Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Foggy Workshop Opens For Business

By Glenn LeSanto

Carl Fogarty officially opened his Burton on Trent based workshop on May 21. The 12,500 square-foot facility looks impressive, and has just about anything you’d want in a fully fitted race shop, bar one important feature – the bikes!

Fogarty insisted that the bikes are on schedule and the team will race at Laguna Seca in July. “It’s incredible what you can do with shit loads of money,” said Fogarty to his assembled guests. But his riders still haven’t actually ridden the FP1 three-cylinder Superbike, although they have sat on a mock up. James Haydon described the bike, designed by Steve Eviritt Automobile Design as ‘beautiful’. The team claimed that the looks haven’t compromised efficiency, saying that the bike proved extremely effective in the wind-tunnel. “I can’t wait for you all to see it,” said Haydon.

Troy Corser has also seen the bike, “It’s come a long way,” said the former World Superbike champion. “I have faith in this team and I can’t wait to get out on the track and ride.” Haydon agreed, saying, “let’s go racing.”

In an official opening ceremony that was heavy on dignitaries and VIPs but light on press men, Foggy showed visitors the fully equipped dyno room, and then the prayer room. Petronas, which is bank-rolling the team, is based in the Muslim state of Malaysia, so a prayer room is a must at any of its facilities. Given the short lead time the project has to get the bikes from nothing to the grid the prayer room might well come in handy, even for the non-Muslims on Foggy’s payroll. Fogarty claimed the prayer room’s toilet cost £3000 (about $4500), and certainly no expense seems to have been spared fitting out the huge workshop, which was an empty shell only a few weeks earlier. The facility also has an extensive office suite for the administrative staff, including Fogarty’s office, which he shares with his wife, Michaela, and which overlooks the factory floor with a picture window. You can easily imagine Foggy’s legendary eyes boring down on the workers toiling below!

The bikes themselves will be shown to the press in London on June 11.