From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

RYO TAKES TWO MOTOGP WILD CARDS

Team Suzuki Press Office – September 23. 2003.
Team Suzuki factory rider Akira Ryo is set to make two wild-card entries in next month’s Pacific GP at Motegi, Japan and the following Malaysian round at Sepang.

Ryo, the 2001 All-Japan Superbike champion, has been engaged in the development of the prototype, Suzuki GSV-R, four-stroke, 990cc MotoGP machine this year. Although he competed in six MotoGP races in 2002, the massive GSV-R development program in Japan has so-far restricted Ryo’s opportunities to race in this year’s MotoGP events. But with the development program entering an exciting new phase, the time has come to test some of the new ideas and developments under real MotoGP race conditions.

Ryo gave the GSV-R a near fairy-tale debut, taking a close second place in the first ever MotoGP event that took place at Suzuka in 2002.


Akira Ryo – So far this year, my priority has been the continuing GSV-R development and test program. This has been very interesting and encouraging, but I am still a racer at heart, and so I am delighted to have the chance to get back to racing in these two MotoGP events. Of course we are still developing various designs, ideas, parts and technologies, but I still want to go for a good result, and because I know these two tracks really well from numerous test sessions I am hoping for the best. We have a lot of development items to test during these two events, but I would still like to get a good result for Suzuki and all Suzuki customers, supporters and fans.


AKIRA RYO – WILD CARD SCHEDULE:
October 5. Round 13. Pacific GP at the Twin Ring Circuit, Motegi, Japan.
October 12. Round 14. Malaysia GP at the Sepang Circuit, Malaysia.



AKIRA RYO PROFILE:
Birth Date & Place: Oct 20th, 1967 Tokyo


Career Highlights:
1984 – First race
1986 – First entry in MFJ Road Racing
1989 – Promoted to MFJ Junior class
1990 – Promoted to MFJ International A class, the third ranking at the All Japan TT F3
1991 – Move up to the All Japan TT F1 class
1998 – Second and Third places in World SBK Japan round
1999 – First and Second places in World SBK Japan round
2000 – First wild-card entry in WGP
2001 – All-Japan SBK Champion
2002 – Second place in first-ever MotoGP race (Suzuka). Five further wild-card MotoGP races as part of GSV-R development program.