Alex Cudlin has just signed what could arguably be described as one of the best deals of his career to date after agreeing to contest the 2009 World Endurance Championships as part of the Phase One Yamaha Team, riding alongside his brother and mentor, Damian.
Phase One has the prestige of having formerly won the World Endurance Championship three times so they are one of the leading teams in the World Endurance paddock, and a seat in a team like Phase One is a dream come true for Alex.
“To be riding for Phase One Yamaha is one of the most exciting things to have happened to me” smiled Cudlin Junior, as he is now happily being referred to. “This team has won 3 World Championships and have always had a very strong presence in the Championship since they began competing in 1985, so to be part of the team in 2009 is a real honor” said Alex.
Alex will be joining the Phase One Yamaha line up, and racing with a teammate that is closer and more familiar to him than any other person in the paddock; his older brother Damian Cudlin.
Alex acknowledges that he can learn a lot from his brother, who has been one of the World Endurance elite riders for some time now.
Damian has successfully contested the World Endurance Championship for the past 6 years, and 5 of those have been with the Phase One Yamaha Team, and was the main catalyst in Alex becoming the latest member of the team.
“I must thank Damian for making this happen. He was the one to bring Phase One and me together” Alex said. “He has been racing with them for a long time now and Russell Benny, the team manager has great respect for him, which is reciprocated. They have a brilliant working relationship, and so when Damian suggested that he felt that I would be a valuable member of their team, things progressed very quickly from there”.
Alex made his debut in the World Endurance Championships with team Diablo 666 three years ago, and gained his experience in long distance racing with them.
“They were an integral and invaluable part of me now being able to step up to a team like Phase One, and I will always be grateful to Miles and James Hutchins for the opportunities that they gave me” said Alex.
“The Cudlin Combo” will be looked at with eager anticipation as they enter this year’s competition. Not only will they will be the only two siblings in the World Championship racing as teammates alongside each other, but they will be doing it as one of the favorites to win the World Endurance Championships in 2009.
When they do step up to the podium for the first time in the 2009 season, both brandishing their now all too familiar Australian Akubras, they will be the first brothers in history to both achieve a podium finish in the same team.
