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Honda 2008 Motorcycle Racing Plans

TOKYO, Japan, 22.January 2008: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced its motorcycle racing plans for 2008, as outlined below.

Honda's spirit of challenge is rooted in its motorsports activities. By constantly striving to fulfill its own dreams and aspirations, Honda aims to share dreams and excitement with its customers.

Honda has set its sights on recapturing the three championship titles for rider, manufacturer and team in the World Championship MotoGP class, the top class of road racing world championship. In addition, Honda is aiming to tackle the challenge of securing the championships in other categories of road racing and in each of the motocross and trials racing series.

Road Races

FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix

MotoGP class

In the MotoGP class of the Road Race World Championship Grand Prix (WGP), Honda plans to race six further refined RC212V MotoGP machines, with the aim of recapturing all three titles in this class.

Just as in last season, riding for the Repsol Honda works team will be Dani Pedrosa, who ranked No. 2 in the 2007 season, and Nicky Hayden, the winner of the 2006 series championship who placed No. 8 in 2007.

Repsol Honda Team
	#2	Dani Pedrosa, Age 22, Spain
	#69	Nicky Hayden, Age 26, USA

Team San Carlo Honda Gresini
	#3	Alex De Angelis, Age 23, San Marino
	#56	Shinya Nakano, Age 30, Chiba, Japan

JiR Team Scot MotoGP
	#4	Andrea Dovizioso, Age 21, Italy

LCR Honda MotoGP
	#14	Randy De Puniet, Age 26, France

250cc class

In the 250cc class, Honda will field two riders and two teams with the RS250RW, aiming for the championship title.

Thai Honda PPT SAG
	#14	Ratthapark Wilairot, Age 19, Thailand

JiR Team Scot 250
	#55	Yuki Takahashi, Age 23, Saitama, Japan

MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship Series

With factory teams allowed to take part in the races from 2007, Honda competed in the JSB1000 class as the works team TEAM HRC. To help reinvigorate road racing in Japan and to further increase opportunities for people to watch and enjoy the races, in 2008, Honda will enter the JSB1000 class as the Dream Honda Racing Team, with the cooperation of Honda Motorcycle Japan Co., Ltd.

Dream Honda Racing Team 11
	#11	Kazuki Tokudome, Age 24, Kagoshima, Japan

Dream Honda Racing Team 48
	#48	Yusuke Teshima, Age 25, Saitama, Japan

In collaboration with Honda Racing Corporation and Honda’s technical staff, Honda Motorcycle Japan will also provide support to a number of teams and riders, centered on teams run by Honda dealerships competing in the JSB1000, GP250, GP125, ST600 and GP-Mono classes.
*For the main Honda teams and riders participating in the MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship Series, please see the reference information.

Motocross races

MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship Series

The works team TEAM HRC will be vying to capture the championship title in each of the IA1 class (displacement of 450 cc or less for 4-stroke machines) and the IA2 class (displacement of 250 cc or less for 2-stroke machines).

TEAM HRC
	#712	Yoshitaka Atsuta, Age 30, Miyagi, Japan (IA 1 class)
	#4	Kazumasa Masuda, Age 27, Tokyo, Japan (IA 1 class)
	#197	Yu Hirata, Age 23, Aichi, Japan (IA 2 class)

In collaboration with Honda Racing Corporation and Honda’s technical staff, Honda Motorcycle Japan will also provide support to a number of teams and riders, centered on teams run by Honda dealerships competing in the IA1, IA2, IB2, IB-Open and Ladies classes.
*For the main Honda teams and riders participating in MFJ All-Japan Motocross Championship Series, please see the reference information.

Trials

FIM World Trials Championship Series

For the FIM World Trials Championship Series, Honda will run two Montesa COTA 4RT equipped with 4-stroke engines, with the aim of capturing the rider’s title for the second year in a row and our third consecutive manufacturer’s title.

Repsol Montesa HRC
	#1	Toni Bou, Age 21, Spain
	#3	Takahisa Fujinami, Age 28, Japan

MFJ All-Japan Trials Championship Series

Honda Racing Corporation will provide support to a number of teams and riders, centered on HRC Club teams belonging to HRC service shops.
*For the main Honda teams and riders participating in MFJ All-Japan Trials Championship Series, please see the reference information.

Reference information

Main Honda teams and riders participating in MFJ All-Japan Championship Series races

In cooperation with Honda Racing Corporation and Honda technical staff, Honda Motorcycle Japan Co., Ltd. plans to hold the Honda Racing Family Circuit Meeting to offer opportunities for Honda riders participating in all-Japan road races and motocross championships to practice riding, as well as advice on physical training. At the venue of each championship, the Honda Racing Family Racing Service will be made available for riders participating in the race, where machine setting by technical staff and advice on riding technique will be provided. In this way, riders’ racing activities will be properly supported.

Championship and the World Supersport (WSS)

Championship, with support provided by Honda Motor Europe Ltd.

Taking part in the World Superbike (WSB) Championship as members of private teams supported by Honda Motor Europe Ltd. (HME), Honda’s overseas subsidiary, will be Ryuichi Kiyonari, winner of consecutive series championships in the British Superbike (BSB) Championship in 2006 and 2007, and Shuhei Aoyama, competitor in the 250cc class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix until last year and third recipient of the Honda Racing Scholarship, which was started in 2004 as a scholarship for fostering young Japanese rider talent. Also competing in the WSB as members of an HME-supported team are Carlos Checa, 2007 MotoGP participant as a member of a satellite team and Suzuka 8hours World Endurance Championship Race participant as a member of a works team, and Kenan Sofuoglu, far ahead of other riders as the runaway winner of the World Supersport (WSS) Championship in 2007.
Jonathan Rea, who last year took the No. 2 spot in the BSB Championship behind champion and teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari will compete in the World Supersport (WSS) Championship, riding a CBR600RR as a member of the same team as Kiyonari, who will enter the WSB as already mentioned.