2000 Motocourse to feature Superbike champ Carl Fogarty on cover?
In at least one book catalog sent to UK book-buyers, the cover of the 1999-2000 edition of Motocourse has on it not the customary image of the current 500cc Grand Prix world champion, but instead current World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty.
If Hazleton, owner of Motocourse, publishes the next edition of Motocourse without current GP champion Alex Criville on the dust-jacket, it will be a serious break with tradition. Since 1976 every Motocourse published has had the reigning 500cc Grand Prix world champion on the cover.
A faxed message sent 48 hours ago to Motocourse publisher Richard Poulter requesting verification and comment has not yet been returned.
US Motocourse scribe Paul Carruthers stated last week that he had not heard anything about a Foggy cover, but stated that he never knows what will be on the cover of Motocourse until it comes out.
Tim Parker, head of Motorbooks here in the US, the official US importer of Motocourse, says that their current catalog has a dummy (advance) cover for the 99-2000 volume with Mick Doohan on the cover.
Sources in the UK book-selling trade say that they have been requesting from Motocourse that they step up the Superbike coverage because they feel the books would sell much better with Carl on the cover.
"Trying to sell Doohan here is one thing," said my UK source, "but trying to sell Alex Criville to the British book buyers might be difficult, especially with Foggy winning the championship."
It is rumored that Hazleton will publish a special Foggy dust jacket to wrap the books being sold in the UK, and the rest of the world will get traditional Criville covers. If that is the case, these Foggy wrapped books will become instant collectibles.
Recent editions of Motocourse have seen them shy away from their once very anti-Superbike editorial tone; the last edition featured near full race reports from each round of the World Superbike Championship. This from a tome that once referred to WSC as a retirement series for ex-Grand Prix riders ...
-- Dean Adams
** You can pre-order the 1999-2000 Motocourse through Amazon.com by following the Doohan bio link on our news index page.
