Editor

Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) was forced to limit the damage and defend his position during the World Superbike races at the Monza track, returning home still holding a 27-point advantage in the general standings.
In Race 1 Carlos was stuck in traffic through the first corners, finding himself down in thirteenth position after one lap. With a faster pace than the riders immediately ahead of him he was able to quickly make up four positions in the first four laps. He then lost some time battling it out with Camier and this prevented him from reaching the leading group. In the final laps a sudden drop in tyre performance meant he was unable to make any further improvement and the Spanish rider thus crossed the line in ninth position.


In the second race Carlos made a very good start and had already made up five positions through the first corners. He was lucky to avoid being caught up in the accident that signified the end of the race for several of his rivals, and he started to build up a good rhythm from that point on. Checa's times remained fast until three laps from the end when he suffered unexpected engine trouble. This problem slowed him down a great deal and he lost four positions in the final two laps, eventually finishing tenth.


"We're satisfied because we were aware of our limitations before we arrived here at Monza and we knew that it would be difficult to reach the podium. In race 1 I had to push so hard on the straights that it probably affected the tyre because in the last laps the performance had really dropped off and I couldn't get ahead of Camier. In the second race we had good pace until three laps from the end when I had an engine problem. It slowed me down so much that I was lucky even to finish. I closed in ninth and tenth position today and, all things considered, these are good points for us at Monza. We leave here with a 27-point lead which surprises me to tell the truth. We're really happy and will now concentrate on the next round at Miller, where I hope to be able to make two great races."



Source: World Superbike

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Kawasaki Racing