History
2006 // 2007 // 2008 // 2009 // 2010 // 2011
2002 is the first season for the group that some years later will found Team JiR. The project means to participate in MotoGP World Championship with the former 250 cc class World Champion Tetsuya Harada.
First success arrives already in 2004, thanks to the 2 victories and 3 pole positions made by Makoto Tamada, who realizes a historic result: the first victory in the premier class of motorcycle racing of a complete Japanese package (machine, rider and tyres).
These successes fire up the interest of the big Japanese technological company Konica Minolta, who becomes the title sponsor of the team in 2005, signing a three-year partnership agreement. The Team takes the name of Konica Minolta Honda.
Relying on the experience gained, Konica Minolta Honda stuck with the same package for 2006 and in 2007 another Japanese rider is welcomed in the Team, Shinya Nakano, who becomes the standard-bearer of the Konica Minolta Honda Team.
2008 season marks the beginning of a new challenge in MotoGP and in the 250cc class: the 21-year-old Italian rider Andrea Dovizioso is the new rising star in the JiR Team Scot MotoGP squad and reaches an excellent 5th position in the 2008 MotoGP World final standings. Also in 250cc the JiR Team Scot reaches the 5th position in the World final standings with the Japanese rider Yuki Takahashi.
In 2009 JiR brings on the JiR Junior Team project and for the second year in a row invests its efforts in the training for young riders. In partnership with Aprilia, JiR participates in the FIM Superstock 1000 World Championship and the CIV (Italian Speed Championship) with the Italian riders Federico Biaggi and Federico Sandi, joined in a couple of races by the wild card Ayrton Badovini. Ayrton gets pole position, fastest lap and victory at Imola's race, but then the success is invalidated due to a misunderstanding of the official rules made by Aprilia.
In 2010 the JiR Team comes back with renewed enthusiasm on the World Championship circuits. The newly born Moto2 class is the good chance for the development of a higly competitive and performing prototype, rode by leading riders like Simone Corsi, Mattia Pasini and Alex De Angelis. The season ends with the 4th place in World Manufacturers' Championship for the MotoBI and the 5th place for Simone Corsi in the World Riders' Championship.
2011 represents the prosecution in the aim towards the Moto2 World Championship with the rider Alex De Angelis, who fought hardly for the whole season ending in 4th place after the 17 races.
20112 season will give the official start to a brand new challenge, with the investment on two young riders such as Johann Zarco (21) and Eric Granado (16).
