CUDLIN CLINGS TO PODIUM AT RED BULL RING After a strong performance at the previous round in Schleiz, Australian Damian Cudlin headed to the 7th round of the IDM Superbike Championship full of confidence and ready to advance in the championship standings. The new Red Bull Ring venue seemed to immediately suit Cudlin and the Alpha Technik/ Van Zon/ Kraftwerk BMW and the team set an impressive pace in Friday’s opening practice sessions. An afternoon storm heavily affected Friday’s final practice session, however Cudlin felt confident with the bike’s performance in either weather condition. Saturday’s opening qualifying session presented the first mechanical issue all season for Cudlin’s crew when a faulty radiator cap caused a 20 minute delay in the box. With limited time remaining, Cudlin set the 3rd fastest time on just his 3rd flying lap of the session before returning to the box. Unable to use his 2nd qualifying tyre in the time remaining, Cudlin went on to improve his time in the hotter qualifying session in the afternoon but couldn’t improve his grid position for Sunday’s races. “It’s a shame we lost some time in the opening qualifying session, but it’s the first time anything has gone wrong with the bike all year, so I really can’t complain” Cudlin explained. “Anywhere on the front row is a good place to start from so I’m looking forward to the races.” Fantastic summer weather greeted the fans on Sunday as temperatures soared to 35 degrees. In the opening leg, Cudlin made a quick start and battled for 2nd with championship leader Bauer on the opening lap, as Ranseder set a frantic pace at the front. Unable to maintain the pace of the leading duo, Cudlin dropped behind but held 3rd position for the first half of the race. With 8 laps to go, Cudlin felt a sudden drop in tyre performance and began to struggle with a lack of grip. Dropping down the field dramatically at the end, Cudlin could only manage 7th at the finish; a whopping 20 seconds from the race winner, Ranseder. “It’s a really disappointing result and it hasn’t done our championship any favors at all” Cudlin quipped at the end of the first race. “Our tyre choice was wrong and there was nothing I could for the last half of the race. It was just about survival at the end.” Cudlin and his tight knit crew put their heads together for the second race and came up with another strategy that proved to be far more successful than the first. Blasting away from the line, Cudlin settled into 3rd on the opening lap, like a carbon copy of the first race. While the local riders sprinted away at the front, Cudlin opted to ride conservatively for the first half of the race to save his rear tyre for the end. With 8 laps to go, Cudlin put on a surge and broke away from his pursuers to claim his 3rd podium in the last 4 races. “The second race was definitely better then our first, but I’m still a bit disappointed to have been so far behind the two in front of me. Pirelli have made a good step with the tyres recently but we still need to work and I hope that we’ll have something stronger for the final race at Hockenheim. The championship isn’t over technically, but Bauer looks like a shoe in from here now, so we’re really focusing on trying to finish 2nd in the standings now.” Cudlin lies 3rd in the IDM Superbike Championship standings, just 2 points behind defending champion Karl Muggeridge but 42 points behind Martin Bauer. The final race of the season will be held at Hockenheim, Germany on the 18th of September. More, from a press release issued by Waznie Racing: Brantford ON Canada 10 Points Makes the Difference in Mosport – Szoke Holds Onto Second The Canadian Superbike Championship Round 6-7 ended this weekend in dramatic doubleheader action at Canada’s Home For Motorsports, Mosport International Raceway located in Bowmanville ON Canada. Szoke was bidding for his sixth consecutive Superbike Championship trailing by 55 points. Jordan would require two wins and a mistake by the points leader to hold onto his title. With two races being held on the weekend, one on Saturday (Aug 20) and one on Sunday (Aug 21) the pressure was on. Stating race #6 from the front row, Szoke completed the 20 lap race around the 3.957 km circuit, aboard his Competition Systems Kawasaki ZX10 in a photo finish second place. After leading 17 out of 20 laps, Jordan claimed some very important points for most laps led. Unfortunately a miscalculation in fuel bobbled the powerful Kawasaki in the last corner ruining the