Tetsuya Harada

nihongo|Tetsuya Harada|原田哲也|Harada Tetsuya|born June 14, 1970|Chiba, Japan is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was the 1993 FIM 250cc World Champion. He ended his career with 17 Grand Prix victories, all in the 250cc class.

Early years

Harada won the Japanese 125cc Junior championship in 1988, and was runner-up to Tadayuki Okada in the All-Japan 250cc series in both 1990 and 1991, before taking the crown in 1992. In all three years he competed in the Japanese round of the 250cc World Championship, twice starting on the front row and twice scoring points. His performance earned him a sponsored ride in the 1993 250cc World Championship.

250 career

Riding a Yamaha TZ250, he won four races including his home race and won the 1993 250cc World Championship in his first attempt defeating Honda's Loris Capirossi. A wrist injury affected his performance in the 1994 season, finishing 7th overall with only a single podium finish. In 1995 Harada was Max Biaggi's main competitor for the 250 title. He won one race and finished 2nd eight times. In 1996 his bike was underpowered and he only reached the podium four times. He was on the verge of retiring when Aprilia offered him a bike for the 1997 season. Although his 235 points were the most he scored in a season, he finished the season in third place behind Biaggi and Ralf Waldmann.

1998 was a pivotal year for Harada. He battled his Aprilia team-mate, Capirossi for the championship with Harada leading for most of the season when the two riders were involved in a controversial incident at the final race of the year in Argentina. Harada had the world championship within sight, leading the race into the final corner of the final lap when Harada's bike was rammed from behind by Capirossi's machine, sending the Japanese rider off the track. Valentino Rossi passed both riders for the victory while Capirossi claimed second place and the world championship. Harada would finish the season in third place behind Capirossi and Rossi. It was small consolation for Harada when Aprilia showed its displeasure with Capirossi's conduct by releasing him after the season.

500 career

In 1999 Harada moved up to the 500cc class to compete on Aprilia's 380cc V-twin race bike. Five top 5 finishes in the first 10 races, including podium results at Paul Ricard and Donington Park, got him off to a flying start, but the bike's performance then faded and he couldn't improve his results. In 2000 he was less competitive again, coming 16th overall. In 2001 he made another attempt at an elusive second 250cc world championship, taking 8 poles but only three victories as countryman Daijiro Kato claimed the title. For 2002 he entered the MotoGP class aboard a Honda two-stroke, but this proved to be his final year of professional racing, as he retired after a difficult season that saw him finish 17th overall.

External links

* [http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s180/st16212.php Profile]
*ja icon [http://www.tetsuya31.com/base-j.html Official site]