Eurosport - Wed, 02 Sep 13:51:00 2009
Airwaves Yamaha have backed the decision to disqualify Leon Camier during the BSB meeting at Cadwell Park when he failed to follow marshals' instructions.
Camier, who triumphed in race one, looked set for a double win before blue smoke began to lift from his R1.
Black and orange flags were displayed for the Englishman on the final lap, but he remained on track and completed the race. He was subsequently disqualified for failing to stop immediately.
"The marshals and race director absolutely made the right call regarding the black and orange flag, as this was the only way that Leon would be made aware of a problem," team manager Colin Wright said.
"As Leon did not leave the circuit immediately he was disqualified from the results. Unfortunately for us, the race director had to take this action exactly as the rules state.
"Had the oil leak been worse, Leon could have crashed and would almost certainly have caused others to fall on the oil."
Wright said the cause of the smoke was a previously unseen contact between oil cooler and exhaust.
"After a thorough inspection, it has since been discovered that the oil cooler of Leon's bike had rubbed on the exhaust, causing smoke - an incident not experienced by the Airwaves Yamaha team before," he continued.
"GSE Racing has enjoyed much success over the years and we are extremely proud of our exemplary race-finish record. I honestly cannot remember the last time we experienced a non-finish due to mechanical problems.
"I'd like to apologise to Leon for the error we made. Had this error not occurred, Leon would now be in a position where he would only need 4.5 points in the remaining rounds to secure the championship for Airwaves Yamaha.
"I'd also like... to thank Leon for immediately showing dignity and professionalism when he learned of his disqualification from the results."
Camier's team-mate James Ellison finished second and was awarded the win.
Comment 1 - 2 of 2
This isnt even a story....Plain and simple rules.
Rules are rules and totally justified in this case, having witnessed some serious accidents from oil soaked tracks the end result could have been different. However, Leon has accepted and that should be the end of the matter, he has paid a high price for a moments lapse.
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