Norifumi Abe
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| Motorcycle Grand Prix Career | |
| Nationality |  Japanese |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1994 - 2004 |
| Team(s) | Yamaha |
| Grands Prix | 144 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podium finishes | 17 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First Grand Prix | 1994 500cc Japanese Grand Prix |
| First win | 1996 500cc Japanese Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2000 500cc Japanese Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 2000 500cc Valencia Grand Prix |
Norifumi "Norick" Abe (Japanese name: 阿部典史 - Abe Norifumi or ノリック・アベ - Norick Abe) (born September 7, 1975, Tokyo) is a Japanese motorcycle road racer.
Norifumi was born to Mitsuo Abe (阿部 光雄), an Auto Race rider. When he was eleven, he began racing minibikes, and spent his earlier career competing in motorcross. He turned to road racing when he was fifteen and also competed in the United States. In 1992, he was the runner up in the 250cc category for the domestic National A championship; the following year, at the All Japan Road Race Championship Norick won the 500cc title at the category's final year and became the youngest title winner.
In 1994, while racing in his home championship, he 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 corners from the finish before falling off. His performance impressed Kenny Roberts' Yamaha team, and he was offered two more rides in 500cc championship that year, which yielded two 6th places and an earned him a full-time Grand Prix ride for the 1995 season.
He took his first podium finish in 1995, and his first win and 5th overall a year later. The team he rode for in 1997 was run by another former champion, the paraplegic Wayne Rainey, and Abe took regular points finishes over the next two seasons including four podiums. He joined the D'Antin team in 1999, won at Rio that year, and won again at Suzuka a year later, amidst two seasons on less competitive machinery, in which his solid finishing ensured that his 100% record of top 10 championship finishes continued.
However, 2002 was the first year of MotoGP regulations, and Norick did not like these bikes. As such, when D'Antin went over to them for 2003, Norick left the team, and instead acted as a factory test rider and occasional guest racer for Yamaha. He got another chance in the Tech 3 Yamaha team for 2004, but was unsuccessful, and was moved to Yamaha's returning World Superbike squad for 2005. Despite having less support than Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt, he finished in the championship top 10. In 2006 he was less competitive, failing to score a podium. For 2007 he is not competing in the series.
Norick, when he is not racing enjoys skiing, snow boarding, downhill mountain biking and poetry.
[edit] External links
- NorikAbe.com - Official site
