30 years after taking a memorable victory before going on to win four World Superbike titles, Carl Fogarty will be the star guest at the West Country’s biggest motorcycle race meeting, the Castle Combe Grand National, which takes place at the Wiltshire track on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September 2019.
‘Foggy’ as he is affectionately known, won the prestigious World Superbike Championship in 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999, taking 59 victories in the process, at a time when the series was arguably in its heyday with huge crowds watching on both television and trackside.
Synonymous with Ducati for most of his major successes and renowned for his straight talking throughout his career, Carl was awarded the MBE in 1998 before injury forced him to retire in 2000. Thereafter, the Lancastrian went on to front his own Foggy Petronas Team in WSBK for four years developing a brand-new bike in the process.
More recently, Foggy has found fame as a mainstream celebrity by winning the ITV reality show ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’, having been crowned ‘King of the Jungle’ in 2014 and can be often seen on various charity TV panel and game shows such is his popularity.
Still a regular on the motorcycling scene, Foggy, who also set the outright solo lap record in the race back in 1989, recently became an ambassador for CCM Motorcycles and is looking forward to a return to the track which paved the way to his World Championship glory.
Carl Fogarty: “It will be great to go back to Castle Combe after all this time. It’s a circuit full of character and I always enjoyed racing there. I remember the race in which I set the lap record 30 years ago well. It was one of my first races on that Honda RC30 and I hadn’t had much chance to set it up properly, so I reckon I could have gone a lot quicker!”
Fogarty will also help celebrate another one of Britain’s greatest motorcycle racers, the legendary Barry Sheene, who will be commemorated at the meeting also.
Sheene, who went on to win the 1976 and 1977 500cc World Championship, took victory at Castle Combe aboard his Bultaco back in 1969, so plans are afoot to celebrate his 50-year association with the circuit as well as his extraordinary career with displays and parades exclusively to do with Barry and his bikes over the years.
In addition, there will be the usual packed programme of racing organised by NG Road Racing Club and featuring a number of major championships over the weekend. With some of the best club race action in the country which always leads to packed grids, Race Director Steve Bostock and his team will once again deliver an end of summer feast which last year included some brilliant racing over the weekend.
Graham Marshallsay, Managing Director: “To have a personality like Foggy attending our biggest bike meeting of the year is a massive coup for us here at Castle Combe, especially with it being exactly 30 years since his famous victory here and setting the outright lap record. Many of the riders racing at the meeting aspire to reach Carl’s achievements so it will be great for them too. Plus, celebrating Barry Sheene’s 50th anniversary too means it’s going to be a fantastic weekend not to be missed.”
Further exciting news will be announced in due course and for further information, please contact Katie Slade or Tom Davis at the Circuit on 01249 782417 or email Katie/Tom@castlecombecircuit.co.uk.
