Longtime Honda rider Shinichi...
Longtime Honda rider Shinichi Ito has a career that incredibly spans back to 1988.
Honda is ensuring that the company will be well-represented at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi circuit in two weeks, with long-time Honda man Shinichi Ito entered as wildcard for HRC, and current test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi entered as a wildcard teammate for Toni Elias at LCR Honda. This brings the total number of Honda-mounted riders at Motegi to eight, and infinitesimally swells the MotoGP grid to 19 (although whether Pramac Racing Ducati’s Loris Capirossi’s separated shoulder will be healed enough for him to participate is questionable). The Motegi race obviously has special significance due to the earthquake/tsunami disaster of March 11—as well as the now-defunct rider boycott that was threatening the race—with Honda wanting to “bring courage and show support for the East Japan area” most affected by the disaster.
Speaking of the now-defunct boycott, the last of the riders to announce his participation did so during the Aragon GP weekend, with Casey Stoner stating before the podium press conference that he would indeed be racing at Motegi (although his wife Adriana—who usually accompanies him to the race—will not due to her pregnancy). “It was something we all just slowly agreed on with Honda,” said Stoner. “We’ve made the decision to go there, but unlike the other teams and riders, I’m not going to make an announcement. For me, it’s better if we just discuss everything. I got as much information as I could; not coming out of somebody else’s mouth, I wanted to hear it for myself. My wife still won’t be coming, definitely not, but I’ll be going there; the minimal time possible this year, and I’m sure the situation will be assessed for next year and everything will return to normal. Now that we’ve got some more…you know, ‘honest’ evidence that everyone seems to be more happy with, (where) it’s not trying to be shoved down our throats, everybody seems a little bit more calm.”
Ito was partnered with Akiyoshi...
Ito was partnered with Akiyoshi and BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari on the winning Honda at the recent 2011 Suzuka 8-Hours race.
The longevity of Ito’s career continues to amaze. The 45-year-old Japanese rider has a career that actually dates back to 1987, with his first major professional race being the Japanese GP at Suzuka in 1988 (GP history buffs will recall that as the race where a certain Kevin Schwantz burst onto the Grand Prix scene with a stunning victory). When the All-Japan Road Racing championship had a 500cc class populated with multi-cylinder two-strokes, Ito was one of the perennial front-runners, finally winning the title in 1990. After a number of 500GP wildcard rides, he eventually was rewarded by Honda with a full-time GP ride alongside Mick Doohan and Daryl Beattie in 1993, often being given development parts (including fuel injection, using it to become the first Grand Prix rider to break the 200 mph barrier at Hockenheim, Germany) before his Australian teammates.
Kousuke Akiyoshi has been...
Kousuke Akiyoshi has been Honda/HRC's MotoGP test rider since 2009, and has done numerous wildcard and fill-in MotoGP over the past few years.
Ito’s four-year GP career included numerous podium finishes, but no victories; however, he has amassed an impressive record in the once-prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race, being part of the winning squad a total of four times. Ito then continued to race in the All-Japan championship while moonlighting with wildcard MotoGP rides, including two Ducati stints by virtue of his Bridgestone development work that began in 2002 with the legendary Erv Kanemoto. Ito finally “retired” from racing last year—although he has continued to be a trusted test rider for HRC—but he returned to ride on the winning F.C.C. TSR Honda team at this year’s Suzuka 8-Hours, teamed with Akiyoshi and reigning British Superbike champion Ryuichi Kiyonari.
Akiyoshi subbed for Hiroshi...
Akiyoshi subbed for Hiroshi Aoyama at Assen when the MotoGP regular was called up to the factory Repsol Honda squad to replace the injured Dani Pedrosa.
Akiyoshi has been racing in the All-Japan superbike class since 2005, although he actually started with Suzuki, and was the factory’s official MotoGP test rider that year. The 36-year-old rider ran several wildcard MotoGP rides with the Rizla Suzuki team up until 2008, but his biggest win was when he teamed with long-time Suzuki superbike rider Yukio Kagayama to win the Suzuka 8-Hours in 2007. Akiyoshi switched to Honda in 2009, and has been that manufacturer’s MotoGP test rider since that time. He won the All-Japan JSB1000 superbike championship in 2010, and has been Honda’s replacement rider of choice for injured Honda MotoGP stars, subbing for Hiroshi Aoyama in 2010, and again for Aoyama (who was replacing the injured Dani Pedrosa in the factory Repsol Honda team) this year at Assen.