Daijiro Kato 1976 - 2003.

Daijiro Kato only commenced his full-time World Championship career in 2000 but was already on his way to becoming Japan's most successful GP rider. By the end of 2001 when he secured the 250 world title, he had scored 17 GP wins to equal Japan's greatest GP winner Tetsuya Harada.

Kato started motorcycle racing at the age of five, on 'Pocket Bikes'. By 1985 he had won the Japanese Championship, then moved on to larger Mini Bikes, taking four National Championship titles.

He moved to 'real' motorcycles on his 16th birthday, racing 125 and 250 machines until 1994 when he contested the All Japan series and won his first big race at Aida.

Kato joined HRC in 1996, and raced to third place in the Japanese GP that year, riding as a wild card. The #74 went on to win the race in the next two seasons, again as a wild-card entry, before moving to the world championship in 2000, forming an enduring partnership with the Gresini Honda Team which would last for the rest of his career.

Kato finished third in the 250cc World championship in his debut season, scoring four grands prix victories, but his 2001 season was little short of sensational. He scored 11 victories on his way to the world crown, beating Mike Hailwood's previous record of ten wins in a season.

For 2002 Kato moved to the MotoGP class, chaing the dream of becoming japan's first premier class champion. Initially racing an NSR500 two-stroke, Kato was promoted to an RC211V at the German GP, in July and would claim a second place finish on each machine during the season, eventually finishing seventh in the series.

For 2003, Kato was again racing an RCV for the Gresini team, this time in Telefonica MoviStar Honda livery.

Daijiro Kato - Career highlights:

2002 Moves to MotoGP with the Gresini team riding a Fortuna sponsored NSR500. From Brno onwards gets an RCV and immediatley impresses, but his debut premier class victory escapes him. 7th in championship and wins Suzuka 8hrs with Colin Edwards.

2001 Wins the MotoGP 250cc World Championship scoring 322 points and 11 wins.

2000 Steps up to full time GPs and is third in the 250cc World Championship with 259 points and 4 wins.

1999 2nd in the All Japan 250cc Championship.

1998 Honda Factory rider - 8th in All Japan 250cc Championship. Again wins the 250cc Japanese Grand Prix as a Wild card.

1997 Honda Factory rider - wins All Japan 250cc Championship. Wins the 250cc Japanese Grand Prix as a Wild card

1996 2nd in the All Japan 250cc Championship Series with his HRC NSR250. 3rd in the 250cc Japanese Grand Prix as a Wild card.

1995 5th in the All Japan 250cc Championship.

1994 7th in the All Japan 250cc Championship.

1992 Started road racing.

1988-91 Japanese Mini Bike Champion.

1987 First ride on a Mini Bike.

1985 Japanese Pocket Bike Champion.

1979 First ride on a Pocket Bike.