From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing, with no indication of what track this test took place on, although we suspect it was Valencia:

Foggy PETRONAS Racing beat the rain pain in Spain!

Foggy PETRONAS Racing today overcame the rain in Spain to complete their final test of the year.

Persistent rain on the first day forced the team to remain in the garage as the standing water, on a track that does not drain easily due to its very flat surface, would have both compromised the safety of the riders and also have been counter-productive to the team’s testing and development of the Foggy FP1.

Although forecasts indicated similar weather on the second and final day, the rain held off until late in the afternoon enabling both Troy Corser and James Haydon to complete a good number of laps on a damp track and work through much of the planned testing elements, without the distraction of focusing on fast lap times. And team owner Carl Fogarty believes good overall progress was made.

He said: “It was a shame that the weather spoilt things a little but we did manage to learn a lot, especially on the cooling system. We are still at a stage when, even if the weather is bad, we are able to learn and make progress.”

The aim of the test was to compare the data from the team’s recent wind tunnel test with on track performance, with the evaluation of aerodynamic parts proving encouraging. Limited tyre testing with new front and rear tyre compounds and constructions, supplied by Michelin, was also carried out.

“Given that we lost the first day, we’ve achieved a great deal at this test and I feel quite happy with the stage we are at, at this point in time,” commented the former world champion, Troy Corser.

Team-mate James Haydon said: “We made up for lost time today, working really well through a number
of development areas and further clarifying our path for moving forward. I can’t wait to get back on the bike in January in Australia and Malaysia and get down to more in-depth preparation for the start of the racing season.”

Foggy PETRONAS Racing have a further three tests currently planned for early 2003, prior to their much anticipated debut in the World Superbike Championship at Valencia on 2 March.