By Dan Moakes
October 4 2002

Kawasaki will return to Grand Prix racing at the upcoming Pacific race at Motegi. The new ZX-RR four-stroke will be débuted by Akira Yanagawa, three time race winner for the marque in World Superbikes.

Not unusually in Japan, there will be a number of local wildcard riders at the Grand Prix this weekend, with Yanagawa joined by former WSB podium finisher Waturu Yoshikawa, on a Yamaha. Yoshikawa’s bike will be number 45, and Yanagawa’s number 48.

Other wildcard entrants will include Tekkyu Kayoh (last seen on a 500 Honda in 2000) on a Yamaha 250, as well as Suzuka points scorers Hiroshi Aoyama (250 Honda) and Shuhei Aoyama (125 Honda).

Another first at Motegi will be Alex Barros riding the West Pons team’s first RCV Honda four-stroke. The Brazilian, of course, is set to stay on in the squad for a fifth straight season, while current team-mate Loris Capirossi, who remains on a 500, is going to Ducati next year.

In Superbike news, Noriyuki Haga has been confirmed at Aprilia for 2003, whilst Ben Bostrom’s switch back to the US domestic series is also definite. Not so concrete, it would seem, is Colin Edwards’ rumoured defection to Ducati. With Honda’s SP2 currently on great form, and with no riders yet confirmed, might it not make sense for the Texan Tornado to think twice about his plans?

Other rumours have recently suggested that the GSE team, which will run Chris Walker and James Toseland next year, is maybe considering a switch to Honda bikes, as opposed to the Ducatis they have operated in recent seasons. Not under debate, though, is where John Reynolds will be in 2003. The British champion of last year has signed to stay with the Rizla Suzuki team, as he aims to bring the GSX-R 1000 to the form that will regain him the title.