Carl Fogarty is still one of the most successful World Superbike riders

He had already claimed the World Superbike Championship the previous year, albeit not so comprehensively. What’s more, he had championship-winning form prior to that. He won the Formula 1 Championship for bikes three years running, from 1988 to 1990. That series was on the wane, however, and was demoted from championship status in that final year because there were fewer than six rounds.

It was the World Superbike Championship that gave Fogarty the platform to become a household name. There’s an argument that his success brought eyes to the sport, too; particularly in the flagship 1995 season when he drew record crowds to witness his double victory at Brands Hatch. Did the sport raise the profile of the rider or vice versa? There was probably a bit of both.

Fogarty made his World Superbike Championship debut in 1991 with Neil Tuxworth’s Honda UK team, finishing seventh overall. When Tuxworth pulled out of the championship for the following season, Fogarty was left without a ride at the start of the year and managed ninth overall after contesting only part of the season. It would be 1993 that he first rode for Ducati. Despite winning more races than Kawasaki rider Scott Russell (11 versus five), it was the American who claimed the title that year. Consistency was the secret: Russell took 12 second places to Fogarty’s two.

The following season, Fogarty claimed his first World Superbike Championship, but it would be the unremitting defence of that title in 1995 that would live in the memories of fans. It was a season-long demonstration of determination and consistency, characterised by Fogarty’s riding style that capitalised on high cornering speeds. And it was all locked into that piercing stare. He claimed the championship at Assen in Holland in front of what might as well have been a home crowd – British fans crossed the Channel in their droves to watch their hero take the title. It was a circuit that suited Fogarty well; between 1995 and 1999, he won all but one outing there.

After that victorious season, Fogarty returned to Tuxworth for 1996 who by now had Honda backing. Despite four race wins, he came fourth overall in the standings having been unable to match his consistency from the previous season. A return to Ducati for 1997 saw Fogarty finish second to John Kocinski.

His Championship-winning form returned in 1998, and his title defense in 1999 was similarly dominant to his 1995 showing. He was glued to the top of the leaderboard all season long, winning 11 of the 26 races, and he ended the season with a 128-point lead. And that was all in an era when the Honda was considered the bike to beat.

Clearly, Fogarty was a racer still in his prime which made the premature ending to his career all the more disappointing. At the Phillip Island round in 2000, Fogarty collided with the privateer Ducati of Robert Ulm. He sustained multiple injuries and his shoulder never healed to the extent that he could resume racing. Even though his career was curtailed, Fogarty is still fourth overall in the total number of World Superbike race wins (only Jonathan Rea and Álvaro Bautista and the hard charging reigning-champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu have surpassed him).

Alongside his circuit racing, Fogarty was also prolific in road racing. His Isle of Man TT activities began in the 1980s. In 1985, he won the Lightweight Newcomers event, and went on to win three more TT races, namely the 1989 Production 750cc race and the Formula 1 and Senior events in 1990. In 1992, he set a lap record of 18 minutes 18.8 second, which stood for seven years.

We can only speculate how many more race wins and championships Fogarty could have claimed, but there’s no question he will forever be remembered as one of the most naturally gifted riders in World Superbikes history. We’re looking forward to remembering his remarkable career at the 2025 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.