Carlos in the top-flight again
Fast in all Phillip Island sessions and the previous winter tests, Checa has been reborn in a season which some may have seen as a relative slow-down from being an official Honda rider in 2008 and 2009. He is after all, 37 years old! As he proved, however, there is plenty of racing left in the Catalan rider, as Carlos gave himself and his recently reorganised Althea Ducati team his third and their first ever WSBK race win.
Phillip Island was Checa's first race weekend on a twin cylinder four-stroke motorcycle, and his first meeting riding for his new team - two factors among several others that make his achievement highly noteworthy.
Carlos has now started 58 World Superbike races, but he spent the majority of his career in GP racing, winning two 500GPs, his first way back in 1996.
After his remarkable performance in Australia, Carlos put his win down to an immediate empathy with the nature of his latest bike. "I like the character of this machine", said Carlos. "It suits my riding style. This year, when I signed for this project it was because I wanted to have fun, to ride this bike, to ride a twin. At this stage of my career what more can I ask?"
