Hiroshi Aoyama remembers Kato and will race with #7

250cc World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama has decided to debut in the upcoming 2010 MotoGP season with #7.
Aoyama had to give up his victory #4 because Andrea Dovizioso already uses the same number and following Chris Vermeulen’s return to WSBK, #7 became available.
Vermeulen was using the number seven in honour of the GP legend Barry Sheene, while Aoyama chose the number to honour the late Daijiro Kato who use to race with #74 and died tragically at Suzuka in 2003 in his second season of MotoGP.

Kato was Japan’s last 250cc World Champion in 2001 before Aoyama won the championship this year.
#74 was retired from MotoGP, but Aoyama will use the other digit that composed Kato’s racing number.
Several riders who raced with Kato at Suzuka that year, still display a small #74 on some part of their helmets or bikes or when they race at Motegi, Japan they exhibit the number in his memory.

Since 2007, in the week before the Misano GP, the Dedikato (dedicated to the memory of Daijiro Kato) charity event takes place.
Organized by Fausto Gresini of Team Gresini and in collaboration with the city of Misano besides the charity event, a public talk show takes place with numerous GP riders and personalities talking about road safety and racing.

The last two year’s raised money for the Clinica Mobile and for scholarships for Kato’s children and this year it was for a cystic fibrosis research foundation and on e-bay they auctioned off a fairing signed by MotoGP and Superbike riders, riders personal clothing and items and special dediKato t-shirts designed by Aldo Drudi.