© 2023, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. By David Swarts.
Longtime business determine Don Sakakura has retired from his function as President of Yoshimura Racing LLC, ending a 43-year profession with Yoshimura.
Sakakura began working for Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc. in January 1980 as a race mechanic. That yr, he helped Wes Cooley win the second of his two AMA Superbike Championships.
Sakakura went on to grow to be the Sr. Vice President of Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc. a place he held from 2005 till 2018, when Yusaku Yoshimura was appointed CEO/COO of Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc.
Sakakura then moved into an advisory function with Yoshimura R&D of America, Inc. and continued as President of Yoshimura Racing LLC, a place he held from 2002 till his retirement on the finish of December 2022.
Throughout a lot of his time at Yoshimura, Sakakura oversaw not solely the corporate’s exercise in skilled racing (street racing, Supercross/motocross, ATV, and extra) however he additionally led the corporate’s elements manufacturing enterprise.
In Sakakura’s tenure at Yoshimura, the model received 24 AMA Professional street racing Championships (14 in Superbike, six in 750 Supersport/Superstock, three in Supersport, and one in Formulation Xtreme) and 294 races street races (208 in Superbike, 57 in 750 Supersport/Superstock, 24 in Supersport, and 5 in Formulation Xtreme), in accordance with the corporate.
