‘Foggy’ Relives Maiden WSBK Title 30 Years on

Carl Fogarty inspired many Brits to pick up a pair of leathers in the 1990s and subsequently throw their legs over a motorcycle for the first time following his World Superbike success in 1994 with Ducati. Fogarty, best known as ‘Foggy’, would go on to win another three Superbike titles with Ducati, but it’s the first of those four which Fogarty relived during an interview with Bikesure.

Fogarty, was a runner-up in 1993 to arch nemesis Scott Russell, whom he named one of his dogs despite their constant rivalry which led to insults being directed at one-another. But one year later Fogarty was King of the Superbike world before winning back-to-back titles in 1995.

Rewatching his maiden title success in a sit-down interview with Bikesure, Fogarty said: “I got goosebumps then. It was just emotional. Relief and emotion just spilling out from the year that I’d had. The start of the year, breaking my wrist at the second round. I had a few mechanical issues mid-season and it all coming down to the last race of the year on the other side of the world.

“Having just missed out on the championship in 1993, I should have won it, and for it all to come down to this. To cross that line and to realise your dream, something you’ve worked for for years - the emotion, floods of tears and relief, it was the biggest thing I can remember. Relief that I’d finally won it.

“When I came in I was looking for Michaela to share that moment with. I was trying to push everybody else out of that way, even Barry Sheene who was trying to interview me. I was like ‘mind out Barry, I want to embrace my wife’. We were both in floods of tears with emotion, it was very emotional.”

Fogarty’s impact on World Superbike, British racing and Ducati was huge, so much so that the Italian company eventually built 202 replica 916 bikes from the 2000 model year in his honour. One of those will soon be available for UK buyers to bid on, thanks to an auction by iconic auctioneers which takes place at Silverstone on 24 August.

Despite his years of success which followed 1994, Fogarty also admitted that the war of words with Russell early on in his career didn’t always have the right impact. In fact, ‘Foggy’ admits he was angry and lacked friends for much of his career.

“We couldn’t be friends at all,” said Fogarty. “We had this verbal kind of banter sort of thing through the press. I just saw him as a loudmouth American who was my main rival basically. I wanted to beat him and would say all sorts in the press to try and get in his head and he’d do the same.

“He was a bit like me in some ways, he wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind. It was pretty tense between us both I guess. I look back now and I just wish I’d have kept my mouth shut and got on with racing the bike and not put myself under that much pressure.

“It was more pressure saying ‘I’m going to win this weekend, I’m going to beat them’ because then I’d have to go out and do it - which more times than not I would do. I’m thinking now why didn’t I let my actions do the talking really? I kind of wish I’d maybe never said the stuff that I said, but I don’t regret it really because it was obviously how I had to be to be the best.

“I was just an angry person and I wanted to have a diss at everybody, not just my rivals but pretty much the whole grid. I didn’t have many friends back then to be honest but I’m not surprised I guess the way I was. I think they’ve kind of forgiven me a little bit now.”

Following his career, Fogarty continued his winning ways by being crowned King of the Jungle on I’m a Celebrity, and the Englishman admits he was able to become a better team player after his professional career.

“I became a real team player and I learned a lot about myself,” said Fogarty 30 years on from his first World Superbike title win. “I think they wanted the guy that was racing, that was angry, determined and focused and wouldn’t like other people and would kick off and stuff. But I was never really like that away from the racing, I was just an ordinary guy from Blackburn.” 

Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com.