s Damian Cudlin will spearhead Phase One Yamaha’s assault on the 2009 World Endurance Championship after signing for the triple World Champions for another season. With a relationship that has spanned over 6 years, Cudlin, who will become the longest serving Phase One rider by the end of the season, says he feels like part of the family in the British squad and is excited about his 2009 prospects.

“I’m really pleased to have signed with Phase One again and to front their attack on the 2009 title” said the young Aussie. “Russell and I have a lot of history together and a lot of respect for each other. I first rode for Phase One in 2002 as an 18 year old, and have experienced some great times with them over the years. He’s worked really hard to put the things in place we need to challenge for the title, and with the demise of SERT, the championship is wide open.”

French Endurance ace Sebastian Scarnato will support Cudlin in his 2009 campaign, a combination that proved powerful when the pair were teamed at YART in 2007 on their way to 3rd in the championship standings.

“Sebastian was the guy I needed at Phase One. His endurance experience is invaluable and we work very well together. Endurance is a team sport and this year we have the team that can win” Cudlin added. The big news however is the final addition to the Phase One rider line up in 2009. Sharing more than just title aspirations, Damian’s new team mate will be younger brother, Alex Cudlin who will make his Phase One debut in Le Mans. (SCARNATO HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED BY PEDRO VALCANERAS)

“To be riding for Phase One Yamaha is one of the most exciting things to have happened to me” smiled Cudlin Junior as he is now happily being referred to. “This team has won 3 World Championships and have always had a very strong presence in the Championship, so to be part of the team in 2009 is a real honor. I must thank Damian for making this happen. He was the one to bring Phase One and me together”  Cudlin Senior was also excited to be lining up alongside his brother and hopes that the ‘Cudlin Combo’ can become a force to reckoned with. “Alex has grown into a very strong Endurance racer and I think he’s ready for the next step in his career. This is his chance to show what he’s capable of and I know he’ll step up to the plate. He’s fit and determined and wants to win as much as I do. He’s a chip of the old block”

The team will begin testing in Spain on the new ‘Big Bang’ Yamaha R1 in March, gearing up for the first round of the World Championship at Le Mans in April.

OFF-SEASON ANTICS...WARWICK NOWLAND

PRESS RELEASE:
As party revellers around the world welcomed in 2009, two time World Champion Warwick Nowland and his team have been hard at work cementing the details on what will be Warwick’s most exciting year to date. Warwick would like to confirm that he will contest the 2009 Endurance World Championship. An announcement will be made in the near future confirming the team and other details. With the announcement that Factory Teams will not compete in all rounds of the Endurance World Championship this year, Warwick is confident that he can secure his third World Championship in 2009.

Warwicknowland.com will return after being absent in 2008. Warwick has designed and structured the new site and is now working with technical partner, Strategy Internet Solutions, on launching the site in February. 2009 will see Warwick and apparel partner AXO Sport continue their partnership which has spanned 9 years. As the pair head towards 2010, Warwick intends on making the 10th year of their relationship a very special one.

2009 also signals changes on the home front. Warwick will be relocating his home base from the UK after 8 years. He will now split his time between Europe, Malaysia and Australia. The move from the UK will allow Warwick to spend more time on home soil in Australia. This has presented some exciting possibilities which will be announced at a later date – Press Release to follow. It also allows Warwick to get involved in something that he is passionate about – grass roots racing. Warwick understands how hard it is to survive in the racing world and is keen assist up and coming Aussie riders in a mentoring role. In Warwick’s own words, “2008 was a very hectic year for me. I split my time between racing and a number of projects that included managing a team in BSB and expert commentary for various media outlets. Unfortunately, my racing season ended early with a broken wrist in October. I had returned to Australia to prepare for the final race and had gained more strength than I had all year. Since then, I’ve healed and am getting back to my old self. The off season is exciting for me, I am not ready just yet for testing but I will be soon and when I am, I am only aiming to win, everything. This year will be solely focused on building my team to the best level possible, developing the new bike and winning the championship. I am very grateful to AXO Sport for their long running support. In this day and age it is very rare to see a rider and sponsor maintain such a long partnership and I look forward to continuing this relationship in future years. 2009 will be a big year for me both professionally and personally. I have great strength around me and exciting challenges ahead.”

OFF-SEASON ANTICS...STEVE PLATER

Steve Plater rounded off his year with a fine third place in the annual Scunthorpe Silkolene Pozzani Shorttrack Christmas Cracker at Scunthorpe Raceway – a fitting end to an amazing and successful year of motorcycle racing for the Woodhall Spa ace. Plater’s final outing of 2008 was the Shorttrack Christmas Cracker where he is a regular competitor and last year completed the course in sixth place. However he had set his sights on a podium finish this time and did not disappoint. Event organiser Pete Boast provided Plater with a Honda CRF450 bike and despite the tricky conditions he was quick to adapt, he won two of the three heats and was second in the third, which gave him sufficient points to earn himself a front row start to his semi-final - which he won - before taking on the cream of the crop in the 12-lap final.

By this time the weather and track conditions had deteriorated further but Plater rode a tremendous race, battling throughout with Tim Greig and completed his race in third place to continue his run of podium finishes. The top three riders were presented with their trophies by 1993 World Speedway Champ Sam Ermolenko. Peter Boast took first place with Greig second and Plater third. “That was great fun,” said the ever-smiling Steve. “I have supported the Christmas Cracker meeting here at Scunthorpe for a number of years now and as usual have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Pete Boast built the bike especially for me. It’s lowered to work like a dirt-track bike and has got R6 forks. Luckily we had some spare wheels so we were able to fit a trails rear tyre and motocross front to suit the conditions. I was hoping for a win or at least a second behind Peter Boast but it just didn’t quite work out for me. Third is my best result to date so maybe next year I can come back and beat the two top boys at their own game!”

Steve also competed in the Slipstream M/cycles 150 x Trail Flatttrack Best pairs (just a laugh for Xmas on the bikes the lads use for indoor training), which proved to be very enjoyable and entertaining for the crowd. Winners were Glyn Pocklington / Karl Harris; second place went to Pete Boast / Steve Plater with Tom Woolley / Paul Cooper rounding off the top three. The 2008 racing season saw Steve find success in all categories of his sport. He notched up three wins at the North West 200 road races in Ireland followed by a win in the Isle of Man TT races where he notched up his maiden victory in the Junior TT. He also competed in the World Endurance championship taking a well earned win in the final round at Doha to complete the season in second place. Following his success on the road, Steve turned his attention to the British Supersport class and with two wins, two second places and a third from the races he contested, he ended the year in fifth position. Next season sees the Lincolnshire rider enter a new phase of his outstanding career. He is to ride for the Louth based HM Plant Honda team and will contest the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and the British Supersport championship for the team.

Since Kawasaki have signalled that they will not be competing in World Endurance in 2009, it seems that Steve may be free to pick up with another team this year...