Tough man

Twenty-three years ago and the world of World Superbikes was left buzzing after watching the on track antics of Nagai. On the factoryyamaha the Japanese rider was part of a new breed who gave as good as he got in the rough and tumble of the diesels. Throughout 1995 Nagai spent a lot of time following Carl Fogarty in qualifying, using the king’s knowledge of lines and braking markers to improve his own performance. This, as you’d understand, narked Foggy right off. And when he passed Nagai at Sugo that season in race two, the middle finger salute out of the chicane expressed that personal Ducati view to the world. Well, it did for about a second before Nagai side-swiped Foggy's right leg with 750cc of hotyamaha powerplant before taking the lead back up and over the hill. Goyasu! What a cracking racer.