Source: Supplied.

Australia’s Damian Cudlin has received a contract extension with the high-profile TSR Honda team to contest the 2016/2017 Endurance World Championship, which will commence with the Bol d’Or 24 Hours in France next week.

With the series switching to a new calendar structure moving forward, 33-year-old Cudlin will partner Japanese duo Kazuma Watanabe and grand prix veteran Shinichi Ito for the opening round at Paul Ricard.

“I’m really happy to be riding for FCC TSR again and I’m very grateful to Mr Fujii-san for the opportunity to remain as a permanent fixture of the team,” Cudlin said. “Everyone knows FCC TSR is one of the strongest teams at the Suzuka 8 Hours, but now they’ve established themselves as one of the favorites for the world championship and I’m thrilled that I’ll be a part of their campaign.

“24-hour races like Le Mans and BoldOr are a gruelling test of man and machine, while ‘sprint’ races like the Suzuka 8 Hours rely more on pure speed and that’s why I feel that the FCC TSR team have the potential to win the championship. My teammates are both very motivated to win and so am I, so I’ll use all my EWC experience and do the best I can to achieve our goal!”

Cudlin’s inclusion will be his 15th year of EWC competition, since making his debut in Italy in 2002 where he finished fourth as a teenager: “I’ve experienced a lot of highs and a lot of lows in endurance racing over the years, but the gruelling challenges of the sport keep me coming back again and again.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve questioned my sanity during a 24-hour race at 4:00am in the morning, but the satisfaction of standing on the podium at the end is worth all the pain. I feel like part of the TSR family now and I want to repay them for all their support by winning.”