The Sunday Ride Classic, or SRC, an unmissable event stormed by enthusiasts, is back on the weekend of May 18 and 19, 2024 for an edition which already promises to be exceptional; with, in addition, a motorcycle from Carlos Checa. From year to year, the nectar of old motorcycles comes together at the no less legendary Paul Ricard, in the Var, to celebrate our favorite machines. And, good news, the ticket office is open!
The quality of the Sunday Ride Classic decks no longer needs to be proven. But with a Yamaha YZR500 replica Carlos Checa, then, no more excuses not to come. It is one of four reconstructed replicas, in its 2001 version. So, for the occasion, why not look back at the history of Checa himself, an emblematic pilot?
Carlos was born in 1972 in Barcelona, Catalonia. He is part of this generation of very talented Spaniards who littered the world grids in the 1990s. As is often the case, he debuted in 1993 during a wild card in 125cc on the Catalunya circuit, no far from his hometown.
Carlos Checa at the 1995 Argentine Grand Prix. Photo: Box Repsol
On Honda, he progressed and quickly signed in 250cc with Givi Racing. In 1995, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself. His compatriot Alberto Puig is seriously injured in France, he who was signed with Pons just like Carlos Checa in quarter-litre. Without blinking an eye, the team made him take the handlebars of the Honda NSR500. And against all odds, “El Toro” is fast, very fast. So far, his rise has been fantastic: in just two years, he is already at the highest level.
Comforted by his regular top 10 finishes at the end of the season, Pons hired him full-time in 1996. His campaign got off to a flying start, with a podium finish in Malaysia. While he had a decent season, he excelled at home, in Catalunya, and won his first career victory almost seven seconds ahead of Mick Doohan! Despite his meteoric progress, we still note an increased susceptibility to injuries.
Still at Honda Pons, Checa was an outsider to consider during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Right in the Doohan era, he often came to tickle the Australian, and even won again on his home soil at Jarama in 1998. This exercise starts in thunderous fashion, and Carlos Checa is not that far from the lead of the championship. But a terrible fall at Donington jeopardizes his career, and even his life. Although he does not appear to be affected immediately after impact, his vision deteriorates rapidly as does his condition. Admitted to intensive care, he did not come far from death. Miraculously, he comes back, almost as strong as before. He is 4th overall despite three missed races, which is quite an achievement..
Checa at the 1997 German GP. Photo: Dieter Gerhards
The official teams are interested in his profile, and know his ability to shake up the hierarchy. From then on, he signed with Yamaha for the 1999 season.. Certainly, he is strong, but has an unfortunate tendency to fall in the lead, and more generally not to finish races. This is particularly frustrating because he is often close to victory and could actually play something in the championship. Alongside Max Biaggi, he suffers considerably in the face of the latter's realism. Checa just can't win. From 1999 to 2002, he was on the podium 12 times without ever winning, and even when he was on pole, it was not enough. This is all the more demoralizing because in 1999 and even in 2000, there was room once the Honda Repsol hegemony had run out of steam.
The start of the MotoGP era is more difficult. A little losing momentum after this “missed meeting”, he maintained good positions at Fortuna Yamaha then within the official Ducati team. On a capricious Desmosedici GP5, he still took 9th place in the championship with two podiums, which is far from ridiculous. After two complicated seasons at Tech3 and LCR Honda, Checa decided to change chapter: welcome to Superbike.
For the 2008 and 2009 seasons, he managed to find a small Honda Ten Kate handlebar, quite prestigious if ever there was one. The WSBK paddock did not take long to discover a pure talent, who knows how to acclimatize to the new format. In a very competitive era marked by Haga, Bayliss and other Corsers, he managed to find a place for himself and already won his first races. Moreover, in 2008, he also triumphed at the prestigious 8 Hours of Suzuka alongside Ryuichi Kiyonari on behalf of the winged brand. At 36, he left for a ride.
Here at the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix. Photo: Rikita
However, the year 2009 is difficult. Carlos Checa is no longer as incisive, which results in his departure from the Dutch team. Althea Racing and its striking Ducati 1098R don't ask for that much. On the Italians, he began a rejuvenation and regained performance from the start of the 2010 season. In 2011, it was the consecration.
Despite his advanced age, Checa crushed the competition and won 13 times to earn his first career world championship title, a well-deserved honor for such a great driver; there is no doubt that the spectators present at Magny-Cours that day still remember it. Still fast in 2012, he began to regress but that did not prevent him from signing with the official Ducati team for 2013, on the new 1199 Panigale R. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll on his season.. Then, the climbing enthusiast hung up his gloves at the age of 41. Since then, we have seen him on the side of Saudi Arabia for the Dakar during these last editions.
His twenty-year career may not have received the laurels it deserved. But in the meantime, no one has forgotten “El Toro”, and the mark he left in Grands Prix as in Superbike is considerable. So, don't waste a minute to see the replica of one of his motorcycles used in Grands Prix! It will happen on May 18 and 19 at the Paul Ricard circuit!
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Ticket office: click here.
The famous Ducati 1198 WSBK used during the 2011 season by Checa. Photo: Desmodromico
Cover photo: SRC
