Multiple sites are hinting that Shinya Nakano, teammate to Maxi Biaggi on the factory Aprilia WSBK team, could be announcing his retirement from World Superbike racing as early as today. Expected to make the announcement in a press conference in Japan, the Japanese rider would be retiring after 13 years of racing, and on the eve of his 32nd birthday.
Nearly a 250 GP Champion in 2000, Nakano switched out of MotoGP to race with the Factory Aprilia team in WSBK this past season. While the Japanese rider had some good finishes (taking 4th place s in Race 1 at Losail), he was plagued by injuries as the 2009 season came to an end.
His string of injuries first started when he broke his collarbone at Valenica back in April, and then resurfaced as Nakano began to suffer from neck pain that kept him out of the final rounds of the season.
Aprilia has yet to announce who their new rider will be, but since Leon Camier is testing at Portimao this weeks, so we can assume that that Giampiero Sacchi is seriously considering Camier to join Max Biaggi on the RSV4 Factory in 2010.
I remeber the first time i went to GP in 06. It was my birthday, i was smashed, i got a kiss from about 50 gorgeous KSRC chicks, and Nakano was leading the pack by 5 secs!
red_dave wrote:In my eyes, the guy is a dead-set legend!
I remeber the first time i went to GP in 06. It was my birthday, i was smashed, i got a kiss from about 50 gorgeous KSRC chicks, and Nakano was leading the pack by 5 secs!
I got wood just thinking about it!
Yeh I was there too, If it had kept raining I reckon he would have won that race. He was so far in front with daylight second................
2013 Triumph Thunderbird 1700 Storm
Suzuki 1300 LillBusa Ute
Serviced by Allfixed Automotive Castle Hill PH: (02) 9634 1455
SRT Survivor & Oficial Photographer
