Norifumi Abe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norick Abe
Abe on the Yamaha YZR500
Born	(1975-09-07)7 September 1975 Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Died	7 October 2007(2007-10-07) (aged 32) Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1994 – 2004 First race 1994 500cc Japanese Grand Prix Last race 2004 MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix First win 1996 500cc Japanese Grand Prix Last win 2000 500cc Japanese Grand Prix Team(s) Yamaha Championships 0 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 144 3 17 0 1 1157

Norifumi "Norick" Abe (born September 7, 1975 – died October 7, 2007) was a famous Japanese professional motorcycle road racer. He was well-known for competing in the top motorcycle racing series, 500 cc/MotoGP. Sadly, he passed away in a road traffic crash in October 2007.

Norick Abe's Racing Journey

Norick Abe was born in Tokyo, Japan. His father, Mitsuo Abe, was also a professional racer. Norick started riding minibikes when he was just eleven years old.

Early Racing Days

At first, Norick competed in motocross, which is off-road motorcycle racing. When he turned fifteen, he switched to road racing, which takes place on paved tracks. He even raced in the United States for a while.

In 1992, Norick was the second-place finisher in the 250 cc class of Japan's National A championship. The next year, he won the 500 cc title in the All Japan Road Race Championship. This made him the youngest champion ever in that category.

Joining Grand Prix Racing

In 1994, Norick got a special chance to race in the Japanese Grand Prix. He was a "wild card" rider, meaning he was invited to race in one event. He surprised everyone by challenging for the win! He crashed just three laps from the end, but his amazing performance caught the eye of Kenny Roberts, a famous team owner.

Roberts offered Norick two more races that year. Norick finished sixth in both, which earned him a full-time spot in the Grand Prix series for 1995. His exciting riding style also inspired a young Valentino Rossi, who later became a racing legend. Rossi even used the nickname "Rossifumi" because he admired Norick so much.

Achieving Wins and Podiums

Norick earned his first podium finish (finishing in the top three) in 1995. A year later, in 1996, he won his first race and finished fifth overall in the championship.

In 1997, Norick joined a team run by another former champion, Wayne Rainey. He consistently finished well over the next two seasons, earning four more podiums. In 1999, he joined the d'Antin team and won a race in Rio de Janeiro. He won again in Suzuka, Japan, in 2000. Even when his bikes were not the fastest, Norick always managed to finish in the top 10 in the championship.

Later Career and Challenges

In 2002, the MotoGP series changed its rules. Bikes now used four-stroke engines instead of two-stroke. Norick found it hard to adapt to the new machines. Because of this, he left his team in 2003 and became a test rider for Yamaha. He also raced occasionally as a wild card.

He got another chance to race full-time with the Tech3 Yamaha team in 2004. However, he didn't have much success. After that, he moved to Yamaha's Superbike World Championship team for 2005 and 2006. He continued to race in the All Japan Road Race Championship in 2007.

Norick Abe's Passing

On October 7, 2007, Norick Abe was riding his scooter in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. A truck made an illegal U-turn in front of him, causing a traffic crash. Norick was taken to the hospital but sadly passed away a few hours later.

Family Life

Norick Abe's son, Maiki, has also become a motorcycle racer. He competes in the All Japan Road Race Championship. Maiki even trained at Valentino Rossi's ranch in Italy, just like his father's inspiration. In 2023, Maiki joined a team to race in the Supersport World Championship.

Career Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Norifumi Abe para niños