Akira Yanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a motorcycle
road racer
from Japan
. He won three World Superbike Championship races and finished on the podium on 20 further occasions.
He started racing on mini-bikes before becoming Japan's 250cc champion in 1989. He moved to his homeland's Superbike championship in 1993. By Kawasaki
considered him ready for the Superbike World Championship
.
Initial testing displays and results suggested that they were not wrong. At the A1-Ring, Akira became the first Japanese rider to win a Superbike World Championship race outside his homeland, also winning Sugo
later in the year to come 4th overall. was dominated by two huge crashes. At Monza
the bike hurtled through the gravel at the Ascari Chicane before catching fire due to a burst fuel line, with Akira fortunately nowhere near it. At Laguna Seca
he was running 2nd when Doug Chandler
's wild card Kawasaki went out of control on the run into the Corkscrew corner and harpooned Akira. It was a frightening moment, yet Yanagawa only missed one further round. He was classified 2nd in that race, as the restart was abandoned following another pile-up. On his return he took two 4th places, and followed this with two podium results at Sugo. This was good for 7th overall.
In and he came 5th overall, with a win at Sugo and five third places in . He was 9th in , crashing on lap 1 of his 100th WSBK race at Sugo
but scoring two 3rds at Monza, as Kawasaki gradually lost interest in the Superbike World Championship, focusing instead on developing a MotoGP bike for 2002
. Yanagawa raced in Japan's Superbike series while testing this, and briefly raced it before returning to a testing role. He has continued in the All-Japan series, leading it in 2007 before losing out to Atsushi Watanabe, and also entered for a one-off MotoGP round at Motegi http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2007/Yanagawa+to+join+de+Puniet+and+West+at+Motegi
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He won three World Superbike Championship races and finished on the podium on 20 further occasions.
He started racing on mini-bikes before becoming Japan's 250cc champion in 1989. He moved to his homeland's Superbike championship in 1993. By Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
considered him ready for the Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
.
Initial testing displays and results suggested that they were not wrong. At the A1-Ring, Akira became the first Japanese rider to win a Superbike World Championship race outside his homeland, also winning Sugo
Sportsland SUGO
is a motorsports facility located in the town of Murata, Shibata District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It opened in 1975 and is one of the largest motorsports facilities in Japan, with a total area of 2.1 million m²...
later in the year to come 4th overall. was dominated by two huge crashes. At Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
the bike hurtled through the gravel at the Ascari Chicane before catching fire due to a burst fuel line, with Akira fortunately nowhere near it. At Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, USA....
he was running 2nd when Doug Chandler
Doug Chandler
John Douglas Chandler is a professional motorcycle racer. He earned a reputation as one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and 1990s. Chandler is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and...
's wild card Kawasaki went out of control on the run into the Corkscrew corner and harpooned Akira. It was a frightening moment, yet Yanagawa only missed one further round. He was classified 2nd in that race, as the restart was abandoned following another pile-up. On his return he took two 4th places, and followed this with two podium results at Sugo. This was good for 7th overall.
In and he came 5th overall, with a win at Sugo and five third places in . He was 9th in , crashing on lap 1 of his 100th WSBK race at Sugo
Sportsland SUGO
is a motorsports facility located in the town of Murata, Shibata District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It opened in 1975 and is one of the largest motorsports facilities in Japan, with a total area of 2.1 million m²...
but scoring two 3rds at Monza, as Kawasaki gradually lost interest in the Superbike World Championship, focusing instead on developing a MotoGP bike for 2002
2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2002 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 54th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The season consist of 16 races, which started with the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 April and ended with the Valencian Community Grand Prix on 3 November....
. Yanagawa raced in Japan's Superbike series while testing this, and briefly raced it before returning to a testing role. He has continued in the All-Japan series, leading it in 2007 before losing out to Atsushi Watanabe, and also entered for a one-off MotoGP round at Motegi http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2007/Yanagawa+to+join+de+Puniet+and+West+at+Motegi