drive to the line. Szoke finished with a race time of 27:24.988 finishing a mere 0.053 seconds behind the eventual race winner and newly crowned Canadian Superbike Champion. “It’s just one of those things,” says Jordan. “He ran wide out of turn eight and ten and I tried to get inside him and there was just no power. No excuses though, Brett deserves the number one plate, he’s a great talent. I’m just glad I was able to give him a battle today.” Round #6 Superbike: ~http://youtu.be/N6dg5a9T8qs~ – Video Courtesy of CSBKtv Szoke claimed his first victory of 2011 in Sunday’s Round #7 of the season in one of the most exciting Superbike races of the season. With raindrops falling, Jordan and his Kawasaki completed the shortened 14 lap race in 23 min 00.995 sec. Jordan cruised to victory 16 sec ahead of second and straight to the top of the box after his nearest rival, the new Canadian Superbike Champion, crashed in an overtaking move on the final lap. “This is one of the greatest wins of my career,” said Szoke, who saw his five-year reign as Canadian Superbike champion end on Saturday. “It’s tough seeing your number one plate taken away, especially after having it for so long but this win will make the winter a little easier.” Round #7 Superbike: ~http://youtu.be/JV1VGNqSe7w~ – Video Courtesy of CSBKtv Szoke finishes his season aboard his Competition Systems Kawasaki ZX10 second in the championship with 318 points, a mere 10 points shy of #1. Jordan’s win on Sunday secured him as the only racer to have completed a perfect season in roadracing history, claiming all seven pole positions and all seven superbike wins in 2010. “If anyone knows that you can’t win them all, it’s me.” says the seven time Canadian National Superbike Champion. “What I really wanted to accomplish this season was to develop our new Kawasaki to fight for my plate up front. This weekend we definitely accomplished that. You will see me next year fighting for my title, I will be training hard from now until spring.” Jordan Szoke would like to send out a huge personal thanks to: All our fans – Thanks so much for all your support, it sure means a lot. All of our sponsors – Without you guys, this wouldn’t be possible. The Competition Systems Kawasaki Team – Your hard work throughout the season made our success this weekend achievable. Watch for Szoke competing for the Canadian Observed Trials National Team at The Trials De Nations in Tolmezzo Italy September 17-18. ~http://www.fim-live.com/en/sport/trial-des-nations/~ Jordan Szoke would like to thank: Waznie Racing Inc, Parts Canada, Alpinestars, HJC, Monster Energy, Competition Systems/Kawasaki, Oakley, Ogio, BK Designs, Medical Information Carrier Systems, KTech Suspension, Strodes, Just Transmissions, Bicycle Works, Robot Pirate Ninja Productions, Stomp Grip, photobOb, PUG, Gas Gas Pacific Follow us on You Tube: ~http://www.youtube.com/user/WaznieRacing~ More, from a press release issued by i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Team: Bumps fail to halt title charge for the i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Team at Queensland Raceway’s Ipswich 300. i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Team rider Ben Attard is now tied for second place in the QBE ASBK title chase following strong rides at round six held in conjunction with the Ipswich 300 – the second of three combined rounds in 2011 with the popular V8 Supercar Series held last weekend – 19-21 August, at Queensland Raceway. For the second round in succession at the bumpy and technically demanding layout, Ben, and the i-Style Natural Aprilia started the weekend near the top of the timesheets, only .166 of a second shy of last round winner, and current lap record holder Jamie Stauffer at the top of the timesheets. Recent surgery to cure forearm pump issues, and the pace of the i-Style Natural Aprilia RSV4 giving Ben multiple reasons to feel confident for the two races. Once again the team worked hard in the streamlined practice and qualifying sessions of the Supercar rounds to fine tune the setup of the motorcycle for the constantly changing track conditions. Brilliant sunshine on Saturday saw Ben continue the form from practice and qualifying to secure a front row grid position alongside the Factory Honda’s of Stauffer and Maxwell , and Yoshimura Suzuki WSB Star Josh Waters – in the QBE Superpole shootout that determines the final grid positions for the top eight. Race one on Saturday afternoon in front of the huge Supercar