Yoshimi Katayama
Encyclopedia
is a former Grand Prix
motorcycle
road racer
from Japan
. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964
with Suzuki
. He enjoyed his best season in 1967
when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He also finished the 1967 season in fourth place in the 125cc championship. Katayama won four Grand Prix races in his career.
Katayama would later switch to cars, competing in domestic series mainly as Mazda
's factory driver until he retired at the end of 1990. He finished second in the 1983 James Hardie 1000
, held at Bathurst, New South Wales
, Australia
co-driving with four time winner Allan Moffat
in a factory supported Mazda RX-7
. His previous visits to the race were in 1977
when he spectacularly rolled his Mazda RX-3
at Murray's Corner on lap 103 and 1982
where he finished in 6th place again partnering Moffat.
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Katayama began his Grand Prix career in 1964
1964 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1964 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 16th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...
with Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
. He enjoyed his best season in 1967
1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 19th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of thirteen Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc...
when he won two races and finished the season in second place behind his Suzuki team-mate, Hans-Georg Anscheidt in the 50cc world championship. He also finished the 1967 season in fourth place in the 125cc championship. Katayama won four Grand Prix races in his career.
Katayama would later switch to cars, competing in domestic series mainly as Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
's factory driver until he retired at the end of 1990. He finished second in the 1983 James Hardie 1000
1983 James Hardie 1000
The 1983 James Hardie 1000 was the 24th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was an endurance race for Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group C regulations. It was held on October 2, 1983 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst and was Round 4 of the 1983 Australian...
, held at Bathurst, New South Wales
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
co-driving with four time winner Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
in a factory supported Mazda RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
. His previous visits to the race were in 1977
1977 Hardie-Ferodo 1000
The 1977 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 was the 18th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 2 October 1977 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst...
when he spectacularly rolled his Mazda RX-3
Mazda RX-3
The Mazda RX-3 is an automobile sold in the 1970s. It was intended to be smaller and sportier than its brother, the RX-2/Capella Rotary. In 1972 all rotary engines had their die-cast rotor housing coated with a new process: The new Transplant Coating Process featured sprayed-on steel which is...
at Murray's Corner on lap 103 and 1982
1982 James Hardie 1000
The 1982 James Hardie 1000 was the 23rd running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was held on 3 October 1982 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia...
where he finished in 6th place again partnering Moffat.