The challenge of Goyu Nakagawa, a young Japanese racer who won Thailand's highest peak race at the age of 17

In Thailand's main domestic race, the Brick Superbike, all eyes are on the young racer Goyu Nakagawa, who won the SS1 class annual championship at the age of 17. Now 18 years old, he has continued to hone his skills in a foreign country to achieve his grand dream of becoming the best in the world, while attracting fans with his 180cm height.

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Ferocious Riding Cultivated in Harsh Environments

Influenced by his father, a former racer, Gouyu Nakagawa entered the world of motocross competitions in the second grade of elementary school. Later, in his fourth year, he placed second in the Kyushu Championships, and in his fifth year he decided to switch to road racing. In Japan, he was a member of Team RSC, which had produced such famous riders as Toru Ukawa, Daijiro Kato, and Makoto Tamada, and achieved remarkable results in many races. With a strong determination to become one of the world's top riders, he left his parents at the age of 11 and moved to Thailand by himself with his coach.

He chose this foreign country because of its excellent environment for nurturing young riders, which would lead him to MotoGP. Races in Thailand are held under extremely harsh conditions with high temperatures and high loads. The team decided that exposing themselves to a high level of intensity on a daily basis would provide them with solid experience for competing on the world stage. His talent quickly blossomed in this demanding environment, and at the age of 15, he took on the challenge of winning the Honda Thailand Talent Cup for the first time in its inaugural season. In 2023, he proved his ability by winning three championships and finishing second in the annual point ranking with six podium finishes. In 2024, he made a full-fledged entry in the 600cc class, and despite this being his debut year, he did well to finish 3rd and 2nd in the final two rounds.

In 2025, at the age of 17, he outperformed the top class competitors in the opening round to take pole position overall. He took the leading position on a grid lined with works riders, and showed the crowd his high racing IQ through his incredible turning speed and superb machine control, which was hard to believe for a 600 cc machine. In the final race, he used the exquisite center of gravity shift that has become synonymous with him to make a spectacular overtaking maneuver to regain the lead at the final corner. Although he was overtaken at the start of the race and finished 2nd overall, he took an impressive victory in the SS1 class and went on to win the championship for the year.

Future Prospects and Out-of-Competition Opportunities

Fierce as a cheetah, always looking for the top in every battle, his riding style has been described as extremely aggressive. With his exceptional talent and aggressiveness, his current goal is to become the best rider in the world by competing in Europe in the future. For this year, Nakagawa is also considering competing in the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, one of the most grueling races in Japan, and the All Japan Road Race. Now 18 years old, Nakagawa is rapidly gaining attention in areas beyond competition. With his 180cm height and presence, Nakagawa has been attracting many fans not only for his athletic ability but also for his visual appeal. He is so popular that female fans come from Japan to cheer him on at local races held in Thailand. In addition, she has been approached by a Japanese entertainment agency about modeling, and is expected to gain recognition from a wide range of people outside of the sports field.

In Thailand, she is widely recognized as a talented Japanese racer who has achieved results at a young age, and she has been featured continuously on TV, on the web, and in other related media. The fact that he has achieved solid results in a harsh racing environment where motorsports culture is deeply rooted is a major factor in his growing international reputation. On the other hand, media exposure in Japan has been limited to local media outlets, and there has not been a great deal of national-scale, large-scale features or close coverage. There are high expectations for this young talent to make further progress in the future.

Profile

Name: Goyu Nakagawa - English: Goyu Nakagawa - Birthday: January 21, 2008 - Age: 18 - Born: Omuta, Fukuoka, Japan - Height: 180 cm - Competition: Road racing (motorcycle) - Race category: 600cc - Languages: Japanese, English, Thai Sponsors: SHOEI / KUSHITANI Thailand and others

Main Achievements

Participated in Honda Thailand Talent Cup (2021-2023) - 2022: Won first place at the age of 14, followed by multiple podium finishes. 2023: Won 3 championships, 6 podiums, 2nd place in the annual ranking. 2024: Full-scale entry in the 600cc class. *In his debut year, he steadily improved his ranking in the final two rounds, finishing 3rd and 2nd in consecutive days. - BRIC Superbike SS1 Champion 2025* 17 years old when he won Go to (11)