Yasutomo Nagai
Encyclopedia
was a motorcycle
road racer
, born in Koshigaya, Japan
.
Nagai raced in Japan's All-Japan Road Racing Championship for many years, spending seven of them with Yamaha. He was also a member of the 1994 Bol d'or
winning Yamaha France team, with Dominique
and Christian Sarron
.
Nagai took two pole positions in the Superbike World Championship
. He was the first Japanese racer to take a Championship pole outside of Japan (in Austria
in }. He achieved four podium finishes.
Nagai died two days after crashing at Assen
, Holland during the 1995
Superbike World Championship
race. Riding a Yamaha YZF750
, he rode over oil spilled on the track by a Ducati 916
. As he fell, his Yamaha
landed on top of him. Nagai's injuries left him in a coma from which he never regained consciousness. He was 29 years old. Despite not taking part in the final two rounds, he was 5th overall in the standings.
Nagai was one of the first racers bringing the "big eyes" logo in the international racing circuits.
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_01.htm
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_02.htm
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_03.htm
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...
, born in Koshigaya, 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...
.
Nagai raced in Japan's All-Japan Road Racing Championship for many years, spending seven of them with Yamaha. He was also a member of the 1994 Bol d'or
Bol d'or
The Bol d'or is a motorcycle endurance race, held annually in France. Originally, it was an automobile as well as motorcycle race. The automobiles were limited to 1100cc engine capacity until the 1950s when the limit was raised to 1500cc, and later to 2000cc...
winning Yamaha France team, with Dominique
Dominique Sarron
Dominique Sarron is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from France. His best year was in 1986 when he won the Brazilian Grand Prix and finished in third place in the 250cc world championship behind Carlos Lavado and Sito Pons...
and Christian Sarron
Christian Sarron
Christian Sarron is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.He began his career on a Kawasaki when he met French Grand Prix racer Patrick Pons. Pons helped him get his start in the international racing circuit. His first victory came in the rain in the 1977 German Grand Prix...
.
Nagai took two pole positions in 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...
. He was the first Japanese racer to take a Championship pole outside of Japan (in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in }. He achieved four podium finishes.
Nagai died two days after crashing at Assen
TT Circuit Assen
The TT Circuit Assen is a motorsport race track built in 1955 and located in Assen, Netherlands. Host of the Dutch TT race, it is considered "The Cathedral" of motorcycling by the fans...
, Holland during the 1995
1995 Superbike World Championship season
The 1995 Superbike World Championship season was the 8th F.I.M. Superbike World Championship season. The season started on May 7 at Hockenheim, and finished on October 29 at Phillip Island after 12 rounds....
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...
race. Riding a Yamaha YZF750
Yamaha YZF750
The Yamaha YZF750 is a motorcycle that was produced from 1993 to 1998 in two forms, the standard R and the single seat SP. The 750R was the only available version offered to consumers in the US....
, he rode over oil spilled on the track by a Ducati 916
Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 is an Italian sports motorcycle manufactured by Ducati from 1994 to 1998. In contrast to Japanese inline four-cylinder competitors of the time, its V-twin engine produced less outright power, but a more even torque spread...
. As he fell, his Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
landed on top of him. Nagai's injuries left him in a coma from which he never regained consciousness. He was 29 years old. Despite not taking part in the final two rounds, he was 5th overall in the standings.
Nagai was one of the first racers bringing the "big eyes" logo in the international racing circuits.
Photographs
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai.htmhttp://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_01.htm
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_02.htm
http://www.highsider.com/textlager/japan_textlager/Nagai_95_03.htm