DOUBLE world champion Carl Fogarty roared back into the spotlight with victory in the third round of the World Superbike Championship at the Hockenheim circuit in Germany.

Fogarty - who survived a 100mph practice crash - won the second race on his Castrol Honda after finishing fifth in the first.

"It's great to be b ack on a rostrom. I'm a little surprised to be here after a tough year," said Fogarty.

"After the first race me and my chief mechanic Nick Goodison decided to use the second as a test session.

"We made a lot of changes and I felt more and more comfortable each lap."

It was a sensational victory and the Blackburn star's success will serve as a warning to his title rivals that he has finally got to terms with the factory RC45 Honda.

He was followed across the line by team-mate Slight as the Castrol Honda team took its first 1-2 in three years of trying.

Fogarty never led in the 14-lap second race until he, first race winner Slight and Kocinski entered the stadium section for the final time when he out-braked team-mate Slight. Slight won a thrilling first race, beating American John Kocinski by more than four seconds after Slight's closest rival, Italian Pior Francesco Chili collided with New Zealander Slight two corners from the chequered flag and crashed out.

Slight and Chili changed places in furious fashion on the 14th and final lap before Chili ran into the side of Slight's bike and crashed in spectacular fashion, escaping injury.

RESULTS ONE: 1 Aaron Slight, New Zealand (Castrol Honda), 2 John Kocinski, USA (Ducati), 3 Colin edwards, USA (Yamaha), 4 Simon Crafar, New Zealand (Kawasaki), 5 Carl Fogarty, GB (Castrol Honda), 6 Anthony Gobert, Australia (Kawasaki), 7 Paolo Casoli, Italy (Ducati), 8 Christer Lindholm, Sweden (Ducati), 9 Jochen Sc hmid, Germany (Kawasaki), 10 Kirk McCarthy, Australia (Suzuki).

RESULT TWO: 1 C Fogarty, GB (Castrol Honda), 2 A Slight, New Zealand (Castrol Honda), 3 J Kocinski, USA (Ducati), 4 S Crafar, New Zealand (Kawasaki), 5 Colin Edwards, USA (Yamaha), 6 Anthoy Gobert, Australia (Kawasaki), 7 Paolo Casoli, Italy (Ducati), 9 C Lindholm, Sweden (Ducati), 9 J Schmid, Germany (Kawasaki), 10 K McCarthy, Australia (Suzuki).

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1 Kocinski 105, Slight 97, Corser 90, Fogarty and Crafar 72, Edwards 64, Chili 56, Gobert 53, Lindholm 40, Casoli 34.

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