Like most modern sportsmen Tohru Ukawa started early, riding a Honda mini-bike from age ten. But he didn’t race real motorcycles until he was 16-years old, racing a Honda NSR250 streetbike modeled on the GP racer that would later make him famous, and he won a local title in his first season.
Ukawa was a man in a hurry and scored a 250 national title win in 1991 before moving up to the ultra-competitive All Japan 250 Championship in 1992. He finished 13th in his debut season and signed to race for HRC the next season. He rewarded their faith in him by delivering HRC back-to-back titles in 1993 and ‘’94.
Ukawa made his GP debut in 1994 at Suzuka. Racing as a wild card entry he finished a superb third.
He joined the GP circus in 1996. Ukawa spent five years in 250 GP racing steadily improving from fifth in the championship in his debut season to take second in 1999, fourth a year later before moving to the 500cc class for 2000. He acquitted himself reasonably well, taking one podium place on his way to 10th in the series.
The inaugural MotoGP championship gave Ukawa his chance to shine. Having undertaken much of the development work on the RC211V Ukawa came out all guns blazing in 2002. He won one race, famously beating Repsol Honda teammate Valentino Rossi, and took nine podiums on his way to third in the final standings.
Ukawa raced for the newly launched Camel Pramac Honda Team in 2003, alongside Max Biaggi, but despite riding a full factory RC211V the Japanese took a best finish of just a lone fourth (at the Spanish Grand Prix) and rarely matched Biaggi.
Lost his race ride at the end of the year as a result and reluctantly accepted an offer to become a HRC test rider.
Career in brief:
2003 Moves to Camel Pramac Pons alongside Max Biaggi. Best finish of 4th and finishes the season 8th in the championship with 123 points.
2002 Stays with Repsol Honda and takes his first MotoGP class victory at South Africa, but a huge crash at Donington Park dents any hopes of a title challenge. Ends the season third overall with 209 points.
2001 Moves up to the (MotoGP) 500cc World Championship and joins the Repsol YPF Honda Team. Finishes 10th in the Drivers' series with 107 points. 4th Suzuka 8 Hours.
2000 4th in the 250cc World Championship with the Shell Advance Honda Team. 2 wins. Winner Suzuka 8 Hours.
1999 2nd in the 250cc World Championship. 2 wins.
1998 4th in the 250cc World Championship with Honda. Winner Suzuka 8 Hours.
1997 Fifth in the 250cc World Championship. Winner Suzuka 8 Hours.
1996 Fifth in the 250cc World Championship in his first full season.
1995 Second in the All Japan 250cc Championship.
1994 Makes 250cc World Championship debut (JPN). All Japan 250cc Champion.
1993 All Japan 250cc Champion.
1992 International HRC Rider.
1991 All Japan 250cc Champion.
1990 Wins the Suzuka Four hours.
