Elias crashes out of stunning performance; Akiyoshi scores points in front of home crowd

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Toni Elias started from the fifth row to hold onto 7th by the end of lap one and looked set for a top ten finish, but at 7 laps to go he went down.

The Spanish rider showed his determination for 17 laps before going wide into the gravel, while team mate Akoyoshi was looking forward to racing at his home soil to support the Japanese population and he rode a positive race, scoring 7 points thanks to his 12th place finish.

Toni Elias: 

“Well... first I am very disappointed because we could fight for the 7th position taking the best result so far. The adjustments we made this morning after the warm up session made the bike more stable and even today I took a very good start from the back of the pack. I was faster than qualifying and front tyre feeling was a lot better: with this pace I could have obtained a brilliant result for me and the guys but in turn five, which is a very hard braking point, I hit a bump and I lost the front crashing down. Anyway I would like to thanks the guys for their efforts and I am looking forward to racing in Phillip Island”.

Kousuke Akiyoshi:

“I am very happy about my performance today. Maybe I could have started a bit better but my pace was consistent till the end. I hope that Japanese fans enjoyed this racing weekend and want to thank the Team for their good job”.

LCR Honda press release.

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Akiyoshi To Line Up Alongside Elias At Motegi

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Motegi, 27th September: The Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi, Honda’s home track, was originally the third on the calendar in late April, but was rescheduled due to the massive and catastrophic earthquake that hit the East Japan area early in the season. In addition to the riders participating in every Championship round (Repsol Honda Team: Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner, San Carlo Gresini Team: Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama, LCR Team: Toni Elias), HRC test riders Shinichi Ito and Kousuke Akiyoshi will also join the Motegi race this weekend.  The first one will ride as a wild card entry on an HRC Team, while Akiyoshi will ride alongside Toni Elias for LCR Honda MotoGP Team. 

The 36-year Japanese rider already experienced the MotoGP making his debut in 2006 as a wild card. Besides that Akiyoshi won the 2007 Suzuka 8 Hours competition and rode for 5 years in the National SBK Championship proceeding also his commitment as HRC test rider.  

Toni Elias: “What happened in Japan some months ago is simply incredible and racing in Motegi, despite the difficulty, is our way to help Japanese people to get back to their normal life. Motegi race track is a magnificent venue and I have experienced the podium in 2007 aboard a MotoGP bike. We arrive in Japan with high motivation despite the difficult overall situation but our aim is to close the gap to the front”. 

Lucio Cecchinello: “First of all I would like to thank HRC because they have asked our cooperation for next Motegi GP. We feel proud to give our support taking another Japanese racer on the grid and I hope this will give further motivation to the Japanese fans that are still facing a tough moment after the disaster of last March”.

source: LCR official website

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Shinichi Ito and Kousuke Akiyoshi to race in Motegi with Honda RC212V

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Honda Racing Corporation is pleased to announce that for the very first time in history there will be eight Honda riders racing in the MotoGP 4-stroke class at the Twin Ring Motegi on 2nd October.

In addition to the riders participating in every Championship round (Repsol Honda Team: Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Casey Stoner, San Carlo Gresini Team: Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama, LCR Team: Toni Elias), HRC test riders Shinichi Ito and Kousuke Akiyoshi will also join the Motegi race in Japan for round 15 of the MotoGP World Championship.

Ito will ride as a wild card entry on an HRC Team, while Akiyoshi will ride alongside Toni Elias for LCR. With their participation in the Japanese Grand Prix, HRC hope to bring courage and show support for the East Japan area.

Honda Racing Corporation press release.

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