Australian Josh Brookes has defended his actions that saw him excluded from race one of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park on Sunday.

The Relentless Suzuki rider was involved in an unfortunate racing incident with Michael Rutter at Hall Bends on lap six, with Rutter crashing after taking to the grass.

Race Stewards penalised Brookes, excluding him from the results for what they deemed ‘avoidable and unfair contact.’

Brookes is now joint fifth in the championship table going into today’s final two races before the ‘Top Six Title-Fighters’ cut-off for the Showdown, but Brookes is upbeat and ready to get back on the podium.

“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,” Brookes said. “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.

“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.”

Team manager Philip Neill, although unhappy at the decision, has decided not to appeal against the decision.