Promising performance from Ueda on new TSR Honda.

Nobby Ueda tested the all-new TSR Honda AC10M, nicknamed the "Nobby Special" at Suzuka, today (30 Nov).

This first shakedown test of the prototype machine took place under typical conditions for a winter's day at Suzuka, fine in the morning but with a temperature of only 9.5C.

The engine used was the 2000 Honda RS 125, non GP spec, a standard power unit used by Ryo Ono who raced the All Japan Championship with TSR this season.

Suzuka is Nobby's home circuit, and he had enough experience to go reasonably fast, but during this very first session he chose to concentrate on the bikes 'feel' as well as how the prototype chassis would perform as a whole. Nevertheless, Ueda completed eighteen laps in the morning, with a best time of 2mins 17secs.

The temperature gradually rose in the afternoon to 14.5C, but the circuit remained cold as Nobby posted 2min. 17sec laps from the beginning of the session onwards.

He then tried different setting with his front suspension that proved successful; helping him set his best lap time of 2mins 16.94secs on the final lap of the day.

Due to the nature of today's sessions, Nobby had about sixty others on the track with different bikes and levels at the same time.

This meant that although the team was entirely satisfied with the times, given that the bike was built up just in time for the test, they felt Ueda could have gone quicker, had it not been so difficult to find a clear lap amongst the traffic.

Unfortunately for the TSR Honda team, the Suzuka Circuit will soon undergo a major reconstruction of the track layout, so the data gained today may not be 100% useful.

However, the team feel that the main objective of the test was to see the bikes potential, and feel that they have achieved "the best result possible with the future looking very promising."

A happy Nobby Ueda commented, "I can say we had a very good first shakedown test. I had a test here about a year ago (with a different team) and marked 2min 15.9secs. The engine we had today was just the standard one without ram-air system. And, the condition today was not as good as the last time, so crowded today! Even if I have the same set-up I reckon it wouldn't be difficult to go quicker by 3 seconds or so."

"My initial feeling was very good, I am now looking forward to trying further," he continued, "I already have a few things in my mind for the next time. Minoru (Mitsushima, Chief Designer) told me of his designing concept and the points of technical direction that he aimed for, the team's aim is as high as mine, but I have a certain style, so if we work closely together in same direction, the forthcoming season will be interesting for us."

TSR Chairman Masa Fujii commented, "We have done quite a lot of shakedown tests with many machines but so far I never had such a promising outcome from the very first prototype model like today."

"From that experience we knew if we did not get a satisfactory result at the first test, then we would have difficulty to reach the standard in future tests. Thinking these things I would say this bike has huge potential, looking very promising......Nobby ran faster and faster towards the end, this bike has got something!" He concluded.

TSR won the first MotoGP they entered in 1991 - with none other than Nobby Ueda himself, following years of competition in the Japanese National Championships.

The team hope that reuniting with Ueda, fifth in last year's 125cc class with Givi Honda LCR, will return the team to the winner's circle.