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Motorcycling: Fogarty flies to hat-trick and Doohan reigns again

Mark Pierson
Sunday 04 October 1998 23:02 BST
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IT WAS a day for deciding world championships yesterday, as Carl Fogarty won his third superbike crown in Sugo, Japan, while Michael Doohan went two better, winning his fifth successive 500cc title, in Phillip Island, Australia.

Fogarty powered his Ducati to third and fourth places in the two-race final event to leave him 4.5 points clear of the New Zealander Aaron Slight. The Blackburn rider had previously won the title in 1994 and 1995, while it was a seventh success for the Ducati team in nine years.

Fogarty's path to the title was cleared when Troy Corser, the Australian who had gone into the weekend leading the series, crashed on the warm- up lap, sustaining rib injuries. That prevented him racing and he slipped down the rankings to third.

Corser's misfortune brought to Fogarty, who had begun to fear that a third world title would elude him. "I'd started to wonder if I'd ever get the title back because I haven't many years left, but I've now won the world championship more times than anyone else," he said. "I never thought it would happen again."

Fogarty may now feel it is time to retire at the top, having established his dominance in superbikes. He has become tired of the travelling involved in the series and wants to have more time for his family.

In Phillip Island, Doohan led all the way on his factory Honda to score a comfortable victory and open up an unassailable advantage over his rivals with one race left in the season.

"To win the championship in my home country is just fantastic." Doohan said. "It is just as good, if not better, than all the others. I wish everyone could get the chance to experience something like this."

The Australian's achievement puts him second in the sport's all-time role of honour behind Giacomo Agostini, who won a record eight world titles. The legendary Italian won 68 races during his career, while Doohan's tally now stands at 53.

"There's only one place I can go from here and that's backward. As far as I'm concerned I've done everything there is in racing expect lose my title and I don't particularly want to do that," the 33-year-old said.

Doohan has agreed to race for Honda again in 1999 but he insists he will be hanging up his helmet even if he wins a sixth title."I only ever wanted to win one, then two," Doohan said. "To win six, that would just be incredible. I'm definitely racing again next year but then that's it for me. Trying to beat Agostini's record is not something that worries me."

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