-
2016.3.15
Team KAGAYAMA SUZUKI Asia 2016 Team Announcement
Team KAGAYAMA SUZUKI Asia proudly announces that it will again field a two-rider effort in the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Supersports 600. This will be the team’s second year in highest category in motorcycle racing.
Noriyuki Haga (#41) will continue his second year with the team. The former World Superbike multi-winner, have won the first podium for the team last season at Suzuka. Haga will make efforts to win the series championship, as well as focusing on developing his teammate, Patis Chooprathet (#98). Thai rider, Patis ranked second in the SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE (SAC) last season. SAC is Suzuki’s rider development program in Asia, and Patis was chosen as its first rider to step up to a higher category.
Team Owner, Yukio Kagayama will continue his role as General Manager, but will also take the role of Team Manager of the team.
The team is scheduled to test at Johor, Malaysia on March 22nd~24th. Round 1 is also scheduled at Johor, Malaysia from March 31st~April 2nd.
Team: Team KAGAYAMA SUZUKI Asia
Riders: #98 Patis Chooprathet
#41 Noriyuki Haga
General Manager/Team Manager: Yukio Kagayama
Machine: SUZUKI GSX-R600
Tire: DUNLOPPatis Chooprathet | #98
“I participated in the SUZUKi ASIAN CHALLENGE last year. It is a challenging series for beginners, but I had no pressure nor was I nervous. This year, I will be stepping up to Supersports 600, which will be a new challenge for me and i am a little nervous. I need to spend some time and have experience. I would like to that SUZUKI and Kagayama-san for giving me this opportunity. I have been racing with a 1000cc machine in Thailand, so I am confident that I can ride the Suzuki GSX-R600. I have started to go the gym to make my physical condition ready for it. I will do my best to achieve good results. I know I can do it! I’m ready!”
Noriyuki Haga | #41
“I am happy to announce that I will continue with Team KAGAYAMA SUZUKI Asia. I struggled a bit last year getting used to the new environment, but I hope to perform better this year from what I learned last year. It is a very comfy team to be in, and I will do my best together with the team.”
Yukio Kagayama | General Manager/Team Manager
“First of all I would like to thank Suzuki, our sponsors, supporters, fans, and the team that we are able to race again this year. I couldn’t have done this without all of them.With the exception of Suzuka, everything was new to us, and we struggled because of that. But that was my responsibility as team owner. I thank the riders and the team for doing their best in the limited environment we had.
It is a great pleasure to have Haga back in the team. There are things in is experience, his knowledge, and his ability as a rider, that I learn from. I am confident he will help us further mature the SUZUKI GSX-R600, and race for the win at every race.
Patis is still a young rider, but at the audition last year, he rode the 600cc machine, as if it was his bike. It might take some time for him to come up to the front, but the whole team, including Haga and myself will 100% be supporting him so that he will achieve good results, and make his ladder up to MotoGP in the future.”
パティスチョープラテット（2015 SAC）
