Daijiro Kato's records

In 1996 Daijiro Kato astonished everyone at Suzuka, when he ran his first Gp race as a wild card in the 250cc class and ended up third behind Biaggi and Numata.

Then, for two consecutive years, in 1997 and 1998, on that same racetrack, again as a wildcard, he easily won the 250cc races and consequently managed to gain Honda's interest: in year 2000, the Japanese factory offered him the registration to the FIM World Championship and a 250 NSR Honda bike. The young Japanese rider started his adventure as one of Fausto Gresini's riders in the Axo Honda Team; Kato managed to adapt himself with great ease to almost every circuit and at the end of the season he finished third in the Championship, just a few points behind World Champion Olivier Jacque and fellow countryman Shinya Nakano.

After his fantastic debut in the 250cc class, the following year, with the support of Telefonica Movistar, Kato managed to do even better: his total supremacy enabled him to win his first World Title, with the greatest number of victories and number of points ever scored in the same season in the 250cc class.

In year 2002, Daijiro Kato and his team continued to attain successes: he moved up to the new top class, the MotoGp, first riding the 500 NSR Honda, then, from the Czech Republic GP to the end of the season, riding the latest Japanese technological jewel, the RC 211V. In the end he finished in seventh position, was proudly nominated "Rookie of the Year".

On April 19th 2003, Daijiro dies due to the fatal consequences of the tragic accident occurred on April 6th during the third lap of the Suzuka GP, the first round of the 2003 MotoGP World Championship. messages to Daijiro

1. Riding class - MotoGp
2. Number - 74
3. Team - Telefonica Movistar Honda
4. Bike - Honda RC 211V
5. Date of birth - 4/7/1976
6. Place of birth - Saitama
7. Nationality - Japanese
8. GP debut - 1996, wild card in the Japanese Gp 250
9. First Gp victory - 1997, wild card in the Japanese Gp 250
10. World Titles - 1 (2001, world champion 250)
11. 1979 - First racing experience on pocket-bikes.
12. 1981 - First race in a pocket-bike championship.
13. 1985 - Japanese Pocket-bike Champion.
14. 1987 - First racing experience on minibikes.
15. 1988/1991 - Japanese Minibike Champion
16. 1992 - Started road racing
17. 1994 - Seventh classified in the Japanese Championship, 250cc class, one victory.
18. 1996 - Second classified in the Japanese Championship, 250cc class, four victories; debut in the Japanese Gp race, Suzuka, as a wild card in the 250cc class, third classified.
19. 1997 - First classified in the Japanese Championship as an official HRC Team rider, 250cc class; winner of the Japanese Gp race, Suzuka, as a wild card in the 250cc class.
20. 1998 - Eighth classified in the Japanese Championship as an official HRC Team rider, 250cc class; winner of the Japanese Gp race, Suzuka, as a wild card in the 250cc class.
21. 1999 - Second classified in the Japanese Championship, 250cc class.
22. 2000 - Third classified in the MotoGp World Championship, 250cc class, Team Axo Honda (Fausto Gresini); winner of the "8 Hours of Suzuka".
23. 2001 - 250cc World Champion, Team Telefonica Movistar (Fausto Gresini).
24. 2002 - Seventh classified in the MotoGp class, Team Fortuna Honda Gresini, and "Rookie of the Year"; winner of the "8 Hours of Suzuka".

This information was kindly provided by www.gresiniracing.com