Foggy makes threat to quit Superbikes

7:00pm Tuesday 31st October 2006

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BLACKBURN'S Carl Fogarty is frantically searching for a new sponsor in a desperate attempt to keep his Foggy Racing team alive.

But the four-time World Superbike Champion has admitted that, after a disastrous five-year spell with Malaysian petroleum giants Petronas, if he is unable to find the necessary funding, he will quite happily turn his back on the sport he loves.

Foggy, 41, this week made every one of his 16-strong racers redundant as he struggles to recruit sponsorship to safeguard the future of his team.

But he said there is still great interest in Foggy Racing and revealed ambitious plans to land former World Champion, and bitter rival, Neil Hodgson.

"Manufacturers are queuing up to help us. We've been offered a factory Ducati bike, but we must find £4 million a year.

"Top riders have been calling too. Former World Champion Neil Hodgson is desperate to come back from America.

"Despite our differences, I would sign him - not to go out drinking together, but to win races."

But should the situation reach breaking point, Foggy said he would have no qualms whatsoever about quitting motor cycling for good.

He added: "If we can't find a sponsor I will be very angry, but if racing doesn't want me, then sod it, I'll just go. And once I retire I will never come back."

Foggy's association with Petronas was blighted by disappointment - the bike didn't win a single race and managed just two pole positions and two podium finishes.

And with the deal now run it's course Foggy aimed a broadside at those in charge.

He said: "It's hard to ride a bike that everyone out there knows is the worst out there and I would never have ridden it for all the money in the world.

"It was always difficult to sign riders, to convince them to race for the team. It was embarrassing.

"It annoyed me because it made me look a failure. People associated me with winning all my life and now they'll think: Oh, he's useless'.

"If I knew five years ago what I know now, I wouldn;t have agreed to this project.

"I don't even know who I dealt with at the time and couldn't tell you one name at Petronas."