It didn't seem obvious at the time but we miss Carl Fogarty. Not just for the brilliance and courage of the four-times World Superbike champion but for outspokenness and honesty. He had a habit, quite rare these days, of saying what he thought and didn't care too much if it offended somebody.
The years since his retirement may have mellowed him a bit - but not much. In fact. It was just like the old days at a Legends event for charity last week when he and his old rival 'Frankie' Chili indulged in a bit of verbal sparring about their battles on the track, which Foggy usually won, as he regularly reminded the popular Italian.
But it was the present day state of racing which Foggy reserved most of his venom for, in particular MotoGP. Now it should be remembered that the Blackburn rider's somewhat short-lived career in the premier class was .... short! But that did not stop him from giving the present championship both barrels.
"MotoGP is f....d," Britain's most popular rider since one B.Sheene, told a sell-out audience in Oswestry. "Who wants to see a race with four proper racing bikes and fifteen others who have got no chance of winning?"
And he didn't stop there. To loud cheers from a sellout audience, Fogarty described today's racing as being too 'sanitised.' Recalling how he once tried to knock John Koscinski off - "I must have been mad" - he exclaimed: "Riders today are too friendly. They're all mates, going tobogganing together and all that stuff. I wasn't!"
Come back Carl. All is forgiven.
The Road Racing Legends event, organised annually by Phil Morris and family, for motorcycle-related charities, raised £29,000 from tickets and the auction. If you have a deserving cause email phil@roadracinglegends.org
SCRIBBLERS SLUGFEST
Battles on the track, rider against rider, bike against bike, even promoter against promoter, are what most of us yearn for as our thoughts turn to the season ahead. In doing so we are missing the biggest battle of all involving products we buy, absorb, consume or however you like to describe it, every week.
It is the battle of the media giants. Well, one established media giant, a wannabe giant and one or two lively challengers coming through on the inside. In the red corner stands the mighty German, Herr Bauer, owner of the venerable MCN and a clutch of other motorbike magazines. In the blue corner is the sprightly challenger Mr Morton, rising through the ranks by buying and launching magazines and exhibitions from race bikes to dirt bikes to scooters. Their nimble challengers includes your very own, and fast rising, bikesportnews.com and its sister magazine BikeSport News.
Bauer (formerly known as EMAP) have their HQ in Hamburg (branch office in Peterborough). Mortons (prop Mr Philip Sharp) are based in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. It is indeed David taking on Goliath.
It is said that history repeats itself because when MCN was in fledgling form, more than 50 years ago, it took on the establishment, in the form of two weeklies, the Blue 'Un and the Green 'Un and eventually put them both out of business. They had become arrogant and complacent.
It is probably a source of irritation - maybe envy, but probably not - to manufacturers, dealers and even race promoters that the media as represented by these two companies are, more than likely, making a lot more money, lead by MCN, than they are. Although its circulation has almost halved from the heady days of Barry Sheene and, suffering recently from a couple of star defections, one to their rivals, it is still profitable and to the tune of several millions. But for how long?
Print is not dead but is becoming much more focused and specialist. More and more information is available online. And the audiences are big, bikesportnews.com has 250,000 a month.And it is instant. Will the fate of the Blue 'Un and the Green 'Un be repeated? The times they are a'changing.
LOCAL HEROES
The road racing season starts in a couple of hours. Hallelujah! And with six Brits in contention there can surely be no excuse for not winning the World Superbike title. After all, Tom Sykes was within half a point of victory last year.
The first round is at one of the world's most spectacular circuits, Phillip Island just off the coast of south eastern Australia near Melbourne. It will undoubtedly be a great event but, for the Aussie fans, it will be missing one important ingredient - a local winner. The terrible Troys, Bayliss and Corser, are no longer there and no one else has stepped up to the plate. It will have an effect on the gate.
Local heroes are vital. Governing bodies and race promoters must invest in young talent. It is in their commercial interest. You know it makes sense.
PS - Would all WSBK fans, like Wolf, please note. This is the last time it will be seen using this formula. No, it will not be dumbed down to Superstock but the odds are that it will be remarkably similar, if not the same, as the formula governing British Superbikes. Why? Because it is cheaper, it works and the new Director of racing at World Superbikes is none other than former BSB champion Gregoria Lavilla. So, no traction control, fl-by-wire (whatever that means!) and control ECU. Sounds like heaven!
