TOKYO, Sept 9, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - Honda has finalized the Japanese riders and teams to compete on Honda machines in each class in Round 15 of the 2015 FIM MotoGP World Championship series, the MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan, In the MotoGP class, Takumi Takahashi (Team HRC #72 / 25 years old) will ride the Honda RC213V for Team HRC.
In the Moto2 class, 2014 All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class champion Yuki Takahashi (Moriwaki Racing / 31 years old) and 2015 Asia Road Racing Championship rider Tomoyoshi Koyama (NTS T.Pro Project / 32 years old) will be competing.
In the Moto3 class, 2015 All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class rider Ryo Mizuno (MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO / 17 years old) and teammate Keisuke Kurihara (MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO / 18 years old) will compete on the Honda NSF250R.
MotoGP class rider Takumi Takahashi has contributed as an HRC development test rider, and currently competes in this season's All Japan Road Race Championship Series in the JSB1000 class for MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO. He has won the Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Road Race in 2010, 2013 and 2014, and is the first rider since Shinichi Ito in 2011 to ride for HRC in the MotoGP class as a wild card entrant.
Takumi Takahashi
"I have been involved in a few pre-season MotoGP tests at Twin Ring Motegi before, and have seen how the world's best competitors ride. I'm entralled to be offered this opportunity to compete with the world's best riders. I'll be giving it my best to live up to everyone's expectations."
Moto2 class rider Yuki Takahashi began his career in the FIM Road Racing World Championship Series in 2005, competing in the 250cc class. Winning the class twice, he moved up to the MotoGP class in 2009. In 2010 he returned to the now-Moto2 class, and in 2014 moved to racing in the All Japan Road Race Championship Series J-GP2 class, in which he became champion. Takahashi will be competing for this second consecutive year in the Grand Prix of Japan.
Yuki Takahashi
"I'm grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity to compete as a wild card entry in the Moto2 class for this year's MOTUL Grand Prix of Japan. The Moto2 class is an all-Honda engine race, powered by CBR600RR engines. I'll be giving my best as part of the Honda family, within the environment I've been given."
Tomoyoshi Koyama
"I'm glad to be racing in the Moto2 class on an NTS machine for the second year running. I'll be using all of my grand prix racing experience to finish as high up the ranking as possible."
Moto3 class entrants Ryo Mizuno and Keisuke Kurihara race for MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO in the J-GP3 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship Series. High-school rider Mizuno, only 17 years old, is currently ranked 3rd, standing on the podium in all of this season's races to date, and aims to finish among the top riders in his first World Grand Prix race.
Ryo Mizuno
"Entering the Grand Prix of Japan as a wild card is very exciting, and will be a valuable experience for me. A lot of people supported me to get this far. I'll be aiming to finish as close to the top as possible, to show my appreciation."
Keisuke Kurihara
"I'm looking forward to see how I compete in the grand prix, as my performance in the All Japan Road Race Championship Series is improving. I'll be battling with World Grand Prix riders for the first time on unaccustomed tires, but I'll give it my best, and at least finish within the points."
About Honda
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA.L) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.
Source: Honda
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