Relentless Suzuki's Josh Brookes views his coming together with veteran Michael Rutter in this afternoon's opening British Superbike race at Cadwell Park as a racing incident as he was alongside the Rapid Ducati man at the time of contact.

A disappointed Brookes insists Rutter must have known he was there as the Australian had shown him a wheel. Brookes has made successful passes into Hall Bends on the brakes before - in particular on his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari last year - using his momentum off The Mountain.

"I'm disappointed. I've passed into Hall Bends before in BSB and on the previous three-or-four laps I think I pretty-much made my intentions clear to Michael. I was right on his back wheel throughout the lap, and as we all know, Cadwell is a tough circuit to pass on being so narrow," said the Bringelly man.

"I made what I believed to be a calculated move and was alongside him approaching the apex. It's unfortunate he went down but I believe it was a racing incident and certainly not malicious or out-of-control on my part. I never meant to put Michael in a position where he would crash and although I could go on about the incident, I'll accept the decision and re-focus on tomorrow's two races. Coming away with a top-six position in the Championship is still my main focus and hopefully that will include a couple of podiums."