Brookes returns after “stupid” penalty
Added on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Brookes returns after “stupid” penalty
Josh Brookes has claimed that it was “stupid” that he was banned following his crash at Mallory Park and that he is not concerned whether he receives a bad reception from the crowd at Croft this weekend.
The HM Plant Honda rider will return to action this weekend at Croft following his two-round suspension for dangerous riding at Mallory back in July as a crash at the hairpin saw the round descend into chaos.
But Brookes believes that the reaction to the incident was disproportionate and that the two-round suspension, which was not appealed by either Brookes of HM Plant Honda, was unnecessary.
“They all got a bit hot headed,” he told Crash.net. “It was all a bit stupid, but I can’t control that. It was stupid I got banned and thought it was stupid how people reacted to it, but everyone is entitled to their own views.
Brookes also claimed that he was unconcerned about the reaction that he would get from both the crowd and the rest of the paddock in his return, claiming that he is focused purely on the racing.
“I am really anxious to get back on the bike,” claimed. “The only reason I am here is to go racing, so not being able to race has been frustrating.
“I’m Australian, so I don’t really care about that,” he joked, when asked about whether he is worried by people’s reactions. “I just want to get out there and ride my bike. I don’t care what other people think, I do this for myself and I always have done.
“I think people will be happier to see me and I think I have been through the worst now. There has been more clarity on it now and a bit more understanding, but I am not bothered anyway.”
And the controversial Aussie has also revealed that a number of teams have approached him over rides in 2010, with GSE Racing claiming at Brands that they would be interested in Brookes should Leon Camier or James Ellison leave at the end of the year.
“There is actually a lot of interest from teams about what I’m doing next year now,” he claimed, “so they have said one thing and now they’re turning the other way!
“I think they reacted in the moment and now time has passed and they know the real truth, they aren’t keeping their distance and thinking I’m a ‘bad boy’.”
