Nakano claims shock Kawasaki podium.

In a superb home race performance for the Fuchs Kawasaki team, Shinya Nakano scored an historic third place podium finish in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

The shock result was Kawasaki's best since the manufacturer returned to MotoGP competition at the end of 2002 with the 990cc, inline four-cylinder Ninja ZX-RR.

Shinya's ride into third place equalled the last Kawasaki podium result in the elite category, with Kork Ballington's third place on a KR500 in the 1981 Finnish Grand Prix at Imatra. This was Nakano's second career MotoGP podium, his first coming in 2001 at the German Grand Prix.

From twelfth on the grid Nakano used his intimate local knowledge of the Motegi track to avoid the carnage of a six rider, turn one pile-up just after the start.

Realising the potential for a repeat of last year's similar accident, Nakano braked cautiously to take the inside line and emerge in fourth place on lap one.

Spurred on by cheering, Kawasaki flag waving fans, Nakano staged an absorbing 18-lap pursuit of Yamaha rival Marco Melandri in search of third place.

The critical moment came at the end of the back straight on lap 19, when Nakano outbraked Melandri and then cut back inside as the Italian briefly went back in front. Once clear in third place Nakano opened a gap and, over the final laps, was the fastest rider on track.

The Fuchs Kawasaki rider finished ahead of the factory Honda V5 ridden by Alex Barros into fourth place. Both Nakano and Tamada were using Bridgestone tyres, and Nakano's storming ride into third place provided Bridgestone with two riders on the podium for the first time in MotoGP.

"This is a fantastic result for me, and for Kawasaki and Bridgestone," said a delighted Nakano. "From the start I saw the accident coming, because turn one is very tight. I went up the inside and took fourth, then tried for many laps to pass Melandri without success. But late in the race I still had good grip from my rear tyre, and this is where I had the advantage.

"I knew Melandri would try and cut back inside, so I was ready for this," explained the Japanese rider. "I could still do fast times at the end of the race, but the last lap was probably the longest in my racing life; I was just waiting for the chequered flag. I couldn't believe I was third."

Meanwhile, after starting from 19th, team-mate Alex Hofmann was unsettled by the drama of the first turn crash, but recovered his rhythm to move into 10th place on lap twenty, a position he held to the chequered flag.