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 racer. He is famous for winning the 2011 Superbike World Championship. Carlos raced in top motorcycle classes like 500 cc and MotoGP for over ten years. He mostly rode for Honda and Yamaha teams. Later, he moved to the Superbike World Championship in 2008. Carlos has won two Grand Prix races in his career. 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. In 1995, he moved up to the 500cc class. This was the top class for motorcycle racing at the time. He joined the team as a replacement rider. Carlos surprised everyone by being very fast right away. He almost won a race in Barcelona that year.

He continued racing with the same team until 1998. That year, he had a serious crash at Donington Park. He needed emergency surgery but bravely returned to racing. He only missed one race that season. After that, he joined the Yamaha team. He rode both two-stroke and four-stroke bikes. Carlos was known for being very fast and often led races. However, he sometimes crashed after taking the lead. For example, in 2002, he crashed after riding through the field to take the lead in a race in Rio.

Carlos continued with the factory Yamaha team in 2003 and 2004. Then, he moved to the Ducati team in 2005. In 2006, he returned to the Tech 3 Yamaha team. He rode more steadily that year. In 2007, he raced for the LCR Honda team. He found it tough because the 800cc Honda bike was not very competitive. Carlos briefly returned 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 took over from the 2007 champion, James Toseland. At the Valencia race, he had a collision while fighting for the win. Carlos earned his first two wins in Superbike at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA. He finished fifth in the championship that year. He also won the famous Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race with his teammate.

In 2009, Carlos faced challenges and only achieved four podium finishes. He ended the season in seventh place. The Ten Kate Honda team decided to have fewer 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 Phillip Island. He was set to win both races at Miller Motorsports Park but faced unexpected mechanical problems. Carlos went on to win the Italian round at Imola. He finished the 2010 season in an impressive third place.

Carlos Checa had an amazing start to the 2011 season. He won both races at Phillip Island on his Ducati 1098R. He continued his winning streak, taking thirteen more victories. Carlos was crowned the 2011 World Superbike Champion at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. He became the first Spanish rider to win this title. He was also only the third European rider from outside the UK to achieve this.

Career Highlights

Carlos Checa had a long and successful career in motorcycle racing. He competed in many different classes and championships. Here are some of his main achievements:

• MotoGP/500cc:

* 2 Race Wins * 24 Podium Finishes * 3 Pole Positions

• Superbike World Championship:

* 1 World Championship Title (2011) * 24 Race Wins * 49 Podium Finishes * 10 Pole Positions

• Suzuka 8 Hours:

* 1 Win (2008)

Carlos Checa is remembered as a talented and determined racer. He achieved great success, especially in the Superbike World Championship.

Images for kids

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  Carlos Checa racing in 2012.

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Checa para niños