2012 World Superbike

When Carlos Checa joined Althea Ducati for the 2010 World Superbike Championship, the key sponsor on his 1098 Desmo was Unibat, an Italian manufacturer of high-performance batteries for motorcycles, cars and heavy-duty vehicles.

Unibat continued with Althea Ducati in 2011, the year Carlos Checa dominated, taking 15 wins en route to the World Superbike title.

And once again, Unibat will be the key sponsor for the Althea Ducati WSBK team, as Checa and his new teammate, 2011 World Superstock 1000 Champion Davide Giugliano, compete in the 14-round World SBK Championship.

Summing up the relationship between both Italian companies (Althea and Unibat), Althea says "the relationship between the two Italian companies has thus proved extremely fruitful and both parties are enthusiastic about working together again in 2012."

Antonio Annoscia (CEO of Unibat) says: "Having seen team Althea's ambitious plans for the 2012 Superbike season, we have decided to renew our contract as main sponsor of Althea Racing for another year. We believe in this team, made up of individuals who work well together on both technical and organizational levels. We're certain that our efforts will help consolidate Unibat's position as leader among motorcycle battery manufacturers across the globe."

Genesio Bevilacqua (General Manager of Althea Racing) says: "We are delighted to have come to an agreement with Unibat for a third consecutive season. With an extremely successful 2011 season already behind us, we look forward to working with Unibat in 2012 as we strive to consolidate this year's performance. Unibat has been one of our most loyal supporters over the last two years and we are therefore very pleased that our relationship will continue into the coming season."

The first race for the Althea Ducati team sponsored by Unibat will be at Phillip Island, Australia, Feb. 26.