Carlos Checa has not had the best of luck at the Monza circuit. For the past three years, the Ducati rider has failed to finish in the top five. Checa has been having a very successful 2011 racing season so far, and will be looking to turn his Monza luck around this weekend.
Checa currently leads the World Superbike series by 43 points ahead of 2010 champion Max Biaggi. Checa has finished on the podium at every race during the 2011 World Superbike season, and has claimed four race wins.
But Biaggi’s track record isn’t all that impressive at Monza. In 2008, Checa earned his best result at the Italian track with an 8th place finish. The following year he would score a 9th and a 10th place, before dropping completely out of the top 10 in 2010.
"I will face Monza just as I have the other races,” Checa said. “Up until now we have had great results and so we won’t be changing much technically speaking. This is of course a different kind of track and we will have to work hard to not lose too much ground on the straights. There are some difficult sections of track and so we must interpret the circuit well and concentrate on the tough parts. I feel in great shape and am ready to give my all. My team is extremely motivated and with their help I think we can make two great races.”
Max Biaggi took both race wins in 2011, and could use Monza as an opportunity to gain some ground on Checa. But don’t expect the Althea Ducati rider to just roll over this weekend. Checa is off to a stellar start in 2011, and he’ll be fighting for the podium this weekend.
