Alex Cudlin Wins 5th Qatar Superbike Championship
Australian Alex Cudlin has won his fifth consecutive QSBK title after a spectacular season long display on his QMMF Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.
Alex ended the championship on 255 points after the final round, seven points ahead of runner up Al Naimi.
Cudlin was on the podium in all seven rounds of the championship except in round three where he missed out on valuable championship points due to a mechanical problem. QSBK rules dictate that riders are only permitted one racing unit per round, therefore Alex was unable to see the round through.
Alex’s strongest contender surpassed his championship point lead after round 3 and it was a tense melee at every meeting from thereon. Nevertheless Alex drew on his championship winning experience to accumulate enough points throughout the series, enabling him to once again take out the championship.
Alex Cudlin – QSBK Championship winner 2015: “It’s nice to get the job done. This year we had a mechanical issue which cost us a lot of points in round 3, so it was harder than we anticipated because we had to claw back the points after that.
“I was leading until round 3. For the rest of the season we were behind and it was a matter of chipping away at every race until round 6 where we got back on top with points.
“We had a team meeting before round seven and we decided we were going to focus on a point’s strategy and podium wins.
“I didn’t think I’d be champion five times in a row. The result is a testament to the team and to the Kawasaki ZX-10R. Over the last 3 years the team has been able to dial it in. The chassis is amazing and the performance is so consistent. We managed to get a really good setting and I was super confident being able to turn up and know the bike would be 100% every time in regards to engine responsiveness and handling.
“I couldn’t have done it without the Team (QMMF), Kawasaki Australia who supported my practice and coaching school while at home in Australia and finally my Family and friends for their support and being understanding with my constant travelling.
“Travelling was the hardest part of the championship. I live back home is Taree NSW because I want to be close to my family and friends. Flying back and forth knocks you around a bit and it gets harder every year with jetlag but it’s part of the job and I knew all about it when I signed up. I managed to get there 2 days before each round normally so I had a few days to get used to climate.”
Alex Cudlin will now begin to prepare for the next round of the World Endurance Championship being held in Germany this August.
Timing between races could not have worked out better, “My wife and I are expecting our first child in July so I will be home for that”, commented Alex.
When he’s not busy winning championships, Alex offers his valuable and extensive racing experience through one-on-one coaching.
