Not only is he that rarest of species – an English world champion but he also possesses an unquenchable thirst for victory. Carl Fogarty is a weirdo. Admits it himself. Not only is he that rarest of species – an English world champion but he also possesses an unquenchable thirst for victory.

'It's true I'm a winner,' he confirms in his trademark Lancashire accent. 'I don't actually like riding motorbikes but what I really get off on is winning. I ride to win and bollocks to everything else.'

Admit it, coming from an Englishman that is just plain warped. Aren't English sports stars supposed to battle valiantly before gallantly losing – bowing out graciously. Not Carl Fogarty. Get in his way on the road to victory and he'll squash you into the tarmac.

'I've always had talent but if you're going to make it in any motor racing sport you need to put the hours in practising,' he says firmly. 'You need to be focused and you need bottle and plenty of it. You can't have any fear, you've got to be utterly ruthless in pursuit of victory. Hesitate for a second and someone will steal the race from you or worse you'll end up dead meat, splattered across the track.

'If I'm out in front leading a race, I'm still nagging myself all the way round, Come on you fucking idiot, you've got to win this. Don't let it slip. It's all about single-mindedness and a desire to win. Simple.'

Which is why Foggy is quite simply a Superbike legend – the best motorbike rider we've ever had. Already he's won the World Superbike championship a record four times. He would have added a fifth world crown this year, if a tyre wall hadn't the cheek to place itself in his path – mangling his shoulder in the process.

He's broken just about every bone in his body but the only time he's ever truly been shaken is after running over a fellow rider's head; 'In Japan a slow rider fell off in front of me and I literally ran over his head,' he says softly, his eyes still betraying the full horror of what he'd seen. 'Luckily he was okay but it really upset me.

Afterwards back in the garage I became really emotional and just freaked out. That's the only time I've ever lost it. In Malaysia another time I nearly hit a family of bloody baboons that had wandered onto the track. I hit the brakes and just missed one, who looked at me as if to say 'Piss off, you don't scare me, mate.'

A hairy-arsed rebel who doesn't know the meaning of the word fear? Sounds like Foggy finally met his match.

— Graham Wray 24.08.00

Carl Fogarty's autobiography 'Foggy', published by CollinsWillow £16.99 is out now.
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