Tag Archives: Damian Cudlin

Stauffer and McDonald to GTR MotoStars Team for 2020

2020 GTR MotoStars Team Announced


A new team will make its Australian racing debut in 2020, with the newly formed GTR MotoStars Team to be run by former FX Pro Twins Champion and ASBK stalwart Heath Griffin and MotoStars’ founder and former MotoGP racer Damian Cudlin.

The team has formed as a Yamaha backed racing program within the Supersport 300, R3 Cup and Supersport 600 classes in the 2020 Australian Superbike Championships, and will field 13-year-old Archie McDonald on a pair Yamaha R3s, who will be joined in the garage by 16-year-old Max Stauffer on the team’s newly developed Yamaha R6.

Coming from a successful 2019, notching up lap records and race wins in the Supersport 300 and R3 Cup classes, Max Stauffer will make the jump up to the Supersport 600 class aboard the Yamaha R6 under the watchful eye of his Dad, crew chief, and multiple ASBK Champ, Jamie Stauffer.

Max Stauffer

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to race with the GTR MotoStars Team and I want to learn as much as I can in 2020. Working with guys like Heath, Damo, and of course my Dad, Jamie, is a dream come true. I’m really excited to step up to the 600 class and I hope to mix it up at the pointy end as soon as I can.”

GTR MotoStars Team for

GTR MotoStars Team for

Max Stauffer (left) and Archie McDonald (right)


Archie McDonald is a current Australian Junior Dirt Track Champion and turned to road racing just over a year ago – learning the craft at MotoStars training and coaching days. He soon became a regular race winner at MotoStars Nationals and went on to compete in the inaugural Oceania Junior Cup in 2019 – a season that featured race wins and fourth overall in the series.

Archie McDonald

“I’m absolutely thrilled and immensely proud to represent the GTR MotoStars Team in 2020. I come from a humble dirt track background and am still relatively new to road racing. I raced in the OJC last year and always maintained a strong dedication to the MotoStars training and coaching days under the guidance of Damian Cudlin. Having the opportunity to work with him again, Heath Griffin and Jamie Stauffer, while being teamed up with Max Stauffer is every kids dream. I have to thank everyone who’s helped me reach this point and I can’t wait for Round 1.”

GTR MotoStars Team for

GTR MotoStars Team for

Archie McDonald

With two very talented young riders, the aim of the GTR MotoStars Team is to bring through and develop outstanding talent within Australia, forging a pathway starting from MotoStars, to the OJC, onto 300s and eventually into Supersport 600.

Damian Cudlin

“Since the inception of MotoStars, I’ve worked with plenty of talent here in Australia that just need more opportunities to succeed. When Heath came to me with the idea of building a pathway for riders from MotoStars to ASBK, I was keen to be a part of it, and thankfully Yamaha and a host of our sponsors were too. Archie and Max have both been regulars at MotoStars events and have made an impact already within ASBK. I’m excited to see what they can achieve this year with a bit of help and support.”

GTR MotoStars Team for

GTR MotoStars Team for

The GTR MotoStars Team will compete in the R3, SS300 and Supersport classes

Heath Griffin

“I’m extremely excited to be able to offer this opportunity for two exceptionally talented young Australian riders in Max and Archie to progress their road racing careers through our GTR Motorstars Team program for 2020. I believe we have put together a great group of people to be able to support and progress our riders, and help them maximize their potential. In Damian Cudlin we have Australia’s premier junior road racing coach to assist in our rider’s development both on and off the track, as well as providing technical and strategic advice to the team as a whole. Jamie Stauffer is a crew chief that many of Australia’s top Superbike riders would love to have in their corner, and his company Doctor Mak Engines already supplies many ASBK front runners with engine building, dyno mapping and suspension tuning services. Damo and Jamie are also two of the most successful Superbike riders to come out of this country in the past 20 years, and provide a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team. Highly experienced Brian Shields is also on board as our team mechanic. Brian has been a fixture in dirt track and road racing pit garages for several decades, firstly with his son Adam, then Jamie, and now Max and Archie benefitting from his skills, work ethic and strong attention to detail. I feel extremely privileged to be working with such a talented pair of riders, and our skillful and experienced crew in 2020, and I can’t wait to get the season underway at Round 1 of WSBK at Phillip Island”.

