He rolled over in a rental car he rented! Each memory is intense and is the very essence of his character," Masahiko Nakajima, Yamaha engineer

Norifumi Abe, a.k.a. Norick, dreamed of becoming a professional rider and honed his skills at Circuit Akigase before venturing off to train in the United States. He became the youngest ever All-Japan Road Race Champion and made his debut in the World Road Race Championship, aiming to become the champion in the highest class.Always looking forward, he opened up his life as a rider with his face up, and his overwhelming aura and dazzling smile won the hearts of his fans.From Norick's childhood, to his friends at Circuit Akigase, to the All Japan Road Race and World Road Race Championships, the people he met at each of the places where he worked so hard to make a difference in the lives of others have shared their memories of him.

Memorable scene of him talking with Rainey after the 1994 Japanese GP.

The year 1993 was a time when the World Road Race Championship (WGP) and the All Japan Road Race Championship (All Japan) rotated about every three months. I first saw Norifumi Abe during the season when he made his debut in the All-Japan 500 class.With his unique riding style, Abe was riding a Honda and was competing against veteran riders, and he was making a name for himself. In his debut season, he became a champion at the age of 17. He had an impact that made people think, "A rider with a tremendous talent has emerged.I also watched the 1994 Japan GP on site. I remember chasing Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan on a Honda NSR500 in Mr. Yumcha's colors, and feeling disappointed when he crashed with three laps to go, even though he was a rider from a rival manufacturer. I still remember the sight of Wayne Rainey and Abe talking enthusiastically after the race.Abe had been to the US to do dirt track and was acquainted with Kenny Roberts and Rainey. I don't know what conversations were held there, but you can read about them at .......Wayne was seriously injured in a crash at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. It was a shocking accident for me as I was there. I was so discouraged that I could no longer continue racing, but Rainey, lying in the hospital bed, encouraged me by saying, "I'm coming back, but what if you're not here?True to his words, he was strong-willed and determined to make a comeback. Although he was not able to return as a rider, he chose to remain in the field, leading the team and becoming its director in 1994. I had such a strong desire to help him.So I was concerned about Abe, whom Rainey liked, but since Abe was a Honda rider,Yamaha would not pull riders from other manufacturers, so at this point I thought it was just a "reunion with an old acquaintance.

Jumping over a dozen levels at once and joining the Yamaha factory team

However, I was really surprised when Abe showed up for the test in England that year as a replacement for Daryl Beauty. I was not involved in the rider contract, so I don't know how it happened, but everyone on the team asked, "Why?" Everyone on site was at a loss for words.But we all knew how he had performed in the Japanese GP, so we had high expectations for him, and the test was very exciting. However, Abe soon crashed, and it was a bit of a letdown....Nevertheless, in 1995, Abe began full participation in the WGP500 class. He was the first Japanese rider to compete in the WGP since Tadahiko Taira.Furthermore, Abe jumped over a dozen steps that Japanese riders usually have to take and joined Marlboro Yamaha Roberts, Yamaha's factory top team. Joining this team is never easy, even for a rider competing in the WGP. I think it was a great selection that surprised many of the people involved.The team is directed by Kenny Roberts, who is a very strict man, and the mechanics are also well-known and elite. The team was directly connected to the Yamaha factory, so there must have been a lot of tension and pressure on a teenager.However, Abe was so natural that it was as if he had been there for many years, and he blended right in. On the contrary, he jumped right into our bosom.Silent, quiet, and serious. He overturned the image of Japanese riders up to that point, interacting with everyone without dividing them, and acting in a cheerful manner. I noticed that all the staff liked Abe.Whenever he had time, he would invite the mechanics to play tennis with him. This behavior itself was refreshing and made us feel that he was a big deal.It is not only the driving that is out of the standard.It was during a test at the Shah Alam Circuit in Malaysia. Abe asked me to rent a car, and I gave him the keys.Then, in the parking lot, he did whatever he wanted: drifting, emergency braking, and spinning .......Just as I was thinking to myself, "This is a rental car, come on! 　 The carrolled over and rumbled and rolled. It was chilling, but fortunately Abe was unharmed. I was relieved, but the car was wrecked. I was left scratching my head.After finishing the paperwork at the rental car company, we returned to the hotel, and Abe, as expected, was very quiet at this point. He was unusually quiet.When I told this story to Abe's father, Mitsuo, he said, "When I rented a Ferrari from an acquaintance, I was reckless. I stopped him, saying, "If you break it, it will cost you 80 million yen. he laughed.The most memorable race was the 1996 Japan GP. Abe did not perform well in the qualifying round, and after the qualifying round, he had to change the pistons. He wished for victory, wrote a message on the piston, and installed it.And - he won.To be honest, it was an unexpected victory.The joy was so great because it was a victory from a situation that we thought might not work out, and the whole staff celebrated by opening champagne. The mechanics had the piston signed by Abe as a commemorative gift and held it with great care.Abe was the first Japanese rider to win the WGP500 since Keisuke Katayama in 1982, and he was only 20 years old at the time. It was a victory that was celebrated by many people beyond the manufacturers.In 2002, MotoGP and GP500 were mixed. I was the project leader for GP500, but the company was shifting to MotoGP.At the time, Abe was a development rider for MotoGP and was competing in the Australian GP as a wild card.It was the transition period from carburetors to injection, and Abe was in charge of testing the carburetors.The test parts needed to be delivered to the site on short notice, and the general manager told me, "You are the only one who knows the area and can deliver the parts reliably.I refused, saying that I was the project leader of the 500 project (......), but he insisted that you were the only person who could do it, and I said, "I have no choice. It was for Abe's sake," and I accepted.On Friday, I received the freshly finished parts, which still smelled of paint, and took the Shinkansen bullet train from Hamamatsu to Narita. I took a night flight to Australia and flew to the circuit in a rental car.I was just in time......, but Abe was at the medical center.Nakajima-san, what are you doing here? What are you doing here?" He asked me, and I swallowed the words, "For you .......Fortunately, the injury was not serious, but he missed the final. The staff, who were familiar with my face, invited me to stay and watch the race since I had come all this way, but I left my parts and only stayed at the circuit for an hour or two. I took a flight home that night.All of my memories of Abe are very strong, and I think he was a character in his own right.

A rare presence who brought excitement and smiles to the world

Although he went abroad by himself at a young age and his wife later accompanied him, life at WGP is never comfortable for Japanese. The stresses of clothing, food, and shelter are greater than one might imagine.Nevertheless, Abe had established his own lifestyle and created an environment where he could concentrate on racing.This is an ability so important that it rivals riding technique and talent.Abe found a world where he could use his talents, and he clearly set his sights on becoming a world champion, believing that "I will do what no one else has done.I believe it was this strong desire that motivated everyone around him. Together with Abe, I dreamed of a world championship by a Japanese rider and a Japanese manufacturer.I really enjoyed the time I spent with Abe.He was very popular among WGP riders, and I think he was a rare person who brought excitement and smiles to the world.He was the darling of the times and left a great mark on motorsports. Image Gallery (1)