The two wheels have had – among many – a king who tyrannized in Superbike and made the English public fall in love, but above all the great family of Ducati. We are talking about Carl Fogarty, one of the most beloved champions in the history of the Borgo Panigale team. Let's retrace the career of the driver born in Blackburn, who had to work hard to reach the coveted heights and be considered one of the best of his generation.
The beginnings
Raised with the nickname "Foggy", it will take him a while to deserve the other and decidedly more flattering nickname: "The King". It must be said, however, that from the beginning his career has been promising. He made his debut in 1986 in the 250 class, but took away his first satisfactions at the TT F1 World Championships. In fact, he won the last 3 editions of this motor racing competition, which began in 1977 and with a great tradition of British drivers (only 2 winners, in the 13 years of the World Championship's life, were not from the United Kingdom: the Australian Graeme Crosby and the Italian Virginio Ferrari).
1990 was a very busy year for Fogarty, who not only "won" the TT F1 World Championship for the third time in a row, but also took part in races in the 500 class (sixth in Sweden, tenth in the Czech Republic and eighth in Hungary). And of the Superbike World Championship (two sixth places in Great Britain, an eighth in France and a fourteenth in Spain). This category triggered a particular spark in him: after winning the World Endurance Championship in 1992, paired with Terry Rymer and riding the Kawasaki, he began to make Superbike his – as we would say today – comfort zone.
The 4 Superbike World Championships with the Ducati: the myth of "The King" is born
After years of experimentation in terms of competitions in which he has participated and ridden motorcycles, he therefore chooses to devote himself entirely to Superbike. An important choice, celebrated with an evocative marriage or with Ducati (back from 3 laurels in this World Cup in the first 6 editions). On the occasion of his first World Championship riding the "red", in 1992, Fogarty limited himself to learning from the greats. He finished ninth in the standings, but still had the satisfaction of winning his first grand prix (at his home in the United Kingdom). However, it is a year of great satisfaction for the Ducati which places 3 drivers in the top 4 (including the winner, the American Doug Polen).
After the apprenticeship, in 1993 it was time to get serious. The start in Ireland was disastrous for Fogarty, but then he took courage and began a duel to the death with the American Scott Russell (riding the Kawasaki) for the conquest of the World Championship. The double success obtained in Spain gave wings to the Blackburn driver, who then gave his best by winning 5 consecutive races between Sweden, the United States and Japan. The dream of the first Superbike World Championship, however, was shattered right at the most beautiful: retirements in the United Kingdom and Portugal were fatal for Fogarty who, despite winning the last race on Portuguese soil, finished second behind Russell with a 29-point disadvantage.
A big disappointment, therefore, but the appointment with the first laurel in this championship is only postponed. In 1994, in fact, Fogarty took his revenge on Russell and reversed the final positions of the previous year. The 10 first places in total earned him the Superbike throne. Evidently, a position where a king like Fogarty feels wonderful. Yes, because in 1995 he managed to confirm himself: riding his Ducati 916, this time he dueled with teammate Troy Corser but the result did not change from the previous year. Indeed, the gap on the second is even clearer: 478 points totaled, against 339 for the Australian.
After this fantastic double, Fogarty's opponents begin to equip themselves in the best possible way to put an end to his hegemony. 1996 and 1997, in fact, were transitional years for the Englishman, who finished fourth and second respectively in the standings, seeing first Corser triumph and then John Kocinski on the Honda. So has Foggy's downward trajectory begun? The results of the next 2 seasons say something else. Fogarty, in fact, added 2 more World Championships to his palmares, becoming the most successful ever in this category for years (being overtaken by Jonathan Rea in 2019). If the 1998 World Championship was a very tight one, won on the wire against Aaron Slight's Honda, in 1999 Fogarty reached his absolute peak: 489 final points (personal best) and 128 ahead of Colin Edwards second in the standings. It's hard to ask for more from his career.
The injury and the end of a bright career
The 2000 World Cup began for Fogarty with the best intentions, wanting to defend the 2 titles won in the previous 2 years. After 2 podiums in the first 3 races, on the occasion of the Australian Grand Prix the Englishman – in an attempt to recover from a bad start – accidentally bumped into the Austrian driver Robert Ulm and, also thanks to the damp track, crashed ruinously fracturing the humerus of his left arm. The following months were made up of numerous attempts to return to racing by the end of the World Championship, unfortunately unsuccessful. At the end of the year, therefore, he leaves as a true legend of Ducati. 4 world titles and 59 races won: numbers that few on two wheels, in the history of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and beyond, can boast.
