Fuming Farquhar hits out over Guy Martin clash

'I don't care who you are, whether you're Guy Martin or someone running in the middle of the field, you have to obey flags' - Ryan Farquhar
Fuming Farquhar hits out over Guy Martin clash

A fuming Ryan Farquhar has claimed an overtaking move by Tyco Suzuki's Guy Martin at the Cookstown 100 Irish road races spurred him to victory.

The fiery Ulsterman alleged that Martin made an illegal pass under a yellow flag in the first Superbike race at the popular event - the first Irish road race of the season.

Martin roared to his maiden victory in the new Tyco Suzuki colours on his GSX-R1000 Superbike on the tight and twisty 2.1-mile Orritor circuit, with Farquhar finishing as the runner-up.

However, KMR Kawasaki rider Farquhar submitted a protest against his rival and the Moneymore team, claiming Martin 'disobeyed' the rules governing overtaking manoeuvres in a yellow flag situation.

He later made amends by winning the Supersport 600 and feature Superbike races to complete a quadruple at Cookstown, which included wins in the Moto450 and Supertwin 650 races, but Farquhar still feels aggrieved following his claim that Martin ignored a yellow flag.

Farquhar told the Belfast News Letter: "In the first race Guy passed me under a yellow flag and that got me going more than anything.

"There was a stationary yellow flag on the approach to McAdoo Bends and a waved yellow flag at the corner itself due to an incident with the landowner there.

"You are not allowed to pass under either, but Guy just came sailing up the inside of me. I struggled to get past William [Dunlop] because he had the grunt on the straight but he was holding me up in the corners and by the time I got past Guy was too far ahead," Farquhar said.

"I put a protest in, not that I wanted the result changed because Guy won the race and if he hadn't passed me under a yellow he was probably going to win it anyway, but the bit that annoyed me was that he disobeyed a yellow flag," he claimed.

"I don't care who you are, whether you're Guy Martin or someone running in the middle of the field or at the back, you have to obey flags because they are there for everybody's safety."

Tyco Suzuki team principal Philip Neill or Martin have yet to make any comment on the claims.

The organisers have confirmed that no action will be taken as a result of Farquhar's protest.

Farquhar won the feature Superbike race of the day from Michael Dunlop and Adrian Archibald after Martin overshot at the end of the main straight before regrouping to finish fifth.

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