Checa signs for new Altea Ducati Team for 2010

Spanish veteran Carlos Checa will ride a Ducati 1198 in the World Superbike Championship in 2010. The long time GP man arrived in WSB in 2007 where he spent two years campaigning the Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR.

Despite two race wins and 11 podiums, Checa has ultimately been unable to become a true championship contender causing him to lose his ride with Ten Kate to former Alstare Suzuki man Max Neukirchner.

Having previously told MCN that he would retire if he was unable to ride for a factory team in the championship, the 37 year old has had a change of heart to continue racing and sign for the restructured Altea team.

Checa is no stranger to Ducati having raced the Marlboro Ducati in MotoGP in 2005. Following his release from Ten Kate, Checa was offered a job as Ducati MotoGP test rider but declined the opportunity and elected to continue racing in WSB.

He said: “After two years with Honda and the Ten Kate team, I’ve decided to change and I’m extremely happy to join the Althea Ducati Team.
“I’m impatient to get to Portimao to be able to end my racing season in the best possible way and also to start to get to know my new team and try out my new bike. I’m very happy to be back on a Ducati motorcycle and I look forward to start working immediately with my technical staff because our target is to be competitive right from the very first Superbike championship races”.

It is yet to be decided if Altea will run a one or two man team next year. Should they elect to run two riders, proven Ducati men Shane Byrne and Jacob Smrz will almost certainly be at the top of their wish list.