Alex Cudlin extends QSBK lead on WorldSBK weekend
Qatar champion charges to dominant double victory.
Source: Supplied.
Australia’s Alex Cudlin emerged triumphant at round two of the 2015/2016 Qatar Superbike Championship after a fantastic duel with championship rival Mashel Al Niami during last weekend’s WorldSBK round.
The QMMF Racing Kawasaki rider qualified on pole position under the floodlit Losail Circuit, before scraping to a pair of hard-fought race wins before a crowd of 5000 spectators.
“That was one amazing race, from the moment the lights turned green the race was on,” Cudlin said after the opener. “Mashel and I were able to gap the rest of the riders and it set up a titanic battle. I was losing a lot of top speed down the straight compared to Al Niami, because our engine is standard, so I had to be aggressive in the corners.
“If there was a gap, I went for it. Mashel was a true warrior in that race and really made me work for it. I’m really happy to win this race and increase my lead in the championship. Of course race two this evening will be just as exciting.”
Cudlin made things more comfortable for himself in race two by stretching an advantage on lap 13 on 15, eventually crossing the line 2.1 seconds ahead of Al Niami to take an all-important double as the WorldSBK teams watched on.
“Race two I had some different tactics,” he said. “I tried to get away at the start but Al Niami was able to hold on. I knew in this hot temperature it would come down to the final two laps, as tyre wear for all the riders was an issue.
“I made sure I saved my tyre as best I could until the final laps. I was able to set the fastest lap of the weekend on the penultimate lap and cross the line for my fourth-straight victory. This I’m happy about as it’s opened my championship up to a 20-point lead. Obviously Mashel is breathing down our necks so we can’t rest. All in all I’m very happy.”
Cudlin will now return home to Australia for a fortnight before round three of the new season takes place at the Losail Circuit once again on 9 November.
2015 Qatar Superbike Championship
Round two – Losail Circuit, Qatar
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