Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes is feeling ‘irritated’ after the first of three MCE British Superbike races at Oulton Park, as he felt that a safety car should have been deployed after the crashes during race-one.
The Bringelly rider felt that in the past, when he was up the sharp end that safety cars had been brought out for much less. But today a bike caught on fire, and one was spewing petrol and Brookes felt that something should have been done about it.
Brookes has also implied that there maybe favouritism towards certain riders in the series, but he also expects there to be the same rules in relation to safety cars in every race, and for every rider.
“Of course you can’t rely on a safety car to create a result, but how many times have I been in the lead and in front by a long margin - and in the smallest of incidents the safety car is out straight away,” said Brookes, speaking to bikesportnews.com from the track.
“There must have been five different crashes and situations. At one point there was one bike on fire and there was one with fuel gushing out of it and four marshals around it and no safety car, and how much more evidence do you need to suggest that there is favouritism towards one rider over the other and that irritates me that, that even exists in racing.
“It should be a blanket rule that covers everyone. I didn’t think that was the case in BSB, to actually not only see that it has happened and to be the sufferer of that situation, really irritated me.
“Unless the situation was exactly the same I cant be sure, but there is enough evidence for me to have an opinion - other people might not view it the same, but for my perspective I have created an opinion from what I have seen today, it is a bit irritating.
But even though Brookes was a little ‘irritated’ with the race he was pleased with his pace, and making it through cleanly all the way from the tenth row, to fourth and just missing out on a rostrum and the podium credits.
Brookes added: “It was a good race, and I am pleased with the team, and if we look back to Thruxton where a few riders crashed in the first race the team are under pressure to get the bike ready for race two. Then the bike stops in race two as it wasn’t perfect and that has happened in other races, but in my pit my guys didn’t make any mistakes.
“The bike was equally as good as any other time in the race and even with the stress of having to change the engine and in a pressured situation - everyone did good job and I knew the bike was going to be as good as it has been lately. Everything I did was the best and quickest way that I could do, to get fourth.
“We can start tomorrow with a clean slate and at the front on the grid with Shakey and today is going to be put to the side and will be forgotten - I will focus on doing the best ride that I can.”
