Norifumi \'Norick\' Abe shot to fame after an incredible wild card ride at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix, which saw the 19 year old rookie battle for the lead until 3 corners from the finish. His performance earned him a ride with Yamaha Team Roberts, with whom he took his first GP victory at Suzuka in 1996, becoming a national hero as the first ever home winner of the Japanese GP. A year later he moved to Yamaha Team Rainey but struggled with injuries. In 2002 he joined the d\'Antin Yamaha team, adding two more victories to his career total at Rio and Suzuka. A year as a test rider was followed by his return to MotoGP for a final full season in 2004 with the Tech 3 team. Abe was tragically killed on October 7th, 2007, in a collision with a truck near his home in Tokyo.