250cc World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama has decided to debut in the upcoming 2010 MotoGP season with #7. Aoyama had to give up his victory #4 because Andrea Dovizioso already uses the same number and following Chris Vermeulen’s return to WSBK, #7 became available.

Vermeulen was using the number seven in honour of the GP legend Barry Sheene, while Aoyama chose the number to honour the late Daijiro Kato who use to race with #74 and died tragically at Suzuka in 2003 in his second season of MotoGP. Kato was Japan’s last 250cc World Champion in 2001 before Aoyama won the championship this year.

#74 was retired from MotoGP, but Aoyama will use the other digit that composed Kato’s racing number.

Several riders who raced with Kato at Suzuka that year, still display a small #74 on some part of their helmets or bikes or when they race at Motegi, Japan they exhibit the number in his memory.

Since 2007, in the week before the Misano GP, the Dedikato (dedicated to the memory of Daijiro Kato) charity event takes place. Organized by Fausto Gresini of Team Gresini and in collaboration with the city of Misano besides the charity event, a public talk show takes place with numerous GP riders and personalities talking about road safety and racing.

Continue reading: Hiroshi Aoyama remembers Kato and will race with #7

In the last ever 250cc race in motorcycling GP history saw Hiroshi Aoyama crowned the 2009 World Champion.
In an action packed, full of ‘mistakes’race it was Hector Barbera who actually won the race at Valencia.

Aoyama made the first mistake on lap 10 battling with the lead group and he tried an inside pass over braked and when for a long ride in the gravel trying to keep control and not fall over, he would then return to the race in 11th, a position that would let him take the title, even if closest rival Marco Simoncelli should win the race.

Simoncelli, was leading when Aoyama went off track, but the Japanese rider could breathe a sigh of relief when Simoncelli crashed out on lap 21. The Italian managed to save himself when his Gilera hit the white line, but just 30 meters later his front would fold and Simoncelli would slide into the kitty litter, handing Aoyama automatically the world title.

Continue reading: 250cc Valencia - Barbera wins and Aoyama is World Champion

Hiroshi Aoyama who turned 28 today, gave himself a fantastic birthday gift by winning today’s 250cc race at Sepang, putting one hand firmly on the World title with a 21 point lead.

Aoyama took off from first on the grid, but it was Jules Cluzel who go the holeshot and Marco Simoncelli who barreled out of his eighth place to take third while Aoyama dropped back to fourth after a mistake at the Langkwai. Simoncelli took the lead on lap three.

Cluzel would crash on lap 10 while the battle between Aoyama and Simoncelli continued with Hector Barbera sneaking up on the pair.

Aoyama took the lead on lap 15 and began to pull away. Within another two laps the Japanese rider already had a three-second lead while Barberá began his battle with Simoncelli.

Aoyama crossed the finish line with a 6.397s advantage while second place would be decided a photo finish between Simoncelli and Barbera, The Race Direction declared that it was a dead heat, but Barbera was awarded 2nd because of a faster race lap.

Simoncelli’s third place gave Aoyama another four points extending his lead to 21 points before the season final at Valencia in two weeks time. Aoyama needs just an 11th place to take the 2009 250cc World Championship.

Continue reading: 250cc GP – Birthday Boy Aoyama Wins, 2nd Place decided by Photo Finish

The MotoGP line up will see another new team next year, after Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez’s Ducati team with Hector Barbera, Daniel M. Epp who owns the Emmi Caffe Latte in the 250cc class has gotten Honda to put a seventh bike on the grid, and will be fielding 250cc rider Hiroshi Aoyama.

Epp’s beat out LCR Honda owner, Lucio Cecchinello who was asking for another bike from Honda and would have been willing to take Aoyama as his second rider alongside Randy DePuniet.

Aoyama will be the first Japanese rider back in MotoGP after Yuki Takahashi got axed by Scot Racing in July to make room for Gabor Talmacsi.

Daniel Epp:

“We are pleased to announce that we have completed a deal to run a Honda RC212V in the MotoGP class in the 2010 season. After winning the World Championship in 2005 with Tom Lüthi on the 125cc Honda, it’s a great pleasure for me to join up again with Honda. Now, after all these years we have finally been able to achieve our dream of presenting a MotoGP project. We are proud to become part of the premier class of motorcycle Grand Prix racing.”

Aoyama is currently first in the 250cc World Championship and rides for Scot Racing Team 250cc.

Continue reading: Hiroshi Aoyama in MotoGP in 2010 with Daniel Epp’s New Team

This cartoon series is getting better everytime. Love the way they depict Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama.
Aoyama won the 250cc Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez with a last turn pass on Alvaro Bautista.

Continue reading: 3rd Episode of Alvaro Bautista's Cartoon Series