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NEWSLETTER 144 - QATAR
A team of ten depart for the Doha 8hrs on Monday 3rd November. The Saturday race on the 8th will be critical to the team’s future....
The second half of the season has been a determined and successful battle to regain our position in the top 4 of the World Endurance Championship after the disastrous crashes of Le Mans and Albacete which left us in 21st position. That battle has not been in vain, three consecutive solid results have elevated the team to 6th in the championship and within grasping distance of 3rd, where we should be. That’s great and we are all going for it.
The bigger picture though, is that we have to achieve a fair points scoring result to maintain our ‘contracted team’ status, by finishing in the top 6 of the championship. (It is worth noting that Phase One is the ONLY team to have achieved contracted team status every year since its inception in 2000.) This status brings with it approx £19,000 of contract money from the FIM – without that it is difficult to imagine how we could continue to compete in the full World Endurance Championship.
So having said that, here is the team;- Damian Cudlin, Glen Richards and Scott Smart. We could hardly be wanting for a better line-up. Scott has already been a major player supporting Damian in the second half comeback and Glen, we all know is the perfect partner!
Glen returns to Phase One for this race after giving his total commitment to winning the British Supersport title for Embassy Racing and the Triumph motorcycle factory, a fantastic achievement for which he deserves great credit. I believe this team of immensely talented and experienced riders is the right one to do the job.
Follow the race on Race24.com on November 8th, or be there; £314 from Gatwick return ;– you will be more than welcome.
Finally; The team hope that the 2009 rider line-up will be announced in mid November at the NEC show at the latest.
Thanks to everyone for your continued and very much valued support.
Russell
