Cody Sousa -Saints achieved a milestone during last weekend’s CCS season-opener at Homestead Miami Speedway.The teenaged motorcycle racer claimed a maiden chequered flag on foreign soil competing in the 600cc class with a Ducati 848 loaned to him by a friend.For added measure he also posted fifth and ninth place finishes to cap a memorable weekend of racing in Florida.“This was by far one of the best trips I‘ve ever had,” Saints said. “I had my first win in the United States and there’s no better feeling than being the fastest on the track and I am really happy about that.“I was able to put down some really good lap times so as long as I got good starts I was right up there battling with the top five guys. So the starts were very crucial.”Perhaps making the motor mechanic’s achievement all the more impressive was the fact he was competing for the first time on the Ducati 848.“It was probably one of the hardest bikes I’ve ever had to learn,” he said. “It was quite a struggle to try and get fast on the bike because it’s a whole different kind of bike to ride.”Saints is scheduled to meet with a few potential sponsors in the near future in the hope of securing funding to enable him to make more appearances on the CCS circuit this year.“I hope to go back as soon as possible and hopefully this first place will help me out,” he said. “I am really hoping there are more opportunities for me to race overseas.”Also standing on the podium in Florida last week was Saints’ compatriot Paul DeCouto who took the chequered flag in the Formula 40 Expert class by a comfortable margin.Like Saints, DeCouto also had his share of challenges with his Suzuki GSXR 1000 bike.“I did have some teething issues with an electronic part fitted on the bike that basically increases the performance,” DeCouto said. “But the bike is running great and I am happy with the results.”The Cycle Care co-owner, who plans to compete in Atlanta next month, also had a second-place finish in the Unlimited Supersport class to cap another impressive display on the CCS circuit.