NORIFUMI ABE rode his Yamaha to Japan's first 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix victory in 14 years, stunning home fans and snubbing Honda on their home track.
The 20 year old overtook reigning world champion Michael Doohan in the eighth lap and never looked back, side sliding most of his way, to win the 21 lap Japanese Grand Prix in 45 min 34.590 sec.
Hit by a front tyre puncture, the Australian champion's hopes of a back to back win gradually faded. But his works Honda teammate Alex Criville of Spain picked up where he left off and kept second spot to finish 6.496 sec behind Abe.
Scott Russell, a former US and world superbike champion, shadowed Criville after surging ahead from the back of the pack in the 11th lap on a Suzuki to cross the line 0.644 sec further back.
"I was lucky I didn't fall," Abe said after a victory lap around the 3.64 mile track. "I hadn't imagined myself winning. But I made up my mind that I would rather crash than miss the podium," said Abe.
Abe shaved Kevin Schwantz's course record by 0.35 see to 209.089. "When I was out on my own, it was just a battle between me and myself," he said.
Abe, whose best finish was third in Brazil last year, became the third Japanese to win a 500cc Grand Prix. Hideo Kanaya triumphed in 1975 and Takazumi Katayama won in 1982 in Sweden.
"From the middle of the race my rear tyre wasn't so great and there was no way I could catch Abe," Criville said. His victory at the season closing 1995 European Grand Prix had contributed to Honda's monopoly of the last four championship races.
Doohan limped home sixth and said, "For the last five laps I was just surviving, and dropping a second a lap."
However, the winner of the second round in Indonesia two weeks ago surged to the top of the points table with a 46-40 lead over Abe and Brazilian Honda rider Alexandre Barros who crashed here.
In the 250cc race double world champion Max Biaggi of Italy breezed to his second win out of three 250cc races this season on an Aprilia as his Japanese archrival Tetsuya Harada crashed out.
Masaki Tokudome on an Aprilia sneaked past a jam up among three front runners at the final chicane to score his second straight 125cc win.
