The Legend "Norick Abe"

- March 08, 2019

PROFILE STORY

TRIBUTE FOR THE LEGEND

NORIFUMI "NORICK" ABE

阿部典史

Who doesn't know Moto GP. I'm sure most of you have been watched this famous motorbike race. Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner are champions and stars in the Moto GP race. In my article this time, I will discuss one of the legendary racers from Japan. Norifumi Abe or usually called Norick Abe. Maybe some of you have questions: why is Norick Abe? Why not Valentino Rossi or Casey Stoner?
Because in my opinion Norick Abe is one of the drivers that has an influence on the development of Moto GP. Besides that Norick Abe is someone I really idolize.

THE STORY BEGIN
Norifumi "Norick" Abe (阿部典史 Abe Norifumi) was born on 7 September 1974 in Setagaya, Tokyo Japan. When he was eleven, Abe began racing minibikes and spent his earlier career competing in motocross. He turned to road racing when he was fifteen and also competed in the United States.
As a beginner What started early in his 19-year-old career began to get attention, not only his eccentric long-haired look, but his racing style was indeed unique.

THE FACT :
"In riding his motorbike on the circuit, Norick Abe when cornering the handlebar on his motorbike seemed to be not moving at all and Abe seemed to hold his motorbike with his knee so as not to fall. In his action Abe often overtook his opponent in front of the circuit which seemed impossible to overtake"

The following year at the All Japan Road Race Championship, Norick Abe won the 500 cc title in the category's final year and became the youngest title winner.

In 1994 while racing in his home championship, Abe had a chance to race at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix as a "wild card". He shocked the field by challenging for the win until three laps from the finish before falling off.
Norick Abe took his first podium finish in 1995 and his first win and 5th overall in the championship a year later.
In his 500cc MotoGP career along with the legend Michael Doohan from 1994 to 2004 Norick Abe had never started in the first place, accounting for Norick Abe having started third in 4 times, 1995 in Brazil, 1996 at the Imola circuit, 1998 in the Netherlands, and 2001 in Spain. Where as for the second position occurred in 1996 in Rio. Even so, Norick Abe was listed as the first Japanese driver to win the 1996 500cc Grand Prix as the host in his own country.

Abe was the first Japanese driver to win the 500cc home race in 1996

Throughout his career in the Permier class (1995-2004), Norick Abe won the race three times and 17 podium finishes. When he dropped the race with a wild card facility in 1994, Norick Abe had mesmerized a teenager named Valentino Rossi, who at the time saw his action on television in Italy. Rossi, who was around 5 years old with Norick Abe who was pursuing his career in the 125cc class, was so impressed with Norick Abe. According to him, when Norick Abe at the circuit, the motorbike spurred like a possessed and often overtook in unexpected places.
Rossi felt that after racing his bike to compete with Norick Abe, he felt that it was the fastest race he experienced as long as he joined Moto GP. So impressed Rossi was at the beginning of his career calling himself "Rossifumi".

Norifumi and Rossifumi

THE LEGEND WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED
On October 7, 2007 while riding a 500 cc Yamaha T-Max scooter in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. Norick Abe was involved in a traffic accident with a truck, which made an illegal U-turn in front of him, at 6:20 p.m. local time. He was pronounced dead two and a half hours later, at 8:50 p.m., at the hospital where he was taken for treatment.

GOODBYE NORIFUMI "Norick" ABE

FOR ME YOU ARE A GREAT LEGEND