Takaaki Nakagami expresses shock at the death of his compatriot Haruki Noguchi and reveals how difficult it was for him to pull out at Spielberg on Friday
Last Wednesday, news of the death of Japanese junior driver Haruki Noguchi shook the motorsport world. The 22-year-old had crashed in the Superbike race of the Asia Road Racing Championship on Sunday.
Although there was no official minute’s silence for Noguchi at the MotoGP race weekend in Spielberg, he was present above all in the thoughts of the Japanese riders.
Takaaki Nakagami, among others, was shocked. “I heard that he had fallen on Sunday, but the next day they said his condition was stable. When they told me he had died, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
“I was at a loss for words. I still can’t describe the feeling. It’s terrible news for Japan and also for young, upcoming talent.”
“It really saddens me. I saw the news on Thursday morning. After that I honestly didn’t feel ready to go out on track. It was difficult to turn off those thoughts and just move on,” he admits.
He did not know Noguchi personally. Nevertheless, there was a connection between the two, says Nakagami. “It was a different generation, of course, with his 22 years. I’m 31, so we never raced together.”
“He competed in the Asia Talent Cup, then moved to the Japanese and Asian championships, where he has been racing for the last two years. I followed what he was doing, of course, because I used to race for the same team in Japan and I know the team manager.”
“I never spoke to him personally but I know him and I think he had the potential to develop. He has gained a lot of experience in the Japanese and Asian championships,” Nakagami knows.
Noguchi has also featured in the World Motorcycle Championship in the past. In 2019, he finished third overall in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Shortly before his death, he celebrated second place in the Suzuka 8h with SDG-Honda.
