DAIJIRO KATO

DAIJIRO KATO

The 26 year old Japanese Honda rider won the world 250cc champion in 2001

He made his MotoGP debut in 2000 in the 500cc class.

He was regarded as the most talented Japanese rider of his generation and a potential future world champion

1979 - 1992

1979 - At 3 years old, he started his riding a pocket bike which was a birthday present from his parents

1984 - Daijiro made his racing debut

1985 - Japanese Pocket Bike Champion

1986 - Began racing mini bikes

1987 - Daijiro moves up the ranks

1988 - Japanese minibike champion

1989 Japanese minibike champion

1990 Japanese minibike champion

1991 Japanese minibike champion

1992 - At 16 years old, he got his race licence from the F.I.M. and began his road racing career.

He competed on both the 125cc and 250cc in the Japanese Area Championships

DAIJIRO KATO THE MAKING OF A WORLD CHAMPION

1993	AREA CHAMPION	1994	FIRST WIN ON R9	1995	DEBUT SUZUKA 8 HOURS
	All kyushu area championship He won the championships.in SP250, GP125, GP250.		All Japan championship series GP250 class. Year ranking - 7th position. First win on R9 at TI Aida .		All Japan championship series GP250 class . Year ranking - 5th position. Also finished twelfth in the Suzuka 8 Hours, with Terry Rymer
1996	WILD CARD SUZUKA	PICTURES	DAIJIRO CUP	1997	ALL JAPAN CHAMPION
	All Japan championship series GP250 class Year ranking - 2nd position. Ran as a wildcard at Suzuka, on the number 74 Team Kotake Honda, finishing third first time out	....FOR MORE PICS..... CLICK BELOW (PAGE OPENS IN NEW WINDOW)	Started in March of 2003, In order to actualize Daijiro's dream to impart the enjoyment of motorbikes toward younger generation and bring up future champion. The mission to convey Daijiro's heart by organizing and operating the DAIJIRO - CUP ....pocket motorbike race.... by DELTA ENTERPRISE Co. We have taken over Daijiro's will, and will contribute our efforts to motor sports promotion.		All Japan championship series GP250 class Year ranking - 1st position. Again had a single wildcard appearance, at Suzuka, but it proved to be his first ever GP victory Also finished ninth in the Suzuka 8 Hours, with Yuichi Takeda
1998	WINS AT SUZUKA	1999	WILD CARD AT SUZUKA	2000	WON SUZUKA 8 HOURS
	All Japan championship series GP250 class Year ranking - 8th position. For the third year his only GP was as a wildcard rider, at Suzuka, and again he was good enough to win it		All Japan championship series GP250 class Year ranking - 2nd position. Once again he entered the Japanese GP as a wildcard, but his fourth start in the race saw him finish ‘only’ fifth Also finished eighth in the Suzuka 8 Hours, with Makoto Tamada		World championship GP250 class. Year ranking - 3rd position. He was awarded a prize of rookie of the year in GP250 class. Won the suzuka 8 hours endurance of world championship race.
2001	UNSTOPPABLE	2002	MOTO GP 500	2003	A TRAGGIC END
	Kato was unstoppable in 2001. Beating a strong Aprilia squad that included Tetsuya Harada and Marco Melandri. He won a record-breaking eleven times, and added two more podiums for good measure. Altogether he qualified in the top 3 on 14 occasions. He won the title by 49 points, with a total of 322 Also finished fourth in the Suzuka 8 Hours, with Tohru Ukawa and Makoto Tamada		Daijiro rides the 500cc MotoGP machine. Picks up a 4th and a 2nd within three races. At mid-season he was the third man to get hold of an RCV. He puts the bike on the front row 5 times in 7 outings. He also raced it into the top 5 at 4 different meetings, with another 2nd place coming first time out. He finished the year 7th overall, on 117 points Also won the Suzuka 8 Hours again, this time with Colin Edwards		World championship MotoGP class With Telefonica Movistar Honda team Kato qualified eleventh at Suzuka and ran seventh in the race, but was left in a coma when his bike crashed heavily into a wall. His injuries were severe and, unfortunately, he was not able to survive them. A great motorcycle racing talent has been lost