Spanish gain: ERC Endurance Ducati adds Checa and Fores for EWC 2022

Spaniards David Checa and Xavi Fores will add further international flavour – and even more pace – to the ERC Endurance Ducati squad contesting the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season. Joining Frenchman Mathieu Gines and Italian Lorenzo Zanetti, Checa and Fores will help to create a formidable line-up on the German team’s Ducati Panigale V4R. Checa is one of the most successful and experienced riders in the history of endurance racing and is transferring from the factory Kawasaki outfit to the team from Karlsruhe.

Winner of the EWC in 2004, 2014, 2016/17 and 2018/19, Checa also has experience in MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship. In addition, the 41-year-old has won the Bol d’Or twice and the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on three occasions. “Since first entering the EWC competition at Malaysia two years ago I was able to watch the Ducati very closely on track and from beside and from the beginning it was clear to see the potential of the Panigale V4R-EWC,” Checa said.

“The team has had a strong first season, showing the Ducati can mix it up front. They also learned a lot already and I am happy to now be part of this project. I will use all my experience on every single point to help bringing it further ahead.” Fores, 36, joins ERC Endurance Ducati from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which he helped to finish runner-up in the 2021 FIM EWC Teams’ ranking.

With experience and pedigree in GP125, Moto2, MotoGP, World Superbike and World Supersport, Fores is also a title winner in the German IDM Superbike series. He said: “I had some great success with Ducati already and I think the ERC Endurance Panigale V4R-EWC can not only win podiums and races, but also fight for championships. I am looking