Carlos Checa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Checa
Checa during the Silverstone round of the 2012 Superbike World Championship
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1972-10-15) 15 October 1972 (age 52) Barcelona, Spain
Website	carloscheca.com Twitter's profile
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 1995–2007, 2010 Manufacturers Honda, Ducati, Yamaha Championships 0 2010 championship position 21st (1 pt) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 194 2 24 3 5 1485 250cc World Championship Active years 1993–1995 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 1995 championship position 13th (45 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 27 0 0 0 0 108 125cc World Championship Active years 1993 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 1993 championship position 27th (9 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 1 0 0 0 0 9 Superbike World Championship Active years 2008–2013 Manufacturers Honda, Ducati Championships 1 (2011) 2013 championship position 15th (80 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 150 24 49 10 30 1691.5

Carlos Checa Carrera (born October 15, 1972) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle road racer. He is famous for winning the Superbike World Championship in 2011. Carlos raced in top motorcycle series like 500cc and MotoGP for over ten years. He mostly rode bikes from Honda and Yamaha. Later, he moved to the Superbike World Championship. Carlos has won two Grand Prix races. His younger brother, David Checa, is also a motorcycle racer.

Carlos Checa's Racing Journey

Early Years in Motorcycle Racing

Carlos Checa was born in Barcelona, Spain. He started his motorcycle racing career in 1993. He competed in the 125cc and 250cc classes with Honda bikes. In 1995, he moved up to the 500cc class. This was the top class in motorcycle racing at the time. He joined the team as a replacement for another Spanish rider, Alberto Puig. Carlos quickly showed his talent and almost won a race in Barcelona.

He continued racing with the same team until 1998. That year, he had a very serious crash at Donington Park. He was badly hurt and needed emergency surgery. But Carlos was very determined. He recovered quickly and missed only one race that year.

Racing in MotoGP

After his recovery, Carlos Checa joined the Yamaha team. He raced alongside Max Biaggi. Carlos often led races but sometimes crashed after taking the lead. For example, in 2002, he stalled his bike at the start of a race in Rio de Janeiro. He then rode incredibly well to take the lead, but crashed just a corner later.

Carlos continued with the factory Yamaha team in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he moved to the Ducati team. He returned to the Tech 3 Yamaha team in 2006. He was more consistent that year, but his bike was not as competitive as others. In 2007, he rode for the LCR Honda team. The 800cc Honda bike was difficult for many riders that season. Carlos received an updated frame for his bike, but it didn't help much.

Carlos Checa made a brief return to MotoGP in 2010. He raced in the last two events of the season.

Success in Superbike World Championship

In 2008, Carlos Checa decided to leave MotoGP. He joined the Ten Kate Honda team in the Superbike World Championship. He replaced James Toseland, who was the champion in 2007. Carlos had a strong start, getting several podium finishes. He won his first two races at Miller Motorsports Park in the United States in June 2008. He finished fifth in the championship that year. He also won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race with his teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari.

In 2009, Carlos faced some challenges. He only achieved four podium finishes and ended up seventh in the standings. The Ten Kate Honda team decided to reduce their number of riders. So, Carlos left the team.

In 2009, Carlos joined the Althea Ducati team. He quickly made an impact. He won Althea's first race at the opening event in Phillip Island. He was on track to win both races at Miller Motorsports Park but had mechanical problems. Carlos went on to win the Italian round at Imola. He finished the 2010 season in third place overall.

Carlos Checa had an amazing 2011 season. He dominated the first round at Phillip Island, winning both races easily on his Ducati 1098R. He went on to win thirteen more races that year! Carlos was crowned the 2011 World Superbike Champion at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. He was the first Spanish rider to win this championship. He was also only the third European rider from outside the United Kingdom to achieve this.

Carlos continued to race in the Superbike World Championship until 2013. He retired from racing after the 2013 season.

Suzuka 8 Hours Results

Carlos Checa also competed in the famous Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

Year	Team	Co-Rider	Bike	Pos
2007	HRC 33 Honda Racing	Tadayuki Okada	CBR1000RRW	2nd
2008	Dream [ja] Honda Racing	Ryuichi Kiyonari	CBR1000RRW	1st

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Checa para niños