Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Race > Hodgson not riding for Foggy then ..?!!!

[MJS]

Originally Posted by doogalman

Foggy's team were unable to take the engine out to 1000cc, because the rules were changed and no concesions were made for triples. Used to be 750 four , 900 triple, 1000twins. I think considering they were at a 100cc disadvantage they have done bl--dy well. As for the sale of the road bikes, they worked the system sadly the road bikes were outdated by the rule change as the race bike was . The amount of money spent, well thats the sponsors buisness, they wanted their own bike not a Yamaskkoozi. Look at the qualifing time and you will see the bike was quick year on year often equalling the previous top pole times . Wether you like foggy or not at least he is running a world class team trying to take on the world. Nothing wrong with that. See how many other former british world chapions you can name that have done the same. And remember he was effectivly 8 times world champion himself, not 4 as acknowledged.

Interesting point there, never really noticed the fact that the rules didn't get changed to allow triples to run 1000cc, or were they? Can't help but be surprised that Foggy didn't moan and moan about being at 100cc disadvantage... or maybe he did and I'd already switched off..

[doogalman]

No manufacturer is able to enlarge the engine capacity. Would have faciltated building an entire new homolgation run. Not worth it for foggy as too many problems with the original batch, Shame it didn't work out for the venture as the road version is a cracking piece of kit (if you ever see one). Foggy has been fighting the flamini group for the last 2 or 3 years. I'd love to see him get a foothold in MotoGP, just comes down to sponsors which is a shame when you see footballers exchanging hands for 30 plus million. With that sort of money they would be right up there.

[twpd]

I agree with Doogalman. Whatever people may think about Foggy and his team, he was stitched up by the rule changes. If he was as useless as people like to make out then Petronas would have pulled the plug ages ago - they didn't.

[doogalman]

I think his team set up could easily succeed big time given the sponsors dosh.
If the bike had been allowed to go to 1000cc would he of upset some other manufacturers? Maybe.

[twpd]

Perhaps. We'll never know. For sure, if he'd publicly moaned about the rules everyone would have written him off as a moaner with sour grapes so, he was screwed either way. Whatever amounts of money were thrown at the project, people here just don't understand that you cannot simply change direction and build a different motor. If FP could have done that then they would have. They were stuck with an obsolete bike from quite early on and no amount of canvassing would make any difference unless they could get the support of the Jap factories....and that clearly would never happen.

[doogalman]

Well said.

[FiscusFish]

Errr, he is "a moaner with sour grapes". Way before he started his "management" career....

[MJS]

OK, so basically the rules would have allowed them to go to 1000cc, but the design of the original engine was such that it couldn't be done, and they would have had to have started again with a new lump...
Guess that shows how hard it is for effectively private teams to compete against factory resources in any level of motorsport.. shame... I think they did an ok job considering the fact they ended up on an un-level playing field.