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After Brands Hatch Round of the WSBK championship, Troy Corser was angry and critical of marshals and medical staff who he claimed stopped him getting to his spare bike and rejoining the start.
The Stuart Higgs Clerk of the Course & thus Head Marshall has replied publicly to this criticism. Here is the text of his reply.
As the Clerk of the Course for Sunday’s WSB meeting at Brands Hatch, I am responsible for conduct and efficient running of the event including the operation of the safety services. As such I am unhappy by the quotes attributed to Troy Corser in following his accident in the second Superbike race criticising the actions of the marshals.
First medical intervention was within 12 seconds of the accident. The Incident Officer and Paramedic (first on scene) confirm that when asked Troy complained of neck pain.
Troy was clearly in pain, and his position was with his head wedged up against the safety protection, lying on his right side with one leg inverted on a straw bale. He could not move either voluntarily or be moved by stretcher from the narrow verge, close to the racing line before the pack rounded the accident zone for a second lap. He was not held down by marshals.
Therefore to protect Troy, the marshals and medical staff who were in a highly vulnerable position I ordered the red flag. If Troy could have got to his feet, then the race would not have been stopped, yet I doubt whether in that situation he would have been in a position to restart due to accident damage.
As his initial complaint was neck pain he was treated rapidly and appropriately and transferred to the medical centre. The Clinic Mobile Doctor who has no jurisdiction over the fitness or otherwise of any rider to ride was present. We all know that initially injuries can appear worse than they are but conversely injuries in highly adrenalised riders may not present early.
The personal accounts that I have received of how the incident was dealt with, indicate to me that all safety and medical procedures and protocols were adhered to, endorsed by the FIM Medical Delegate present.
With the news that Brands Hatch may host a further WSB round in October, Troy along with all other WSBK competitors can be assured of, once again being in the hands of marshals and medical staff who are extremely proficient in their duties. I will be pleased to discuss with Troy in front of any media he chooses, his comments, especially in light of some of the things, which we have all witnessed at overseas races when it comes to incident handling (Fogarty - Phillip Island/Gobert - Sugo).
If these critical comments were Troy\'s then I fear that he has lost many fans. Perhaps he should also note the comments of Chris Walker, who was extremely supportive of the race direction, marshalling and medical services in Britain in an interview on the circuit commentary on Sunday during the delay.
Yours in sport
Stuart Higgs
Clerk of the Course:, British Grand Prix World Superbike Donington , World Superbike Brands Hatch, Permanent Race Director British Superbike Championship .
