is a retired

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

motorcycle

road racer Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

from

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. He was Japanese Champion in the 1993 F1 All-Japan Road Racing Championship on Kawasaki, 2001 in S-NK All-Japan Road Racing Championship on

Suzuki is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...

and 2003 JSB1000 All-Japan Road Racing Championship on

. He won the Superbike World Championship round at

Sugo ''Sugo'' (International title: ''The Chosen One'' / ) is a Philippine television drama action series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Dominic Zapata and Lore Reyes, it stars Richard Gutierrez in the title role. It premiered on July 4, 200 ...

as a wild card rider for

. Kitagawa coming 16th in the season's overall standings. He was a semi-regular in the Superbike World Championship in , finishing 17th overall with a best finish of 4th, on a Kawasaki. Kitagawa finished 2nd in the

Suzuka 8 Hours The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. The race runs for eight hours consecutively and entrants are composed of two or more riders who alternate during pitstops. History The race began in 1978 as a ...

race, teamed with

Akira Ryo Akira may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Akira'' (franchise), a Japanese cyberpunk franchise ** ''Akira'' (manga), a 1980s cyberpunk manga by Katsuhiro Otomo ** ''Akira'' (1988 film), an anime film adaptation of the manga ** ''Akira'' (vide ...

. He was also a three-time winner of the Bol d'or endurance race. He retired from racing at the end of 2006, after winning the 2005 and 2006 Endurance World Championship.

References

External links

Worldsbk.com profileMotoGP.com profile
1967 births Living people Sportspeople from Kyoto Japanese motorcycle racers Superbike World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders {{Japan-motorcycle-racing-bio-stub