Shinya Nakano


Shinya Nakano is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.

Career

Early career

Nakano was All-Japan 250cc champion in 1998, the highlight of a long career in both 125cc and 250cc Japanese national championships. Nakano moved to international competition full-time in 1999, adjusting to 250cc Grand Prix racing quickly, finishing fourth overall with five podium finishes. In 2000 Nakano and teammate Olivier Jacque battled with Daijiro Kato for the title, which ultimately went to Jacque. Nakano set the fastest 250cc lap at Motegi in 2000, a record that stood until 2008 – the longest standing lap record in the series.

250cc & 500cc/MotoGP World Championship

For 2001 the Tech 3 team moved up to the 500cc World Championship, which would eventually become MotoGP in 2002. Despite having semi-works machinery, Nakano only managed to finish fifth in the championship. Nakano started 2002 on a 500cc two-stroke machine, but the team was able to provide the newer 990cc four-stroke by the end of the season. 2003 was less successful prompting a move to Kawasaki for 2004.
Kawasaki suffered a disastrous debut year with Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt, before the team improved with Nakano on board. The team's first podium came at the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix and two seasons of consistent results earned him a pair of 10th place championship finishes. In 2006 Nakano was able to produce strong qualifying runs but less competitive races, a trait of the Bridgestone tyres. Two jump-start penalties did not help Nakano's results. At the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, Nakano started on the front row and lead the early laps, before switching to wet tyres too late and not being competitive on them.
For 2007 Nakano joined Konica Minolta Honda. Results were thin in 2007, with only a handful of top 10 qualifying and race results. Rumors began that Nakano might make the move to the highly competitive World Superbike Championship for the 2008 season. However, Nakano ultimately joined Fausto Gresini's MotoGP team, replacing Toni Elías. Bringing experience with Bridgestone tyres and Honda bikes, he had a solid if unspectacular season, scoring more points in the first half of 2008 than in the whole of 2007. At Brno, Nakano was given the factory spring-valve Honda RC212V, beginning a string of greatly improved results. Nakano left the Gresini team at the end of the 2008 season, following the team's decision to sign Alice Ducati rider Toni Elías for 2009.

Superbike World Championship

In 2009, Nakano was signed by Aprilia along with Max Biaggi for their return to the World Superbike Championship after a three-year absence. He finished the season in 14th place. On October 28, 2009, Nakano announced that he would be retiring from professional motorcycle racing. The decision followed a season in which he had struggled with injury problems, including a broken collarbone and a neck injury that kept him out of the final three rounds of the season.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

YearClassTeamBike123456789101112131415161718PosPts
1998250ccYamahaYZR250JPN
2
MALESPITAFRAMADNEDGBRGERCZEIMOCATAUS
4
ARG19th33
1999250ccTech 3 YamahaYZR250MAL
3
JPN
1
ESP
Ret
FRA
2
ITA
5
CAT
4
NED
5
GBR
3
GER
4
CZE
4
IMO
5
VAL
4
AUS
4
RSA
2
BRA
15
ARG
5
4th207
2000250ccTech 3 YamahaYZR250RSA
1
MAL
1
JPN
3
ESP
15
FRA
2
ITA
1
CAT
3
NED
3
GBR
7
GER
3
CZE
1
POR
Ret
VAL
1
BRA
4
PAC
2
AUS
2
2nd272
2001500ccGauloises Tech 3 YamahaYZR500JPN
5
RSA
4
ESP
4
FRA
11
ITA
8
CAT
4
NED
5
GBR
6
GER
3
CZE
DNS
POR
9
VAL
7
PAC
6
AUS
7
MAL
4
BRA
9
5th155
2002MotoGPGauloises Tech 3 YamahaYZR500JPN
Ret
RSA
8
ESP
17
FRA
13
ITA
11
CAT
Ret
NED
8
GBR
10
GER
5
CZE
Ret
POR
12
BRA
Ret
PAC
16
11th68
2002MotoGPGauloises Tech 3 YamahaYZR-M1MAL
6
AUS
13
VAL
6
11th68
2003MotoGPd'Antin YamahaYZR-M1JPN
9
RSA
11
ESP
8
FRA
14
ITA
5
CAT
5
NED
13
GBR
9
GER
7
CZE
14
POR
12
BRA
8
PAC
9
MAL
8
AUS
7
VAL
Ret
10th101
2004MotoGPKawasakiZX-RRRSA
12
ESP
9
FRA
Ret
ITA
Ret
CAT
7
NED
Ret
BRA
9
GER
7
GBR
15
CZE
12
POR
11
JPN
3
QAT
Ret
MAL
8
AUS
12
VAL
7
10th83
2005MotoGPKawasakiZX-RRESP
5
POR
8
CHN
Ret
FRA
8
ITA
10
CAT
9
NED
8
USA
9
GBR
Ret
GER
6
CZE
12
JPN
Ret
MAL
Ret
QAT
7
AUS
7
TUR
10
VAL
11
10th98
2006MotoGPKawasakiZX-RRESP
7
QAT
11
TUR
8
CHN
8
FRA
12
ITA
11
CAT
DSQ
NED
2
GBR
Ret
GER
6
USA
Ret
CZE
8
MAL
Ret
AUS
8
JPN
Ret
POR
Ret
VAL
7
14th92
2007MotoGPKonica Minolta HondaRC212VQAT
10
ESP
10
CHN
13
TUR
Ret
FRA
Ret
ITA
13
CAT
15
GBR
14
NED
12
GER
Ret
USA
12
CZE
14
RSM
10
POR
11
JPN
16
AUS
13
MAL
16
VAL
14
17th47
2008MotoGPGresini HondaRC212VQAT
13
ESP
9
POR
10
CHN
10
FRA
10
ITA
9
CAT
9
GBR
9
NED
8
GER
9
USA
10
CZE
4
RSM
12
IND
17
JPN
8
AUS
5
MAL
5
VAL
7
9th126