If championships were awarded for popularity, Noriyuki Haga would surely be the most decorated man in the history of the Superbike World Championship.

 

With his spectacular style, will to win and wicked sense of humour Nitro Nori is hit with fans all around the world. In his career he has topped the podium 20 times, ranking him seventh in the all-time list of world superbike riders, but he has not yet won the championship – a fact he is looking to redress with the new YZF-R1 in 2007.

Nori was a mainstay of Yamaha's factory world superbike team between 1997 and 2000. For many people the Japanese star isn't just a Yamaha world superbike rider, he is the Yamaha world superbike rider. The Samurai of Slide, aka Nitro Nori, rode into superbike at a time when the series was challenging GPs for popularity and added another dimension to an already personality packed paddock. Nori-chan made his debut as a wild-card at Sugo in 1996 and made an immediate impact by finishing second. He was drafted into the factory team as a replacement for the injured Colin Edwards at the end of 1997 and was a permanent fixture until the programme ended in 2000. Five wins during the 1998 campaign made Haga the first Japanese rider to gain a worldwide audience. Fans loved the way he would throw the YZF750 sideways into the corner, but just as much they loved his carefree attitude to life. 

Haga’s best form came in 2000, when he took his YZF-R7 to second in the championship. Following their withdrawal from world championship superbike racing at the end of 2000, Yamaha offered Haga a switch to Grand Prix. However, after a year of mixed results Noriyuki decided to move back to his beloved Superbike World Championship.

After three nomadic years it was no surprise when Yamaha Motor Italia captured Haga to lead their squad upon the brand’s return to world superbikes for 2005. The 31-year-old from Aichi did not disappoint. With the R1 developing throughout the year, Haga showed his best form in the latter part of the 2005 campaign, winning two races (Brno and Brands Hatch) and outscoring eventual champion Troy Corser over the second half of the season to take third overall. 

Last year saw the team make big strides in improving the rideability of the R1, allowing Haga to win at Brands Hatch and take 10 other podium finishes to end the year third in the final standings again. 

No matter how tough the opposition is, Haga has proved he is capable of passing any rider at any time and will always be a front runner in the championship he considers home. With the new-for-2007 Yamaha promising to be faster and easier to rider, the enigmatic Japanese star should again prove a worthy adversary to his rivals and a joy to watch for his legions of followers.

Date of Birth 02/03/1975  Place of Birth Aichi, Japan  Nationality Japanese  Height 168 cm  Weight 65 kg  Marital Status Married with two sons  Hobbies Snowboarding and riding his Waverunner  Total Races 179  Victories 20  Pole Positions: 3  Wins 0  First Race 1980  * correct as from 01.01.2007   Career Highlights 2006: 3rd, World Superbike Championship 2005: 3rd, World Superbike Championship 2004: 3rd, World Superbike Championship 2003: 14th, MotoGP World Championship 2002: 2nd, World Superbike Championship 2001: 14th, 500CC World Championship 2000: 2nd, World Superbike Championship 1999: 7th, World Superbike Championship 1998: 6th, World Superbike Championship 1997: All Japan Superbike Champion, 13th, World Superbike Championship 1996: 8th, All Japan Superbike Champion, Won Suzuki 8-Hour (with Colin Edwards) 1995: 10th, All Japan Superbike Champion 1994: 9th, All Japan Superbike Champion 1993: 13th, All Japan 250cc Championship