Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Suzuki’s Atsushi Watanabe won the All-Japan Road Race Series Superbike Championship with a third-place finish in the final round of the series Sunday, November 3 at Suzuka Circuit. YSP Racing & Presto’s Wataru Yoshikawa won the 20-lap race on his Yamaha YZF-R7, two seconds ahead of his teammate Takeshi Tsujimura.

Watanabe was more than 60 seconds behind at the finish, but after Championship contender Makoto Tamada dropped out of the race on the second lap, Watanabe only needed to finish eighth or better to win the title if Yoshikawa won.

Suzuki MotoGP GSV-R prototype rider Akira Ryo earned pole position with a 2:07.188, but Tsujimura turned the fastest lap of the race, a 2:08.436 on lap three.

Forty-seven riders started the season-ending Superbike race, and 34 finished.

Team Jha’s Hideyuki Nakajoh won his fourth All-Japan 125cc Championship on a Honda RS125R, Tekkyu Kayoh of Hitman RC Kohshien Yamaha won his second All-Japan 250cc title on a TZ250, Ryuichi Kiyonari of Team Kohtake RSC Honda won his first ST600 Championship on a CBR600F4i and JSB/S-NK Champion Tatsuya Yamaguchi of Honda Dream Fill Racing (Honda CBR954RR) was also a first-time All-Japan Champion.

All-Japan Superbike Round Nine Race Results:

1. Wataru Yoshikawa, SBK, Yamaha YZF-R7, 20 laps, 43:14.451
2. Takeshi Tsujimura, SBK, Yamaha YZF-R7, -2.178 seconds
– Keichi Kitagawa, PRT, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -6.399 seconds
– Tamaki Serizawa, PRT, Suzuki Tornado S-1, -9.288 seconds
– Yoshiteru Konishi, PRT, Honda CBR954RR, -54.335 seconds
3. Atsushi Watanabe, SBK, Suzuki GSX-R750, -60.174 seconds
– Masao Okuno, PRT, Honda CBR954RR, -60.693 seconds
4. Tatsuya Yamaguchi, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -61.299 seconds
5. Osamu Deguchi, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -61.675 seconds
6. Akira Tamitsuji, JSB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -82.447 seconds
7. Chojun Kameya, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -82.903 seconds
8. Makoto Tokinaga, SNK, Yamaha YZF-R7/R1, -90.914 seconds
9. Takuma Yamamoto, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -91.334 seconds
10. Ken’ichiro Nakamura, SBK, Honda RC51, -101.633 seconds

34. Yukio Kagayama, PRT, Suzuki GSV-R, -4 laps

41. Akira Ryo, PRT, Suzuki GSV-R, -18 laps, DNF
42. Makoto Tamada, SBK, Honda RC51, -19 laps, DNF


Final 2002 All-Japan Superbike Championship Point Standings:

1. Watanabe, 148 points
2. Yoshikawa, 140 points
3. Tsujimura, 127 points
4. Tamada, 120 points
5. Yuichi Tamada, 85 points
6. Yamaguchi, 68 points
7. Tamitsuji, 68 points
8. Deguchi, 48 points
9. Hiroaki Kawase, 46 points
10. Nakamura, 38 points