Highside knocks Brookes out of both BSB races

Josh Brookes endured a spectacular highside in the first of yesterday’s British Superbike races, leaving doctors to rule him out of the second.

Brookes said: “I’m surprised after the accident I had that I don’t have any broken bones. When I was flying through the air I thought ‘this is not going to end good’ but I’m stood here now and all the bones are intact and I’m spot on.

“I guess it only takes a little bit of a slip and it’s not recoverable. Unfortunately the back let go and it spat me off and I took the biggest, longest flight I’ve taken. I can assure you I’m not feeling the best I’ve ever felt, but I’m happy to be able to race again next weekend.”

Brookes started from the fourth row because of a qualifying session that was all but lost because of a suspect front tyre. He said he expected to slowly move up to the leaders, but because of all the crashes in front of him, found himself in second place.

Once behind leader Shane Byrne, Brookes said he thought he had the tyres and the pace to get by Byrne for the victory. Shortly thereafter Brookes exited the race via highside exiting Paddock Hill.

Brookes says he was not knocked unconscious after the impact and remembers everything. Asked questions administered to any rider with a suspected head injury, Brookes was too slow with his answers and ruled unfit for race two.

He said: “If it were up to me, I would’ve ridden.”