Haruki Noguchi (埜口遥希, Noguchi Haruki) (June 20, 2001 – August 16, 2023) was a Japanese motorcycle racer riding for SDG Honda Racing. Noguchi was a member of MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.[1] He competed in the All Japan Road Race Championship in 2017 and 2018, placing second in the Asia Talent Cup standings, and in 2019, placing third in the Red Bull Rookies Cup standings.[2] He died at age 22 after suffering fatal injuries during a road race in Indonesia.
| Haruki Noguchi | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | June 20, 2001 Nara Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | August 16, 2023 (aged 22) Kuta, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia |
| Current team | SDG Honda Racing |
Biography
editBorn in Nara Prefecture, Noguchi began riding motorcycles at 5 years old.[3] In addition to his motorsport career, he was a student at the Faculty of Industrial Sociology, Ritsumeikan University.[4]
In 2017, Noguchi had his first win in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at Suzuka.[5] In preparation for the ATC races in 2018, he was named a competitor to watch after finishing first in the pre-series qualification trials.[6] In 2018, he won the ATC's round 2 race in Thailand.[7][8] He would go on to finish second in the overall rankings that year.
600 series
editIn 2019, Noguchi placed third in the 2019 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.In 2021, he won the Superstock 600 category at the All Japan Road Racing Championships.[9]
Superbike series
editIn 2022, he moved up to the Superbike 1000 class. That year, he placed second in the Asia Superbike 1000 section of the Asia Road Racing Championship.[10][4]
He started the 2023 Asia Road Racing Championships with two wins at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand. In August 2023, alongside his SDG Honda Racing team-mates, Noguchi finished second in the 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race.[10]
Death
editOn August 13, 2023, Noguchi was involved in a fatal accident at the lap 4 of the Asia Road Racing Championship at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, Indonesia in the ASB1000 class.[11] He was hit by Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel who was in sixth position, just behind Azlan Shah of the factory BMW M1000RR, causing Kasma Daniel to be knocked down.
Daniel and Noguchi were taken to a local hospital for treatment, and the race was cancelled.[12]
After three days in intensive care Noguchi was pronounced dead on August 16, 2023, at the age of 22.[13][9] At the time of his accident, Noguchi was placed second in the provisional 2023 ARRC rankings.[10]
References
edit- ^ "HARC-PRO" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ "Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Home Page". www.redbull.com. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ "Haruki Noguchi". www.redbull.com. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ a b https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/news/detail/?id=776
- ^ "Noguchi victorious in race 1".
- ^ https://www.bikeland.org/news-story.php?newsID=87497
- ^ Cuesta, Gonzalo (2018-11-03). "Nishimura wins, van Eerde crashes and Noguchi makes gains at Sepang". IDEMITSU - ASIA TALENT CUP. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ Tribune, Qatar; webmaster (2018-03-15). "Noguchi rider to watch in Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup". Qatar Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ a b "Superbike rider Haruki Noguchi dies after crash in Indonesia". The Japan Times. 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ a b c "FIM EWC family remembers Haruki Noguchi". Honda.Racing. 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ https://www.motorsport.com/bike/news/haruki-noguchi-obituary-suzuka-honda/10508211/
- ^ Standard, The. "Superbike rider Noguchi, 22, dies from race crash injuries". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ "【訃報】埜口遥希がアジアロードレース選手権のクラッシュで亡くなる。鈴鹿8耐ではSDG Hondaの2位表彰台に貢献" [Obituary: Haruki Noguchi dies in a fatal crash at the Asia Road Racing Championship. Contributed to SDG Honda's second podium finish at the Suzuka 8 Hours.]. jp.motorsport.com (in Japanese). 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2023-08-17.