2006 Honda Motorcycle Racing

Honda Announces 2006 Motorcycle Racing Plans

January 18, 2006 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has finalized its Motorcycle Racing Plans for 2006, as outlined below.

Honda’s spirit of challenge is rooted in its motorsport activities.

By constantly striving to fulfill its own dreams and aspirations through the ongoing challenge of leading-edge innovation, Honda aims to share dreams and excitement with its customers.

For the 2006 motorcycle racing season, Honda has set its sights on securing the championship in each category as well as on the new challenge of winning with next-generation teams featuring young riders in the World Championship MotoGP class, the top class of world championship road racing.

MotoGP Class
In the MotoGP class of the Road Race World Championship Grand Prix (WGP), Honda plans to race six RC211V MotoGP machines and to supply engines to one team, with the aim of capturing both the riders’ and the manufacturers’ titles.

Daniel Pedrosa, who moves up to the MotoGP class this year after winning consecutive WGP 250cc class championships in 2004 and 2005, joins the works team of Repsol Honda, competing alongside Nicky Hayden, now in his fourth year as a MotoGP class rider.

Team	Rider
Repsol Honda	#26 Daniel Pedrosa (Age 20, Spain) #69 Nicky Hayden (Age 24, USA)
Fortuna Honda	#24 Toni Elias (Age 22, Spain) #33 Marco Melandri (Age 23, Italy)
Konica Minolta Honda Team	#6 Makoto Tamada (Age 29, Japan)
Honda LCR	#27 Casey Stoner (Age 20, Australia)
(Engine supply) Team Roberts	#10 Kenny Roberts Jr. (Age 32, USA)

250cc Class
In the 250cc class, Honda will field four riders and two teams with the RS250RW. Shuhei Aoyama, last year’s All-Japan Championship GP250cc class champion, will participate as the third recipient (First recipient Hiroshi Aoyama, second recipient Yuki Takahashi) of the Honda Racing Scholarship, started in 2004 to foster young Japanese riders.

Team	Rider
Repsol Honda Team 250	#19 Sebastian Porto (Age 27, Argentina) #73 Shuhei Aoyama (Age 21, Japan)
Team Scot	#34 Andrea Dovizioso (Age 19, Italy) #55 Yuki Takahashi (Age 21, Japan)

ACU² British Superbike Championship
Due to the success of such riders as Ryuichi Kiyonari, who advanced to the No. 2 spot in the rankings with most season wins, Honda captured the manufacturer’s title in the British Superbike (BSB) last year. Honda plans to race two CBR1000RRKs, with the aim of capturing a double title in both the rider’s and the manufacturer’s categories. Note: ACU = for Auto-Cycle Union (UK)

Team	Rider
HM Plant Honda Racing	#2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Age 23, Japan) #9 Karl Harris (Age 26, UK)