Shinichi Ito claimed the 1990 All Japan 500cc Championship title and is 3 times Japanese Superbike Champion. In the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race he has qualified on pole 5 times and won 3 times. The Japanese rider appeared in the World Championship as a 500cc wildcard every year between 1988 and 1992, until joining Honda full time in 1993 alongside Mick Doohan, scoring four top 5 finishes with a best result at Hockenheim where started from pole and finished 3rd. He was also the first GP rider to break the 200 mph (321.86 km/h) barrier. Ito was given a Honda RC211V for the inaugural round of the new four-stroke MotoGP series at Suzuka, qualifying 3rd and crossing the line 4th. He made two wildcard appearances with Ducati in 2005 and 2007, and a third with Honda in 2011 at Motegi. His considerable experience on different types of racing machines has earned him a reputation as a premier development rider.