Australian Steve Martin has been victorious in the 2009 world endurance title following a 14th place end in the Bol'dor 24-hour event at Magny-Cours in France, but it definately did not arrive hassle free.

Sitting with a fourth placing after 21 hours, the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) YZF-R1 Martin was contributing with Gwen Giabbani and Igor Jerman, started developing a chronic overhearing problem then electrical noises.

Having no opportunity of completing a further three hours straight, the YART engine went to the pits for an long overhaul, only to venture back out and finish the final lap, hence classification as an official end.

YART finished 713 laps in the 24-hour, one of them being the quickest lap of the event at 1:41.487. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) was the beginning to end victor, taking out 815 laps in the tough challenge from GSR Kawasaki (808) and the Suzuki-mounted 18 Sapeurs Pompiers.

YART's lowly end was enough though to take the world title with one round left. YART has now forwarded on to 114pts ahead of SERT, Sapeurs Pompiers and RT Racing Suzuki are all equal on 57pts.

Only 15 squads finished the Bol'dor, with Australian brothers Alex and Damian Cudlin wedged in the huge attrition on their British Phase One Yamaha.

Martin is now the third Australian to claim victory in a world endurance title, followed by Peter Goddard (197) and Warwick Nowland (2000/2002).