crowd saw Ben get the hole shot and lead through turn one, Super screens showing punters at the track forward facing on-board footage from second placed Jamie Stauffer’s Factory Honda through turn two. Clearly visible was the svelte hind quarter of the i-Style Natural Aprilia RSV4 Factory slowly pulling away on the run down the long back straight for the first time. Ben completed the lap in third place behind Stauffer and runaway championship leader Glen Allerton. The pace was frantic at the front, Stauffer crashing out in front of Ben at turn four on the second lap. By lap three Ben was engaged in out-braking wars at the entry to turn three, moving back into second until lap five when a combination of the slipstream and a strong tail wind sees Ben run wide at the same turn, as did most of the front runners at some stage of the race. What followed was a brilliant display of controlled aggressive riding, determination, and a motorcycle on its game. Charging through the field from as far back as seventh, Ben caught and passed 2003 champion Craig Coxhell on lap ten, Waters on lap twelve and finally a surprised fellow Queenslander -and three times New Zealand Superbike Champion – Robbie Bugden on the final lap to secure third place on the podium. “That was pretty hectic, I battled with Jamie for the first lap and then he went down, we rubbed a few times it was pretty close Glen got by me for a lap or two and when I tried to pass him back I got his draft and the tailwind and I just out-broke myself at the end of the back straight and ended up in the dirt. I think I went back to seventh or even eighth, then I just dropped the hammer and got back up to third, it’s a pretty good result but I am really disappointed because I could have won it. It was good to lead and tomorrow I want do it for a lot longer and on the right lap” commented Ben on Saturday afternoon. Race two held in front of more than fifty thousand enthusiastic spectators at the track was another demonstration of skill and bravado, televised nationally, the focus was on the battle for the lead in the early laps, Stauffer, Waters and Attard pulling away from the remainder of the pack. Ben set the fastest lap of the race at that stage on lap thee only to have Stauffer go faster again as a small problem completely out of the teams control – meant that neither Ben, or The i-Style Aprilia RSV-4 were able to reward their obvious potential today, another third place the result. Once again, good consistent rides in a quality field resulted in a podium finish for the round, the team’s third for the season. Ben is once again tied for second in the championship, this time with former dual Superbike and Supersport champion Stauffer. “Race two was pretty good, I rode pretty well but we just had a little issue there that meant I didn’t quite have the grip of the front guys, the bike was working perfectly, it was awesome, the mechanics worked brilliantly over the weekend and I am really happy with two podiums, but that issue really cost us. We are beating race winners consistently now so our time has to come, sooner rather than later I hope. This not my favourite track so two podiums here and is really good the bike is awesome and we are ready to win and I can’t wait to get the RSV4 on a good racetrack with the way it is working right now” said Attard. The team’s sights are now firmly set on the fastest corner in the county – the scene for the next round in the battle in the 2011 QBE ASBK Title at Symmons Plains in Tasmania. i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Team Team Principal Steve Trinder admitted he was a little disappointed by the weekends results “I feel the bike was the best out there this weekend – Ben showed that in the second half of race one. The weekend showed just how good the bike is, how well its setup, and how well the team is working. Yes we are on the podium, but we are ready for and deserve – so much more”. The i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing team’s assault on the 2011 QBE ASBK would not be possible without the continued, ongoing support of their sponsors, Motul, RST Leathers, Alpinestars, RK Chain, Goodridge, Sportsbike, Monza Imports & Archers Paint & Panel who have all been long time supporters of the team. 2011 QBE Australian Superbike Championship Series Points: 1 G Allerton (BMW) 263, =2 J Stauffer (Honda) 196, =2 B Attard (i-Style Natural Aprilia) 196, 4 T Herfoss (Suzuki) 185, 5 C Coxhell (Honda) 181, 6 W Maxwell (Honda) 177.