Noriyuki Haga Returns to Racing: An Exceptional Comeback for Nitro Nori

Noriyuki Haga has not competed in a world championship race since the 2016 Suzuka 8 Hours (where he finished 3rd with Yoshimura Suzuki) and has not contested a full championship since the 2018 CIV Supersport (with Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia). In the coming months, "Nitronori" will put on leathers, helmet, boots, and gloves again for a couple of races taking place in Japan.

He will do so by taking on two of Japan’s iconic circuits: Tsukuba and Motegi. On June 21 he will race the JP-SPORTS 250cc event at Tsukuba, while on July 18–19 he will be on the grid for the 7-hour Endurance at Mobility Resort Motegi. It is primarily reserved for amateurs, but it occasionally hosts nationally and internationally renowned riders, just like in the case of Noriyuki Haga.

The former Superbike World Championship runner-up and winner of the 1996 Suzuka 8 Hours recently returned to the track at Motegi, with Alpinestars even creating special boots for him featuring his distinctive number 41 and the Nitro Ryota Racing team logo. The team, managed together with his brother Kensuke and competing in All Japan, carries in its name Ryota, Noriyuki’s late firstborn who passed away following a fatal accident in the All Japan ST600 race at Autopolis in September 2024.

In the weeks after this tragic accident, Noriyuki Haga considered quitting motorcycling for good, but he decided to continue his team’s activities (NITRO Racing) with a letter published in December 2024. "It has been 45 years since I first rode a Pocket Bike (Minimoto). From that day on, motorcycle racing has been my life. This year, one of the saddest events of my existence occurred. I even thought about retiring from racing. However, I could not face Ryota if I were to give up this activity. When, one day, we meet again, I do not want to hear: ‘Dad, you gave up.’ Therefore, to prevent such tragic accidents from happening again, I want to approach motorcycling by moving forward, focusing on the growth of young riders and intensifying work to improve race management on track"