The GTR MotoStars Team is supported by Yamaha Australia, YRD, RS+C Precision CNC, Doctor Mak Engines, Bikebiz, Motul Oils, RK Chains, Pirelli Tyres, Racers Edge and Ricondi Leathers.

Source: MCNews.com.au

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup joins Road to MotoGP

Damian Cudlin becomes Official Junior Cup Coach


Motorcycling Australia has announced that the all new bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup has officially become a Road to MotoGP program with the support of Dorna Sports S.L, as well as introducing Damian Cudlin as an official coach for the series.

This announcement comes as a huge boost for the already exciting junior road race academy and comes at the perfect time to launch the program’s new name – bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

Red Bull Rookies MotoGP Cup Aragon Rnd Carlos Tatay
Red Bull Rookies MotoGP Cup is another of the Road to MotoGP series

Dorna Sports S.L, are the commercial rights holders and promoters of MotoGP, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup and British Talent Cup. Dorna has also co-organized the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup since its inception in 2007.

Their endorsement is a significant development and adds the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup to the esteemed list of Dorna Road to MotoGP programs around the world. The Dorna commitment also provides five guaranteed positions in the 2019 Asia Talent Cup Selection Event for riders from the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, and cements MA’s objective to develop clear pathways for junior road racers in the Oceania region.

BLU CRU Oceania Rookies Cup
The bLU cRU Oceania Rookies Cup will now be called the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Peter Goddard – MA President

“For Dorna to endorse the Oceania Junior Cup under the Road to MotoGP program is an exciting opportunity for all involved and adds a substantial level of credibility to what we are trying to achieve. Such an important partnership cements the key criteria of the program, creating a clear progression plan between the Oceania Junior Cup and the world stage. The development of the next World Champion from our region has received a huge boost today.”

A high percentage of riders across MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes came from the various Road to MotoGP programmes, with every permanent rider in the Moto3 World Championship now having raced in a series on the Road to MotoGP.

Carmelo Ezpeleta – Dorna CEO

“We are delighted to welcome another series to our Road to MotoGP program. The Road to MotoGP is going from strength to strength and has an incredibly successful record in finding and promoting talent. The bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup will be an asset to the program and perfectly complements our aims for the Oceania region. We’re excited to begin this new collaboration.”

Asia Talent Cup Sepang Start
Asia Talent Cup – Sepang

The response from MA and Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ) members has been phenomenal, with the program over subscribed and applications coming in from nearly every discipline of motorcycle racing as young riders seek an opportunity to be involved.

Entries for 2019 are now closed and the finalists for the inaugural Oceania Junior Cup will be announced shortly.

Adding to today’s exciting news is also confirmation that selected riders from the Oceania Junior Cup will be provided the opportunity of entering the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in 2019.


Damian Cudlin to coach for 2019 Oceania Junior Cup

Experienced in the world of the MotoGP and Moto2, Damian Cudlin is a respected figure in the Australian motorcycle industry and has been announced as the Official Coach for the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.

Damian Cudlin
Damian Cudlin

Managing motorcycle coaching and junior road racing along the east coast of Australia for the past few years under the MotoStars banner, and his recent appointment as the Australian Junior Road Race Championship (AJRC) promoter, Cudlin was the obvious choice. Like the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, Damian has a vision to open up the sport to a new generation, whilst additionally guiding them down the right path in relation to skills and aptitude.

Damian Cudlin

“The concept is really exciting and it’s what Australia needs! When I first heard about the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, I thought it was a great idea! With what we’re building over at MotoStars with the Australian Junior Road Race Championship, I felt it was a fantastic crossover between the two initiatives. So, I put my hand up straight away to be involved.”

Damian Cudlin
Damian Cudlin

With hopes of developing even younger Australian road racing talent, Cudlin notes that this venture is, “Australia’s chance to have a really great feeder program. I think it’s really important, at this stage of a junior rider’s development, to get the best guidance and training possible. There’s a lot of things you need to prepare for, both on and off the motorcycle. This is our chance to give the kids a really solid grounding and put them a long way ahead of everyone else.”

Source: MCNews.com.au