CARL Fogarty will be heading into his final season in World Superbikes.

His team's sponsorship deal with Petronas will not be renewed at the end of this year.

And that means the end of the Foggy Petronas Racing team in the Championship following the completion of a five-year sponsorship deal.

Owned by Blackburn's four-time World Superbike champion, the Foggy Petronas Racing team was formed in 2002 and made its racing debut in the World Superbike Championship the following year at Valencia, Spain.

Petronas' partnership with Fogarty came as a result of the limited edition production of the Petronas FP1 superbike.

Among the highlights of the Foggy team in the World Superbike Championship include two podium finishes and two pole positions in 2004, where Petronas achieved its best ever result in the manufacturers' standings with a third place finish.

But overall, it has been a disappointing time for the Superbike legend.

Team owner, Fogarty, said: "We are honoured to have been able to be a part of this exciting, challenging and rewarding project.

"We always knew that building a brand new motorcycle and to compete against the might of the more established motorcycle manufacturers would not be easy.

"Nevertheless, we are proud of all our accomplishments and to have been able to overcome all the obstacles we faced, to come this far, is an achievement.

"2006 will be Foggy PETRONAS Racing team's final season in the World Superbike Championship and we would like to end it on a successful note and I am looking forward to a fruitful season.

"My Team Foggy Racing outfit will now continue to explore opportunities with other manufacturers and sponsors for 2007 and beyond, as I believe we have built a team capable of achieving consistent success on the world stage."

Taking on the challenge of the team's final campaign, which starts in Qatar on February 23, the Foggy Petronas Racing team will be represented by experienced Australian rider Steve Martin and British young gun Craig Jones.