Carl Fogarty intends to use Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s final outing on British soil at Brands Hatch this weekend to help secure the long-term future of his team. The five-year deal with Malaysian petroleum giants PETRONAS runs out at the end of this season and Foggy is currently looking for new sponsors for 2007 and beyond.
Riders Steve Martin and Craig Jones take to the Kent circuit for the eighth round of the Superbike World Championship knowing the odds are stacked against their 900cc PETRONAS FP1 triples in a field of 1000cc machinery.
But Carl is confident that the determination and professionalism his team has shown in their four years of racing will prove an attraction for new backers.
He said: “In some ways it will be emotional to appear for the last time in the UK as Foggy PETRONAS Racing. But we are very much in the shop window this weekend and I am sure that everyone will see that we are still putting as much effort into our final few races as we have throughout this project.
“We have developed a fantastic infrastructure throughout this project and this would be at the disposal of any new venture, although it is still too early to say in which series or with which manufacturer we will be racing next year as we have yet to secure a new sponsor.”
This is also a key weekend for young British rider Craig Jones, who is hoping that months of development work will bear fruit at a track he knows well.
Craig said: “After getting a good set-up at recent tests I am really looking forward to going to a track I know well and putting that experience to good use. One of those tests was at Brno which, like Brands, is undulating so hopefully the suspension settings will be similar and the lap times will come. I wasn’t quite ready to try to run in the top 10 at Silverstone but I do not think I will be far away here and I definitely want to get into Superpole for the first time. My times in British Supersport last season were only 1.5 seconds off Haga’s best lap here, so if I can repeat those times I will be challenging for good points.”
Steve said: “Brands Hatch is the track which is closest in lay-out to Phillip Island, our strongest circuit, as there are not many stop-go corners. So it should suit our bike more than most circuits. I was taken out in the second race here last year so the first thing I am hoping for is two finishes, which I haven’t had since Valencia. The next aim is to finish in a good points-scoring position. Qualifying is one of the bike’s stronger points so I am also hoping for a good grid position. The weather can also be unpredictable in the UK and this may also help level the playing field this weekend.”
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