Phase One Drop Cudlins – Markos Serbian Team Drive to Doha...

The credit and crunch and worldwide recession have affected us all over the past year, and the World Endurance Championship is no exception. Phase One have been forced to drop two of their contracted riders before the end of the season, and Markos Serbian team are heading overland to Qatar in an effort to cut costs.

Damo and Alex Out, Ellison and Richards In

Yamaha Phase One Endurance have controversially dropped two of their contracted riders ahead of the season finale. Brothers Damian and Alex Cudlin had been expecting to ride for the team at the Qatar 8 Hour but team manager Russell Benney has admitted that he could “no longer offer Damian and Alex the package we had agreed for Qatar”.

Their places will be taken by James Ellison and Glenn Richards, with Pedro Valcaneras in support. Ellison won the 2003 World Endurance Championship with the team in 2003 and Richards rode with them in 2007.

Markos Serbian Team Drive to Doha

Markos Serbian Team are taking the long way round to the Qatar 8 Hour race in Doha, driving their old Iveco track overland on a 4375 mile (7000km) trip which is expected to take 18 days and which will pass through Iraq. They left on the 17th of October, so they should arrive at the desert circuit some time next week.

The Qatar 8 Hour race will take place on the 14th of November, so there's time for some site-seeing on the way...