Fogarty casts doubt over future

Four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty cast doubt over his future today after revealing he was not sure whether he will be competing next season.

The injured Blackburn star, forced to watch from the sidelines as wild-card entrant Neil Hodgson grabbed the Donington plaudits, said: "I need to race again, as much for myself as anything, to see how I feel about it all.

"I'm very down at the moment, and I can't really say anything definite about 2001 or the future until I'm back on the bike."

As to whether he would return at Brands Hatch on August 6, the 34-year-old, who suffered a broken arm in Australia last month, replied: "I don't know, and nor does the specialist.

"It's broken in a very bad place, so it's going to take quite a while to heal. If that means I only come back for the last couple of races, then so be it."

On the track Hodgson was the undoubted star. Third behind American Colin Edwards and Italian Pier-Francesco Chili in the opening race, the Isle of Man-based Lancastrian claimed a sensational win in the second as he capitalised on Chili's last-lap mechanical problems to bring the sun-drenched home crowd to their feet.

"This is absolutely incredible," said the 26-year-old Ducati rider. "It's without doubt the best day of my career. I could see Frankie (Chili) had problems so I tried to just put as much pressure on him as I could and it paid off."

Nottingham's Chris Walker made it a superb one-two for Britain, as after a race-long duel with Hodgson he also beat Chili to the line. "I had a great battle with Neil," he explained.

"I did the best I could, but it was not quite enough to beat him today."

Of the championship protagonists, Edwards ruined his good work from the first race by sliding off his Honda in the second, allowing Japan's Noriyuka Haga to stay ahead in the standings despite two distant fourth-placed finishes.

New Zealander Aaron Slight, in his first race since brain surgery in February, ended seventh and ninth on his Honda.

In the support races, Yorkshireman James Whittam maintained his lead in the Supersport championship with a second place, while Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead also finished second in the sidecar race.