Tadayuki 'Taddy' Okada (born February 13, 1967) is a Japanese former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was runner-up in the 1994 250cc and in the 1997 500cc World Championship.[1][2]
Tadayuki Okada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | February 13, 1967 | (age 57)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Early career
Okada won the 250cc All Japan Road Race Championship in three successive years from 1989 to 1991 for Honda.[3] Honda then entered him into the 250cc World Championship in 1993.[2] He was runner-up in the series in 1994, and fourth in 1995.[1][2]
500cc and beyond
Okada stepped up to 500cc in 1996, helping develop the V-twin Honda NSR500V and finished the season in 7th overall. In 1997, he claimed his first 500cc win in Indonesia and finished second to Mick Doohan.[1][2] He missed several races in 1998 due to a wrist injury but bounced back in 1999 to finish third in the championship, with wins at Assen, Brno and Phillip Island.[1] Going into the final round of the season he was second in points, but lost out to final-race winner Kenny Roberts Jr. After a largely unsuccessful 2000 he switched to the Superbike World Championship for 2001, without winning a race although taking three podium finishes and 8th overall.[4] Okada chose to retire at the end of the year. He made a one-off wildcard appearance at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in June, finishing 14th, in the first race for the pneumatic valved Honda RC212V.[5]
Grand Prix career statistics[1]
Points system from 1988 to 1992:
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Points | 20 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Points system from 1993 onwards:
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
References
External links
- Tadayuki Okada at MotoGP.com
- Tadayuki Okada at WorldSBK.com
- Tadayuki Okada profile at Crash.net