Is it just me or have we just seen a half-season filled with more serious injuries than we’ve seen for a long time? It doesn’t seem like there is a weekend that goes by without some team announcing that they are replacing their injured rider/s with somebody else. Maybe it’s because the racing is faster and the impact injuries when you come off are worse, or maybe riders are relying too much on TC and other electronic aids and they’re not perfect – yet. whatever, it seems that being a “sub” is the name of the game.
Last weekend, for example, we had the Ten Kate team running 2 “subs” (well, three, actually, because one of the “subs” had to be “subbed” himself.) Dani Pedrosa’s absence for 3 rounds caused a “sub” situation in the Repsol team; Loris Capirossi was “subbed” by Guintoli in the PRAMAC team and the list goes on and on. Soon we might see teams hiring some riders to just be available to help out if one of the first string riders is injured.
Well, news in that it is the turn of two Aussies to be “subs” in upcoming events (something that these guys are particularly good at, actually.
Firstly, current ASBK points leader (by 56 points), Glenn Allerton, gets a gig at Doodson Motorsport in the BSB replacing the injured Tom Tunstall.
Glenn will be on a BMW so that should help, but won’t have had experience with the Pirelli tyres or the Brands Hatch circuit. This weekend’s event is a triple-header, too, as the 2nd race at Snetterton last round was cancelled due to ridiculous amounts of rain.
As well as this “sub”, Aussie Broc Parkes will also be in attendance as the Kawasaki WSBK squad (British outfit, Paul Bird Motorsport) will be a wildcard entry for the meet. But PBM’s regular WSBK rider, Tom Sykes, is injured so Parkes comes in at his expense from the Kawasaki WSS squad.
At least Parkes should be a little more familiar with both the bike and the track.
And another Aussie will be making his first appearance at Brands for this round only he won’t be “subbing” (really). Taree’s Alex Cudlin has announced during the week that he has signed with the GB Moto Team to contest the Superstock 1000 events at the next three rounds of the BSB, so I guess you could call it a semi-long-term “sub” (that’s Alex on the left, older bro, Damian, on the right)
I wonder if there is a riders’ “unattached list”? Somebody could make a killing running an employment agency for semi-employed road racers!
