Carl Fogarty has decided not to continue with plans for a return to the British Superbikes racing paddock.
The seven-time world champion had intended to join forces with Australian businessman Lecha Khouri and his Superbike Advocates Racing team.
But as the critical point of signing a rider approached, Carl felt that too much uncertainty surrounded the team’s plans to run one rider on new Ducati machinery.
He said: “I realise that this will be disappointing news for everyone who was excited to see my return to the paddock with a new team on the new Ducati. But things have changed since our initial announcement, and I didn’t want to make riders promises that we might not be able to keep.
“I know how difficult it is to run a motorbike team – and I was only prepared to go through that stress again with the right package.
“But there were too many doubts at this early stage and I wanted to protect my well-being. So I decided that it was best to make a clean break now.”
Carl was keen to stress that the decision was amicable and that he wishes the team well with their plans to press ahead and join the championship.
He said: “I have nothing but praise for Stuart Higgs and his team at British Superbikes. They have been doing everything in their power to make this happen. I’ll continue to be a massive fan of the series and hope it goes from strength to strength.”
