Australian Damian Cudlin scored his first win in the German IDM Supersport Championship, snatching victory on the last lap in a thrilling race at the Salzburgring on the weekend.
Starting from 4th on the grid, Cudlin made the most of his first front row start of the season, surging to 3rd place on the opening lap. Wedged in an eight bike freight train for the first 7 laps, Cudlin swiftly moved into the lead at the halfway point, attempting to make a break on the pursuing pack.
Lifting the pace, Cudlin stretched a small gap over his rivals, shaking off the advances of Tode and Diss. However experienced team mate Rico Penzkofer matched Cudlin’s every move and stormed into contention with a strong pass for the lead with 5 laps to go.
From then on it was formation flying for the SKM/Bike Promotion Yamaha squad, as Cudlin and Penzkofer rode within inches of each other through the 280kph Stein Curve, battling for supremacy.
Trailing Penzkofer on the final lap, Cudlin set up a last lap lunge in the final complex section, sliding underneath the German under brakes and holding his nerve to steal victory by 0.018 of a second.
“This feels unreal” Cudlin beamed at the finish.
“Penz and I had a great fight at the end of the race, but I put myself in the right place on the last lap to make my move on the brakes into the complex. I knew if I didn’t make a mistake in the last turn I’d win the race, thankfully it all worked out.”
Cudlin’s win came at a perfect time, as championship leader Arne Tode struggled to a 6th place finish. The young Aussie now sits just 29 points adrift of the German in the title chase.
“I’ve put so much effort into it this year, and now the hard work is really paying off.” Cudlin explained.
“I’m still not thinking about a championship, I’m just here to win races. No one expected me to be where I am right now, so I don’t feel any pressure at all. I think the pressure is resting on Arne’s shoulders now…”
“I want to take the chance to thank everyone who has supported me this year, especially my SKM/Bike Promotion team members and Dunlop. I hope we can keep this momentum going now and finish the year strong.”
Cudlin will now turn his attentions to the World Endurance Championship and the Suzuka 8 Hour race, before returning to the Supersport class for the next round of the IDM series in Schleiz.
