Honda Hat trick in Japanese World Grand Prix - 500th Victory in World Championship Road Racing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 9, 2001

Suzuka, Japan - The 2001 FIM World Grand Prix Championship Series launched in grand style on April 8 at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. In the process, Honda completed an impressive hat trick, winning all three Grand Prix classes - 125cc, 250cc and 500cc. The wins completed Honda's winning road to 500 Grand Prix victories, started in Spain 40 years ago in 1961.

Masao Azuma (Liegiois Competition) won the first race on Sunday in the 125cc class, the 498th GP victory for Honda. Soon after, Daijiro Katoh (Telefonica MoviSter Honda) won convincingly in the 250cc class with a pole-to-finish effort. Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzuro Honda) then secured victory in the 500cc class after working his way through the pack to win in convincing fashion. At the end of the day, Honda's three wins took them to their 500th Grand Prix victory, all in the first round of the 2001 World Championship season.

Honda first competed at the classic Isle of Man TT in 1959. In 1960, Honda competed in all Grand Prix races, including the Isle of Man TT. It was Australian Tom Phillis who won the first Grand Prix race for Honda in 1961- the Spanish GP - in the 125cc class on the RC143. In the next round in West Germany, Kunimitsu Takahashi got another win on the RC165. That year, Honda won both rider and manufacturer's titles in the 125cc and 250cc class in just their second full year of Grand Prix competition.

Honda conquered all classes from 50cc to 500cc in 1966, amassing 138 wins, 16 riders' titles and 18 manufacturer's titles before ending their activity in the World Championship road racing at the end of 1967 season.

After an eleven years absence, Honda returned to Grand Prix competition in 1979 with the new NR500. In 1982, Honda's first two-stroke Grand Prix bike, the NS500, collected three wins. In 1985, Honda won eight races in 500cc and nine races in 250cc to gather a rare double championship with American Freddie Spencer at the controls.

During 41 years of Grand Prix racing, including the company's Grand Prix absence, Honda won 13 times in 50cc competition, 140 times in the 125cc class, 167 times in the 250cc class, 35 times in the 350cc class and 145 times in the 500cc class. Along the way, Honda also won 50 manufacturer's titles, including six consecutive years between 1994 and 1999 in the 500cc class. In the 500cc class alone, the number of manufacturer's titles numbers an impressive eleven. Eighteen Honda riders, including Mick Doohan - who won five consecutive 500cc titles - became World Champions.

For more information, visit http://www.honda-wgp.com/500wins.html

____________________________________________________________________________________________ Press information: American Honda Press Department, Jon Seidel - 310.783.2609; Greg Wright - 310.781.5139

Editor's note: Historical Honda Grand Prix images are available for editorial use only, contact Ken Vreeke, Vreeke & Associates, 805.584.6680

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