Tohru Ukawa
Tōru Ukawa (Japanese宇 川 彻, Ukawa Tōru, born May 18, 1973 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is a former Japanese motorcycle racer.
In the 1999 season he was on Honda vice world champion in the 250 cc class of the motorcycle world championship, he is also with five overall wins record winner of the 8- hour race at Suzuka.
Career
Tōru Ukawa began his career, like many of his colleagues, on minibikes. At the age of 16, he began in earnest with the road racing. 1992 Ukawa debuted in the Japanese 250 cc Championship, and finished the season from 13th place in the overall standings. 1993 and 1994 Tōru Ukawa then secured the title in this class. His debut in the motorcycle world championship he gave in 1994 as a wildcard rider with a fantastic third place in his home race in the 250 cc class on Honda.
Between 1996 and 2000 launched Ukawa as Honda team driver in the 250 cc World Championship. His best result in the overall standings, he reached it in 1999, when he Valentino Rossi was runner-up behind the Italians. Overall Ukawa won in these five years, five Grand Prix races and finished 29 times on the podium.
In the 2001 season Tōru Ukawa launched for the Repsol YPF Honda team in the 500 cc class. With its changeable services, finishing third in the Grand Prix of South Africa as the best result of the season and tenth in the standings, it remained below expectations.
Because of his loyalty to Honda and because the Japanese to a native pilots next superstar Valentino Rossi wished Ukawa was 2002 yet committed for the factory Honda team. At this season the technical regulations were changed and replaced by the MotoGP class, the 500 - cc class. Ukawa drove, the only driver besides Rossi, the Honda RC211V four-strokes completely newly developed, which proved to be the superior motorcycle during the season. With a win in South Africa and a total of nine podium finishes to Ukawa finally secured the third place in the championship standings, only surpassed by Valentino Rossi and his compatriot Max Biaggi, who started for Yamaha. He also gave Honda, along with Rossi, superior to the title in the Constructors' World Championship.
For the 2003 season Tōru Ukawa was replaced by the young American Nicky Hayden in the Repsol Honda factory team and moved to the Camel Pramac Pons team of ex- World Champion Sito Pons. There he went, without reaching the podium, with constant results in the top ten ranked seventh overall.
After the season Ukawa withdrew as a regular driver of the motorcycle world championship and became a full -time test driver for Honda.
In addition to his involvement in the Motorcycle World Championship, Ukawa for Honda launched regularly at the prestigious 8- hour race at Suzuka. There he is, with five wins between 1997 and 2005, to today 's most successful pilot.
Achievements
- 250 cc World Championship runner: 1999
- Japanese 250 cc champion: 1993, 1994
- Winner of the 8- hour race at Suzuka: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005