DOHA: Australian riding powerhouse Alex Cudlin yesterday both races in round five of the Qatar Superbike Championship at Losail International Circuit.
In the process, Cudlin has increased his lead in the championship to 46 points ahead of Qatar’s Nasser Al Malki.
The second and third places were also the same in both races, with Al Malki finishing second and Qatar’s Mashel Al Naimi securing the third place.
In the overall standings after five rouds, Cudlin is leading with 230 points whille Al Malki is second with 184 points.
In third spot is Al Naimi with 159 while Prinz is in fourth place with 126 points.
“In the first race, at the beginning I had a problem with the front tyre and it took me five laps to get the good feeling,” Cudlin said. “So at the start I was in third place behind Mishal and Nasser but in the lap two I went to second place and watched Nasser for a couple of laps and then I made my pass,” Cudlin said.
“Each time we were in the straight, Nasser passed me but I was faster in the corners so I was able to get away in the corners but in the straight he was closer again,” the Australian added.
“But in lap 10, I pushed really hard and made fast laps, so I created a second’s lead and from then I managed and won by 2-second gap,’ a delighted Cudlin said.
“But in race 2 , it was Nasser and me from the beginning. I had a really good feeling with the bike but my lap timing wasn’t as faster as it was in the qualifying and I was slower in the race,” Cudlin recalled.
“But I was fast enough to win the race. This is very good for the championship as I have increased the lead so I need to win the forthcoming races,” Cudlin said.
“A big thanks to QMMF for their support and improving the bike races,” Cudlin said at the end of the day.
Al Malki, who finished second in both races, expected a bit more in the second race but Cudlin prevailed with slick riding.
“In the first race, it was a nice battle,” Al Malki said. “The set up was the same as the qualifying session and it was very good. It was a nice race with Alex who was pushing very hard. In the middle of the race I found a lot of traffic with slow riders and I wasn’t able to catch Alex but I am happy for the points as it is good for my chances in the championship,” Al Malki said after race 1.
“But in race 2, I was hoping to finish in first position as it was easy for me to stay in the front but I was slower in some corners,” Al Malki admitted.
“After ten laps, I waited for Alex to be tired and go faster but in the first corner I missed one gear and I almost crashed and Alex managed to make a gap,” Al Malki said.
“In the next race, I will try to be in front for a win. I want to thank my team Lekhwiya and my sponsors Al Rayyan and Seashore and all my mechanics for their great help and support,” Al Malki said at the podium.
Qatar’s Al Naimi, who finished third in both races, had been struggling all the weekend to find the good set up of his bike and until the race day he wasn’t a happy rider.
“I am happy with the podium,” Al Naimi said.
“I had some problems to find the right set up in the free and qualifying sessions and I didn’t feel good,” he added.
“In the first race it was difficult for me to stay in the same rhythm than the front riders and in the second race I was sliding from the rear and had chattering but I am happy with my lap timing and hope in the next rounds I can make a good set up of the bike from the beginning and be in the front,” Al Naimi said.
“I want to thank my sponsor Ooredoo and my mechanics for their help,” Al Naimi said.
The fourth spot was secured by Qatar’s Saeed Al Sulaiti in the first race and in the second race it was for Germany’s Nina Prinz.
The trophies were handed over by Mohamed Saad Al Morraikhi, QMMF General Secretary, Sultan Zaher Al Morraikhi., QMMF Board Member and Rashid Al Sulaiti, QMMF Public Relations Manager.
In the Losail Asian Road Racing Series (LARRS), Hungarian rider Victoria Kis won both races.
“I really enjoyed both races and I had a big fight with Shelina all the time,” Victoria said.
“The weather was OK and even the track was a little slippery but the races were very hard-fought,” Victoria added.
American rider Shelina Moreda ended in second place in her category in the first race but couldn’t finish the second race.
“The first race it was a good race, I really did a great start and I had a nice battle with Victoria. I managed to pass Victoria earlier but once she overtook me I tried to race harder but it was not possible for me to catch her,” Shelina said. “But I am very happy with my result,” Shelina added after race one.
As this was the last round of LARSS Series, at the end of the second race there was the overall championship podium.
The winner of the championship series was Serbian rider Manca Katrasnik who accumulated 147 points.
“I am very happy with my result for the season. I didn’t expect to finish it so well,” Manca said.
“It was worth all the ups and downs during the season and I hope to come again. I want to thank QMMF and their team for the opportunity to be here,” Manca added.
Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, QMMF President and LIC General Manager, said: “Our championship is becoming popular because we get riders from a lot of countries. We are encouraged to see a high level of competition among the riders who are fiercely battling for wins.”
Al Attiyah added: “QMMF is providing assistance to riders who seek our support and this is a well-known championship that attracts more and more competitors every season. Our next round will be on May 24 and for sure we are expecting another round of exciting battles.”
THE PENINSULA
