Tadahiko Taira (born November 12, 1956) is a
Japanese former
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 ...
.
Born in
Minamisōma, he won three consecutive
All Japan 500cc championships in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Taira began his Grand Prix career in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
with
Yamaha. He enjoyed his best season in
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
when he finished the season in sixth place overall in the 500cc world championship.
His only Grand Prix victory came in
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
at the 250cc
San Marino Grand Prix.
In 1990, he teamed with
Eddie Lawson to win 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 ...
endurance race.
Grand Prix career statistics
Points system from 1969 to 1987:
Points system from 1988 to 1992:
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taira, Tadahiko
1956 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Fukushima Prefecture
Japanese motorcycle racers
250cc World Championship riders
500cc World Championship riders