EWC, Aoki retires at 51: “I felt like a rider until the very end”

As the 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours drew to an end, won by a dominant factory HRC team, so too did the career of international rider Nobuatsu Aoki. The 51-year old former world championship rider competed in one last edition of the famous Japanese marathon, aboard the team Teramoto Suzuki GSX-R1000, before hanging up his helmet at the end of what was a very special weekend for him and his family.

“Nobu” was joined by brothers Takuma and Haruchika, who took part in the ceremony, carrying out interviews and parade laps in front of fans at the iconic Japanese circuit. The race concludely positively for Aoki who, together with team-mates Koji Teramoto and Kazma Tsuda, finished fourth among the stock entries, and eighteenth overall.

The difficulty in saying ‘enough is enough’

One of the most emotional and unforgettable moments of the 8 Hours was when Nobuatsu returned to the pits. Having just passed the six-hour mark, the Japanese rider completed his final stint, handing the Suzuki over to his team-mate and, once back in the garage, he was unable to hold back the tears.

A scene that confirms just how hard it is for a rider to conclude a long, high-level career in which the bikes and circuits have been an integral part of their life. An emotional Aoki commented: “All I can do is thank all the fans and enthusiasts, Japanese and otherwise, who have always supported me around the world. I enjoyed this final race and felt like a rider right to the end, pushing hard even on my final stint, but now it’s all over.”

Translated by Heather Watson

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