CARL Fogarty is in for a testing time at Misano - but the Ducati racer has done his homework.

The Blackburn ace is currently 26 points adrift of championship leader Troy Corser going into round six in San Marino, writes ANDY NEILD.

But he is expecting to make a big impact at this weekend's event because the Italian track is where his Ducati team carry out their testing.

Two 13th place finishes in atrocious conditions at Nurburgring in the last round put a dampener on Foggy's season as he slipped down to 6th in the championship.

But he believes two good races this weekend could put him back on track for a third World Superbike crown. "It is still very very close up at the top of the championship and there are not many points separating the leading riders," said Fogarty.

"I am only one race win away from being right back in it.

"It is our testing circuit and obviously I know the track well.

"So I think it will be a race between me and the other Ducati riders."

Despite being dogged by technical problems throughout an up and down season, Fogarty has managed to keep in touch with the leading riders.

But he will be keeping his fingers crossed for better weather in Italy after torrential rain caused havoc in Germany.

"I was gutted really. It has been a hard two weeks for me since then.

"They were probably the worst two races of my whole Superbike career at Nurburgring. I don't seem to have the confidence this season when it is wet. "I don't really know why. But I think we'll be alright in Italy as long as it's dry.

"The start will be crucial and from that point of view we will be a bit better off because we know the track."

One thing the Ducati ace will not be able to use in his favour at Misano is the revised airbox currently being developed by his team's technicians.

The device - which lets the bike rev quicker boosting the top speed by up to 3mph - will not be ready until the next round in Brazil.

"Once the new parts are fitted the bike will hopefully be as fast as the Hondas and Kawasakis," said Fogarty. But it's championship leader Corser who is currently looming largest in his sight's. "I could really do with beating Corser this weekend before he starts to pull away."

Meanwhile, Kawasaki's Neil Hodgson is hoping he can bounce back from the disappointments of round five and cement his top 10 place in the Superbike championship.

The Burnley ace currently stands 10th with 50 points to his name.

But he is also familiar with the track at Misano, after testing there in his two year spell with Ducati, and he too is confident he can use that to his advantage.

"I do know the track very well and I like it," said Hodgson.

"I know where the hazardous bits are which does give me a bit of an edge. But then, having said, that I have never ridden a Kawasaki there.

"I have not ridden the bike since the last round in Germany."

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