After four years entering one or two races as a 125cc and 250cc wildcard at his home GPs, Spaniard David Garcia got a full time 250cc ride in the World Championship in the 1999. He returned to the European 250cc Championship, winning the title in 2001, then signing on as a 4-stroke test rider for the KR Proton machine in 2002. That year, after contesting several rounds of the Spanish Supersport series and replacing countryman Emilio Alzamora for the 250cc Czech GP, Garcia contested the final round of the season at Valencia as part of his contract as a test rider for Proton.