A Unique Victory Claimed at the Rainy Suzuka 200KM
Completing the Race at the Challenging Nürburgring Nordschleife
A moment before the practice session for the 1980 British GP. From right: mechanics Shinichi Sugihara and Carlo Murelli; Team Manager Norio Sekiguchi; (skipping one person) carburetor engineer Kiyoshi Abe; and rider Takazumi Katayama. (Photo/Shigeo Kibiki)
The Maxton-framed NR2 made its race debut on June 21, well into the 1980 season. It did not debut in a World Grand Prix event, but rather at an international race held at Donington Park in the UK. The riders were Mick Grant and Ron Haslam, contracted riders for Honda Britain (the UK Honda motorcycle importer team), which was managed by Davison, who also oversaw HIRCO. Both riders were forced to retire from the race due to crankshaft pin failures. However, the NR2 ridden by Haslam demonstrated respectable speed, providing a morale boost for the NR Project.
Addressing the issues encountered at Donington required considerable time, so the NR2's next competitive outing was an international race held at Misano, Italy, on July 19. Takazumi Katayama, Honda's only factory-contracted rider in 1980, raced the NR2 for the first time, finishing third, approximately five seconds behind the leader. This marked the first time an NR500 had completed a race.
Finally, the NR2 made its World Grand Prix debut at the Finnish GP during the last week of July. However, a piston seizure occurred during practice. Honda was forced to decide against entering the NR2 in the final race, as it was deemed certain that the same problem would recur.
Katayama and the NR2 at the 1980 Finnish Grand Prix, held on the Imatra street circuit. Due to engine issues, they were forced to cut their run short before setting a qualifying time. (Photo/Shigeo Kibiki)
Investigation revealed that the trouble at the Finnish GP stemmed from an oil lubrication failure caused by the oil pan's shape. The NR Project team hastily fabricated a corrective part and headed to Silverstone for the race in the second week of August, marking the NR500's second appearance at the British GP.
The riders were Katayama and Grant, the same duo as the previous year. Although both improved on their qualifying times from the previous year by approximately 3 seconds, Grant once again failed to qualify. Katayama, meanwhile, qualified in 29th place. In the race itself, the engine was slow to fire up during the push-start, leaving him near the back of the pack at the end of the opening lap; however, he subsequently maintained a solid, consistent pace. He ultimately climbed to 15th place, completing a Grand Prix race with the NR500 for the first time.
Katayama and the NR2 racing in the 1980 British GP final. He managed to hold off riders like Steve Parrish, who is seen trailing him in the photo, to finish 15th. (Photo/Shigeo Kibiki)
The West German GP was the final remaining race of the 1980 World Grand Prix season. The venue was the Nürburgring Nordschleife (North Course), a track that undulated violently like a mountain pass. Katayama was the sole Honda entrant, riding the NR2 equipped with a Maxton frame; he qualified 15th. The race consisted of ten laps around the 22.835 km circuit, and Katayama rode the NR2 with a blend of daring and steady precision. By the midpoint of the race, he had moved up to 11th place, putting a championship-point-scoring finish (top 10) within reach. However, the engine began to falter in the closing stages, causing him to drop one position. Despite this, the NR2 kept running without stopping, and he completed the race on this challenging course in 12th place.
Katayama and the NR2 racing on the Nürburgring's North Course during the 1980 West German GP. This marked the final time a World Grand Prix race was held on this mountain-style circuit. (Photo/Shigeo Kibiki)
