WHAT FLAG...?
Wed 9th December 2009

I'm going to join in regarding the Leon Camier 'Flag-Gate' affair at Cadwell Park. If you were there, you'll know all about it but if not, what happened was with two laps to go in race two and with Leon well in command (as usual), Camier's bike was observed emitting smoke from the right hand side and following a lap whereby he was ' That flag (the meatball flag as we call it) requires the rider whose number is shown, according to page 63 of the 2009 MCRCB yearbook, to 'leave the track IMMEDIATELY.'

The fact that he didn't, and continued to circulate until the chequered flag, raises a number of questions. Firstly, Leon said he got 'confused' regarding the flag and he thought it meant 'carry on'. As daft as that sounds, it is perfectly plausible that he could have, of course, been confusing it with the black flag, whereby riders do not have to pull off immediately, instead they must STOP AT THE PITS at the end of the lap.

But Camier didn't stop at the pits at the end of the lap, instead he continued through to take the chequered flag so in effect, he misinterpreted the rules of not only one flag, but two. As a licenced world class rider in a high profile series, you are expected to know the basic rules and the fact that something as sacrosanct as flag signals, the only reliable way of relaying information to riders, has been effectively ignored is worrying. Of course Leon had nothing to lose in effect, as if he pulled over he'd have lost the race anyway, and the bike, as far as he was concerned, was OK, so why not ride it to the finish. I probably would have done exactly the same thing in his position. But to try to cover it up by suggesting a bit of kidology and claimed ignorance did him no favours at all, not least with the fans who, if we are being honest, are getting a little weary of him clearing off into the distance as it is, and some of whom are looking for a reason to potentially dislike him. The second, more concerning factor was what if someone had crashed because of his disobeying the flag signals?

He didn't know for sure the bike hadn't dumped its guts, as he was still circulating at racing pace so the consequences of that in itself could have been disastrous. Shakey got meatballed for his boot rubbing on the tyre at Snetterton last year and was called in one practice session to have the smoke investigated and I recall the unfortunate Cat Green at Silverstone being called in only to have it revealed to her that the marshal had mistaken her number 27 for bike 37 which was spotted with a problem... If Josh Brookes got hauled over the coals for a heat-of-the-moment, split second incorrect decision at racing speed, then as far as Camier is concerned, he can think himself extremely lucky all he got was excluded from that race as in my book, his actions were just as wreckless...

It also sets a precedent in that what happens if other riders blatantly ignore the black and orange flag in future? Do they simply run the risk of being excluded like Camier in which case, carry on if they think it's OK to do so? Scoop!