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Objective is conquering the championship of MotoGP class!
Interview with Mr. Tomoyoshi Koyama who challenges WGP races
Tomoyoshi Koyama started to participate in all WGP125 races from this season. 5 years since obtaining the title of All Japan Road Race Championship in 2000 at the age of 17. Mr. Koyama who moved the battlegrounds to the WGP and succeeded to finish at 9th place in the ranking in the first half season has visited the Denso headquarter taking a chance in the summer break of 3-week. He has reported his performance in the first half of season and told us ambitions toward the second half as follows.
- Reporter:
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Reflecting on the races in the first half stage, you finished at fifth place three times up to the 10th race, which brought you to the 9th place in the ranking. It must be a remarkable result for a rookie. What do you evaluate the result by yourself?
- Koyama:
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Nobody will be surprised to hear that, when starting to participate in the WGP this year at the first time, I was quite at a loss about to what extent my skills would work in the WGP races. Take for example, every circuit was new to me, I had to race among more than 10 factory machines including Aprilia, KTM, Derbi, etc., though they were races for the GP125 class, and besides I was atop a Honda machine instead of Yamaha. Prospects looked really bleak for me.
It's a shame that I had to retire at the initial race, as you know. When, however, I finished at 6th place at the second race - Portugal GP and 5th at the third race - China GP, I got a feeling and thought "Oh, boy! This is not bad". My team was rejoiced too because they must never have dreamed such good fights in the first half of initial season.
- Reporter:
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You rode Honda's RS125R this year. It isn't a factory machine and not equipped with the "A kit", which is said to be supplied to the top riders of Honda line. Didn't you notice any handicap?
- Koyama:
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Largest difference compared with factory machines is, I think, that the number of variations is limited in the transmissions. It is critical to choose a right gear at the spun between corners. It makes you mad if you cannot find any at the right moment.
- Reporter:
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You have started to use an Iridium Racing Plug, which is both new and features the smallest diameter, 0.4 mm, over the world. Will you tell to us your impression on the product? (Note) Iridium Racing Plug - Model: IA01-34
- Koyama:
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I think it is really great the contribution of Iridium Racing Plug because my machine might outrun factory machines at its top speed, though it is not equipped with the "A kit". Power of GP125cc class machines is limited because their discharges are small. You must be able to feel the effect physically after replacing the plug on the same machine. I do not check the plug myself after running a race but I know it is replaced with new one almost at every race. There will be no problem, of course, even if it is used for a longer time because I know no trouble since employing this plug.
- Reporter:
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You have changed to race with Honda's machines from this year. It must be unforgettable that Masao Azuma won the championship at Suzuka GP125 - the opening game of WGP in 2001 - riding a machine equipped with the Iridium Racing Plug. Isn't it?
- Design Engineer:
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It was the race when the Iridium Racing Plug was introduced initially. The race was watched with keen interest at the same time because it was essential for Honda to win the race in order to accomplish a record of 500 wins. Victory by Mr. Azuma pushed up the number of wins to 498 and led eventually to the achievement of 500 wins with the championships brought by Daijiro Kato at the following GP250 and Valentino Rossi at the GP500. Mr. Azuma must have been under a considerable pressure from Honda at that time. I remember still vividly that Mr. Azuma was overjoyed saying, "I could win thanks to the Iridium Racing Plug!" The plug used on the machine of Mr. Koyama has been improved considerably since then.
- Reporter:
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Every circuit you are going to run is new for you. How do you set the machine in such situation? Do you use a data logger that records various data during running?
- Koyama:
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Yes, a data logger is mounted on the machine. Flow of setting is like this; I will report phenomena experienced when running at corners to the personnel in charge of mechanic and pin down optimum setting consulting with them and the data obtained from the data logger. I started to use the device from this year. If I explain to mechanics, for example, "I fell behind other riders at this point", they would review the data and reply "You can catch up with them if you accelerate by 3 km/h more when emerging from this corner." It tells us a great deal, the data logger.
It should be said, however, that approximate direction of setting is determined for the machine during testing at the off-season so that we can adapt to respective circuits only with minor adjustments.
- Reporter:
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We saw that you could nearly cut in the top group at the races in the first half of this season. What do you think you need more to stand on the podium and possibly to aim at the pinnacle?
- Koyama:
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It was a problem in the first half that I was left behind at the early stage of race. I believe I had chances more than once to step on the podium unless I fell behind the top group at the beginning of races. At the 5th race - Italy GP, I started from the 20th position as I fell during the preliminary but I outrun the top group with the lap time during racing and must have had a good chance to the podium only if, at the last lap, I were in the top group from which two riders fell off. Accordingly, if I could succeed, in the second half of season, to place myself at a higher place from the preliminary, which means to secure a position of 8th or faster within the 2nd column of staring grid, I would be able to cut in the group closest to the championship.
- Reporter:
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What do you think the cause of falling behind at the early stage of race?
- Koyama:
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Since there are many young riders in the GP125cc class, they are incredibly vigorous and reckless from the start. They do not mind scraping each other in melees at 1st or 2nd lap. They try to rush out by all means and do not fear to squeeze their machine in minutest clearances they find. As I have never tried such racing style since the All Japan Road Race Championship, I drew back instinctively at that moment. As a result, I found myself slipped down later than 10th position at the end of first lap. This was the reason why I could not dash out at the early stage of race. They look obsessed with nothing but the thought how to win. They cling desperately to the victory. It is no problem for them to fall off 2 or 3 times because they have 16 races for the world championship in a year. On the other hand, I couldn't miss even one race because we have only 6 races a year for All Japan Championship. I have had to avoid falling absolutely. I was accustomed to reserve a safety margin at every race. I couldn't get rid of this feeling for some time after participating in the WGP races. In these days, I find that I have been used to scraping with other riders and I can now race highhandedly same as them. I have accustomed to be conscious of spreading out my elbows to secure necessary space.
- Reporter:
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It is often a struggle of 10 or more machines to get the lead in world championships. I wonder if you can be much in reserve to devise how to develop your race or strategies in such a dead heat?
- Koyama:
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No, of course not. On the one hand, you cannot know ways of racing by other riders till you are in the middle of final race and, on the other, I cannot figure out 100% how I should race at unfamiliar circuit till the stage of final race. I try to find a fast rider at the preliminary to observe his way of riding but he will not be kind enough to allow such attempt. He will tear away from me at once. He will not mind even if I am trailing closely when it is 4 to 5 minutes before the goal and he is charging the time attack. But, if I mistake the timing and close up behind a little earlier than the moment, he will give up the attack immediately to defeat my intention. Even if I was running on the track I thought to be the best, there are cases when I realize suddenly at the last few minutes to the goal, "I got it, I have to run in this way!" though it is too late, of course. After all is said, I would learn ways of other riders earlier in a race, speed up gradually the time and adjust my riding to the level of 100% from the middle to the final phase of race. If I could put myself in the top group from the early stage of race and have a chance to observe their ways of riding, I will be able to know the best way of running and stake the fate of race for good in the second half of race.
I had a pleasure in the mini-motorcycle racing when I was a boy. But in those days there was none who could teach me the way of riding and how to set the machine. Because, however, I had a strong indomitable spirit to despise being defeated by other riders, I was always observing in what ways fast riders were running. As a result, during WGP races, I have been constantly observing the lines other riders prefer, ways of running by a particular rider, better selection of lines or which line is best fit to me though that fast rider is running on the other track.
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