Nakano makes Aprilia WSB switch
Added on Friday, October 31st, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Nakano with the new Aprilia RS4.
Shinya Nakano will ride in World Superbikes next season after agreeing a deal with the new Aprilia Racing team.
The Japanese rider, who was frozen out of the Gresini Honda MotoGP team at the end of the season, has agreed to ride for the Aprilia factory team for 2009 with a further option for 2010.
The ten-season MotoGP veteran will partner Max Biaggi in the new season and it looking forward to the change of scenery next season.
“I am very happy, for me it is a joy to be part of the great Aprilia family,” said Nakano. “At Aprilia I have found a big tradition and extraordinary racing expertise, the 33 world titles won up to today are confirmation of this.
“Superbike is a new challenge and I want to use all of my experience to help the new Aprilia RSV4 project grow. It will be a honour to be able to race beside Max Biaggi, he is a hero of mine and he was an inspiration to me in the first phases of my career, I am sure that together we will succeed in developing the best motorbike and to get good results in the 2009 season.”
“With the signing of Nakano we complete the World Superbike team for 2009,” confirmed Giampiero Sacchi, sporting director of the Piaggio Group. “Aprilia faces difficult competition, with the greatest constructors in the world as adversaries. It is a hard but fascinating challenge. Biaggi and Nakano are both fast, competitive and with great experience. These are the most important things for an innovative, technological and ambitious project like Aprilia RSV4.”
