Carlos Checa

Infobox Superbike rider


Name = Carlos Checa
Caption = Carlos Checa after winning Race 1 WSBK USA Round
Nationality = flagicon|Spain Spanish
Birthdate = birth date and age|1972|10|15
Birthplace = Barcelona, Spain
Website = [http://www.carloscheca.com/ carloscheca.com]
Current team = Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
Bike number = 7
Championships = 0
Race Starts = 12
Race Wins = 2
Podiums = 6
Poles = 1
Fastest laps = 3
Last season = 2008
Last position = 2nd (166pts)Infobox Former Grand Prix motorcycle rider


Caption =
Name = Carlos Checa
Nationality = flagicon|Spain Spanish
Years = 1993 - 2007
Teams = Honda, Yamaha, Ducati
Races = 220
Championships = 0
Wins = 2
Podiums = 24
Points = 1601
Poles = 3
Fastest laps = 5
First race = 1993 125cc European Grand Prix
First win = 1996 500cc Catalan Grand Prix
Last win = 1998 500cc Madrid Grand Prix
Last race = 2007 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix

Carlos Checa (born October 15, 1972 in Barcelona, Spain) is a professional motorcycle road racer. After racing in 500cc and MotoGP for over a decade, mostly on Honda and Yamaha machinery with and without full manufacturer support, he moves to the Superbike World Championship on a Honda for SBK|2008. He has two Grand Prix victories. He has a younger brother, David Checa, who is also a motorcycle racer and also competes in the Superbike World Championship for SBK|2008.

Grand Prix

Checa made his debut in 125cc and 250cc motorcycle racing in 1993 for Honda. In 1995 he moved up to the Blue Riband 500cc class as a replacement for Alberto Puig, a fellow Spaniard who broke both his legs in a horrifying crash in France. Carlos shocked the paddock by being on the pace and nearly winning the Barcelona race.

He continued with the team until 1998, the year he suffered near fatal injuries with a crash at Donington Park. He crashed at Craner Curves and was initially thought to have suffered only scrapes and bruises before complaining of pain. Hours later he had lost his vision and was listed in critical condition. He fought back to ride that year before racing for Yamaha as Max Biaggi's team mate on two and four-strokes. He nearly won many races but unfortunately crashed after taking the lead. One such race was at Rio de Janeiro in 2002 when he stalled on the starting line then, came through to lead before crashing a corner later. His frequent and spectacular crashes have earned him the unfortunate nickname of "Charlie Chucker" referring to "chucking" the bike down the track.

When Valentino Rossi joined Yamaha he was Carlos' team-mate for one year, before Carlos moved to Ducati in 2005. In 2006 he switched to ride for the Tech-3 Yamaha team, proving much steadier than in previous years and comfortably beating team-mate James Ellison but wasn't much a threat to the rest of the field, as they were on Dunlop tyres. He struggled as the sole LCR Honda rider in 2007, with the 800cc Honda proving uncompetitive for many riders. At the Sachsenring Checa got an updated frame, which other non-works Honda riders had found uncompetitive - this is believed to be due to Checa using the same Michelin tyres as the works team, the other Hondas being on Bridgestones.

uperbike World Championship

For the SBK|2008, Checa left MotoGP to join the Ten Kate Honda team in the Superbike World Championship as a replacement for SBK|2007 champion James Toseland. [ [http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/09102007/58/ten-kate-name-toseland-replacements.html Ten Kate name Toseland replacements] ] Checa won for the first time as a world superbike rider, winning twice at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City on June 1 2008.

uzuka 8 Hours

Riyuichi Kiyonari and Carlos Checa won the 2008 Suzuka 8 Hours. Kiyonari and Checa rode for Dream Honda Racing 11.

Career statistics

By season

References

External links

* [http://www.carloscheca.com/ carloscheca.com] Official website