I'm praying for sunshine, says rain ace Checa.

Carlos Checa rode a remarkable race at Rio two weeks ago. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man didn't even finish the rain-soaked event but his ride will live on in the memory of race fans for a long, long while.

Dead last at the start, he rocketed through the pack, lapping at an astonishing pace that took him past World Champion Valentino Rossi into the lead, only for him to fall a few corners later. His best lap was just seven per cent off the track record, when 12-15 per cent is the usual wet-to-dry track difference! Nevertheless, the Spaniard wants a dry race at Motegi.

"We've had two wet races in a row, so I pray for some sunshine in the Land of the Rising Sun!" he smiled. "Anyway, I have to forget what happened at Rio, all I have to remember is that we have a great bike that is more than ready to win. Everyone at Yamaha has worked so hard this year, and it would be great to pay them back with a great result in their country. Racing in Japan is always important, so I want to do my very best.

Turning his attention to the track itself, Checa - unlike many of his contemporaries - confesses to enjoying the layout.

"I like Motegi, there's a lot of uphill and downhill action, so it's quite fun. Also there's a lot of hard acceleration, which is good when you've got a lot of power and I think our bike will be fast this weekend," said the Spaniard. " The downhill braking sections are important and I feel that the M1's computer-controlled engine-braking system keeps the rear end more stable than other bikes, though sometimes that can push the front into turns. This is a busy time for the championship but three back-to-back races is no problem for us, we're fit and, anyway, all the races are in similar time zones."

Checa finished last year's Pacific GP in seventh place. He was fourth at Motegi in 2000 and sixth in the rain in 1999.