On the first day of qualifying, with a wet and greasy track, Craig was to fall at the Brooklands hairpin when he was high-sided from his machine - as did many other riders during the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship.

Craig bounced back from his morning mishap in his usual style, and came within 0.6 seconds of the Superpole qualifying time, with just two seconds separating the whole field of riders on the shortest circuit in the whole of the series.

Unfortunately, Craig’s luck was to run out completely on the first lap of the first race on race day - whereupon he high-sided at high speed on the fast left hand bend, which runs out onto the straight towards Abbey Corner, causing him to suffer bruising to his back along with other injuries.

© Raceline Photography

Craig returned on his second machine for the restart of the first race, in front of a welcoming crowd, but whilst waiting on the start line in readiness to go out on the warm-up lap, Craig complained of blurred vision and was withdrawn from both races.

Craig said: “I was really looking forward to this race, and felt good in morning warm-up. I think I would have finished in the points, but the crash was partly my fault, although a whole host of things popped up in front of me that I had no control over. I now just want to make a real go of it at the next round in Misano, which is another track I enjoyed testing at.”

Craig was suffering from concussion along with severe bruising after his fall - and not surprisingly after his helmet was split during that fall. Craig now has a good break before the next European round, for the San Marino, at Misano on 25th June 2006.

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