Tribute: Shoya Tomizawa
To the great sadness of the Moto2 world, 19 year-old Shoya Tomizawa passed away after sustaining severe injuries at the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy on September 5, 2010. A prodigal racer who had been involved in the sport since age three, Tomizawa progressed from the ranks of pocketbike racing to work his way up into the 250cc championships.
The Technomag-CIP rider was racing his second season with Moto 2, winning the opening race of the 2010 season in Qatar. Not only exhibiting a great amount of potential at such an early age, the teenager was also known for his amicable attitude which was infectious amongst his colleagues. MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi of Italy led the tributes to Tomizawa in a heartfelt outpouring to fans and family alike earlier this week.
“When something so sad like this happens everything else goes to zero – the result doesn't matter,” a saddened Rossi commented, according to BBC Sport. “I'm so sorry for Shoya because he was a strong rider but above all he was very 'sympatico'. He was very funny, always smiling and he always had nice things to say to everyone. He was also very young with a great career ahead of him so we are all very sad.”
Other friends of Shoya followed suit, sharing their own memories of the favourite racer. “Shoya was more than a friend. He was like a family member. He was loved by everybody in the paddock,” Eskil Suter, chief executive of Suter Racing comments. “I am terribly sorry for his family and his team who suffered this tragic loss.”
Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso added that, “It's a huge pity because he was a good guy and a strong rider. I am so sad and I just want to say how sorry I am for his family and his friends. When this happens nothing else matters.”
Tech 3 Yamaha boss Herve Poncharal expressed, “On behalf of everyone at Tech 3 Yamaha, I'd like to send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Shoya Tomizawa. He was a great talent and a really good guy who will be missed by all of us in the racing community.”
Tomizawa is not the only racer to die tragically. Daijiro Kato, also of Japan, died in 2003 at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka after a crash. Tomizawa honoured the memory of the racer by wearing a tribute to Kato on his left shoulder. Sadly, he was to experience the same fate. Unavoidably colliding with Alex De Angelis and Scott Redding, Tomizawa suffered from severe cranial, thoracic and abdominal trauma, and was treated on site until moved to the Riccione Hospital on the Adriatic coast, where he passed away several hours later. A grieving De Angelis lamented that it was “the worst ever incident in my career. I saw Shoya fall in front of me. I tried everything I could to avoid him and hit his motorbike instead.”
Equally distraught, Scott Redding’s father, Adrian, commented on his son’s own sadness. “Scott's a bit beaten up and feels very sad for all that's happened. [He’s] only 17 and for a young person I think it's a bit of an ordeal for him.”
Tomizawa will be greatly missed by his friends, fans, and family. The Chiba, Japan native had one Grand Prix victory, two podiums and two pole positions to his name, an inspiring achievement for one so young pressed up against the hardy veterans of Moto2. Though remembered with sadness, Tomizawa is a beacon for those who wish to strive for their dreams and compete with the best.
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