Checa: I couldn't see - it was scary.

Fortuna Yamaha front row starter Carlos Checa produced a gritty ride in what was a typically wet Dutch TT in Assen yesterday. The Spaniard finished the 19-lap race in fourth position - the top YZR-M1 rider for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

The restarted wet race, which was declared after the initial warm-up lap for a dry race, saw the 30-year-old exit the jostle at the first turn in tenth place, after some hardcore paint-swapping action.

Checa then began a run that showed the Fortuna Yamaha Team rider's full potential, carving his way through the highly competitive field while still matching the lap times of the leading trio until mid-race distance.

The Spaniard's momentum lifted him to fifth position on lap 12, and eventually fourth on lap 17 after he passed Noriyuki Haga, who crashed moments after Checa's red and silver M1 slipped by - leaving the #7 a safe fourth at the flag.

"I had a bad start, as it was difficult to see anything," said Checa. "The rear tyre spun and there wasn't much traction. I couldn't see well for the first part of the race but then I got used to it. It's a very scary feeling, going from line to line like that, trying to make out the shapes of the other bikes. But it was so important to finish this race and I'm happy that I have achieved that."

"Fourth position is not so bad at all," said Team Director Davide Brivio after the race. "Things are starting to go much better for Carlos, after the Catalunya result and here. We have now had good results in the dry and the wet, and we've built up a steady base. Now I hope we can improve on that even more."