From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Aussies rule for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Carl Fogarty has signed Australian pair Garry McCoy and Steve Martin for his Foggy PETRONAS Racing team’s 2005 Superbike World Championship campaign.

The two riders will have their first taste of action on the PETRONAS FP1 at a three-day test in Valencia, Spain, next week.

Carl said: “I am very pleased to have been able to replace our riders from last year, who finished 9th and 11th in the championship, with two guys who finished 6th and 7th. We were very impressed by the standard of riders that were interested in joining us next year, which provided a few headaches. But, out of all of them, I felt Garry and Steve were the hungriest for success – and with points still to prove.

“Garry is a very exciting rider, with a proven pedigree, who I think will adapt well to our bike. He has a radical style and he has won GPs on a high revving two-stroke machine. The FP1’s power characteristics are probably closer to that type of machine than the Ducati he rode last year.

“Steve is probably the most under-rated rider on the world scene. He wants to be noticed and now it’s up to him to make people sit up and take notice. He is a gutsy competitor, with good set-up abilities, who suffered with reliability problems last year so he was the name that nobody mentioned – but they will now!”

McCoy, 32, completed his first season in World Superbikes last year, finishing sixth in the championship and winning his home race at Phillip Island. Brought up in speedway, McCoy is known for his exhilarating riding style, sliding the back wheel into corners. During his career in Grand Prix racing he won three 500cc GPs in 2000, when he finished fifth in the championship. Before switching to superbikes he achieved a total of 17 GP podiums, including five victories.

Garry said: “I am really looking forward to it. It is still only early days for the FP1 but, from the results the team has been achieving lately, it’s clear it has potential. I never set myself targets, I just go out to win. But I am really hoping to do better than last year as I now know a lot of the tracks that I didn’t know in my first season, which made it really tough. I am also really pleased to have Steve as a team-mate and the chance to share information in trying to get the bike up there challenging for podiums.”

Martin, 35, is a former Australian Superbike champion, who spent three years in World Superbikes with a Pirelli development team before the single-manufacturer tyre rule came into force last season. Despite a series of agonising technical failures during races he finished seventh in the championship standings, including five podium finishes. His natural talent was also underlined with three pole positions in 2004.

Steve said: “I am really excited by this opportunity and I am going to give it everything I have got. I know the team has a great bunch of guys and a great bunch of technicians who will be right behind me and I am sure that we can challenge consistently for podiums and better my seventh place in last year’s standings. I have seen the FP1 out on track and it clearly handles really well and had good pace for only its second year of racing. It improved a lot during last season and I am sure that the improvement will continue and that we will be on the pace for 2005.”

Steve and Garry replace Troy Corser and Chris Walker, who were 9th and 11th in the championship respectively.

FACTFILES

GARRY McCOY

Personal

Nationality Australian
Date of Birth 18 April 1972
Place of Birth Sydney
Lives Andorra
Marital Status Girlfriend, Gemma
Height 168 cm
Weight 58 kg
Eyes Green
Hair Brown
Hobbies Speedway, jetskiing, supermotard, motocross, trials riding
Website www.garry-mccoy.net

WSBK Stats

WSBK Debut 2004 Valencia, Spain
WSBK Race Starts 22
Superpoles 0
Podium finishes 3
Race Wins 1 (2004 Phillip Island race 2)
Thirds 2 (2004 Monza)
Fastest Laps 2 (2004 – Valencia, Phillip Island)

STEVE MARTIN

Personal

Nationality Australian
Date of Birth 2 December 1968
Place of Birth Adelaide
Lives Switzerland
Marital Status Girlfriend, Sandra
Height 172 cm
Weight 72 kg
Eyes Blue
Hair Brown
Hobbies Running and cycling


WSBK Stats (as at start of 2005 season)

WSBK Debut 1988 Phillip Island, Australia
WSBK Race Starts 113
Superpoles 3 (2004 – Misano, Laguna Seca, Brands Hatch)
Podium finishes 5
Race Wins 0
Thirds 5 (2004 – Valencia, Misano, Laguna Seca, Brands Hatch, Imola)
Fastest Laps 2 (Lausitzring 2001, Magny-Cours 2004)