Career
He was exclusively a 125 class rider. His best seasons were in 1994, when he finished second in the 125cc world championship behind Kazuto Sakata and in 1997, when he finished second behind Valentino Rossi. After a twelve-year career in Grand Prix competition, he announced his retirement at the end of the 2002 season, citing the need to let his body recuperate after several racing injuries.
He now runs his own team known as Team Nobby, which competes in the All Japan Road Race Championship in the J-GP3 class.
