Checa prepares for MotoGP farewell

MotoGP veteran Carlos Checa, who this weekend says farewell to MotoGP and his Honda LCR team, is all set for an emotional departure as the 2007 season draws to a close at the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana.

On home soil Checa will have plenty of support from loved ones and fans at the Ricardo Tormo circuit as he says goodbye to the World Championship after 16 years of competition and nearly 200 premier class Grand Prix appearances.

Wednesday saw Checa undertake a sky dive with a free fall jump at nearby Castellon to mark his last race and he would love to sign off with a spectacular result in Sunday's MotoGP contest.

However, although the 35 year-old Spaniard is set for a move into World Superbikes with Honda in 2008, he intriguingly hinted that this weekend may not be the absolute finale to his MotoGP adventure.

"Officially, this will be my last MotoGP race but you never know what will happen in the future," commented Checa, who may be referring to stand-in rides and ad hoc testing appearances as a possibility in the future due to his close relationship with Honda.

"In any case, I want to finish this part of my career and the season with a good feeling for everyone," he continued. "For the LCR team and all my friends and fans who will be at the circuit, it will be a very special race for me. I like Valencia and we had a good pre-season test here. It's a track that doesn't rely on horsepower so much, so l am aiming to end the season with a strong performance, definitely a top ten result."

This will be Checa's 192nd start in the premier class, with Alex Barros (Pramac d'Antin) the only rider to have made more Grand Prix appearances in the premier category.