18-Year-Old Go Nakagawa Becomes First Japanese Rider to Win Thailand’s Top Road Race, Defeating Strong Factory Teams in a Come-from-Behind Victory in the Rain to Claim the Overall Title

A boy who moved to Thailand alone at the age of 11. He won the race in the rain and raised the Japanese and Thai flags on the podium.

2026.10.23 12:00

GOYU NAKAGAWA 日本応援事務局

Road racer Gouyu Nakagawa (18, NJT S-OIL Racing Team), a native of Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture, won the overall title on October 18, 2026,in the Super Sports 600cc class at the “NEXZTER BRIC Superbike Championship 2026 Round 3,” held in Buriram, Thailand, in a mixed-class race that included the Pro class.

表彰台に立つ中川豪優選手

Goyu Nakagawa on the podium

This event is one of Thailand’s premier road racing championships and serves as a stage where riders aiming for the world stage compete fiercely.Amid a field of leading domestic and international teams—including Idemitsu Honda Team Christmas, Yamaha TN PTT Lubricants Team, and Butler Garage Racing Team—as well as top-tier riders, Nakagawa, competing for a privateer team, claimed the top spot by outperforming the formidable factory teams.

独自のハングオフ技術

Unique Hang-Off Technique

■ Turning Bad Weather to His Advantage: A Come-from-Behind Victory from 5th Place

Nakagawa started the race from the 5th grid position.

Rain began to fall immediately after the start, gradually turning into a downpour, and the race was temporarily suspended after a red flag was displayed.

Rainy conditions are difficult for many riders. However, Nakagawa was by no means at a disadvantage in the rain.

Influenced by his father, a former racer, Nakagawa began motocross in the second grade of elementary school and has honed his bike control skills on slippery surfaces since he was a child.

He excels in wet-weather races, and as he himself says, “Racing in the rain really gets me pumped.”

Once the rain stopped, the race was shortened to eight laps. He started again from the fifth grid position.

Nakagawa displayed steady riding even on the wet track and crossed the finish line 5.005 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

The skills he honed in motocross really paid off in this rainy race.

[Race Results: Super Sport 600cc]

Event: NEXZTER BRIC Superbike Championship 2026, Round 3

Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026

Venue: Chang International Circuit (Buriram, Thailand)

● Winner: Go Nakagawa (JPN / NJT S-OIL Racing Team)

● Time: 15 minutes 16.767 seconds (8 laps)

● Margin over 2nd place: 5.005 seconds

雨天レースで完璧なマシンコントロール

Perfect car control in a wet race

チームスタッフと日本からの応援

Team staff and supporters from Japan

■ Annual Champion at 17, Defeats Top Works Teams at 18

Nakagawa, who made his full-fledged debut in the 600cc class in 2024, went on to win the SS1 class annual series championship the following year, in 2025, at the age of 17.

However, in mixed-class races—including the Pro class—he sometimes faced frustrating defeats against powerful factory teams.

Nevertheless, he never gave up on his dream of competing on the world stage; in addition to practicing on the circuit, he engaged in mental training even when off the track.

Leading factory teams such as Honda and Yamaha competed in this event. In contrast, the NJT S-OIL Racing Team, to which Nakagawa belongs, is a privateer team.

Armed with his unique “hang-off” riding style—which makes full use of his long limbs—and the experience he honed on Thai circuits, Nakagawa outpaced the powerful factory teams to claim the overall victory in the mixed-class race, which included the Pro class.

From class champion to the top of the mixed-class race.

This victory not only proved Nakagawa’s skill but also marked a major triumph for the team.

優勝を喜ぶ中川豪優選手

Go Nakagawa celebrating his victory

■ Aiming for Victory in MotoGP, the World’s Premier Series

Nakagawa’s sights are set on winning the world’s premier motorcycle road racing series, “MotoGP.”

His goal is to reach the pinnacle of MotoGP by the age of 25.

Since leaving Japan at the age of 11, Nakagawa has continued to take on the world.

This victory, which he secured at age 18, is not the finish line for him, but rather a step along the path toward his dream.

世界最高峰のMotoGPを目指す

Aiming for the World’s Highest Level: MotoGP

■From the racetrack to the Thai entertainment industry: Expectations are rising for the birth of a next-generation star.

Nakagawa, who is aiming for the world’s premier MotoGP series, is set to launch a full-fledged entertainment career in Thailand in addition to his racing activities.

With his handsome looks and the advantage of being trilingual—fluent in Japanese, English, and Thai—he has already gained idol-like popularity in Thailand.

Moving forward, he has a series of appearances scheduled, including collaborations with popular Thai idols, as well as roles in local TV shows, dramas, commercials, and magazines.

The racetrack and the entertainment world. Go Yu Nakagawa is currently the most well-known Japanese person in Thailand. With his full-scale entry into the Thai entertainment industry, his popularity and presence are expected to grow even further.

タイ芸能界進出

Entry into the Thai Entertainment Industry

■Left Home at Age 11 and Headed to Thailand to Conquer the World

Nakagawa grew up in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as the third of five siblings.

Influenced by his father, a former racer, he started motocross in the second grade of elementary school and placed second in the Kyushu Championship in the fourth grade. He switched to road racing in the fifth grade.

At age 11, he left his parents’ home to pursue his global dreams and moved to Thailand on his own. Unable to return home for an extended period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has devoted himself to training and racing.

In 2022, he claimed his first victory in the Honda Thailand Talent Cup. The following year, in 2023, he won the season opener, and in 2024, he began competing full-time in the 600cc class. In 2025, at the age of 17, he was crowned the SS1 class annual series champion.

This victory marks yet another achievement resulting from the challenges he has faced since childhood.

■The Flag Connecting Japan and Thailand, Held High on the Podium

After his victory, Nakagawa raised a special flag that combined the national flags of Japan and Thailand.

This is a signature style of Nakagawa’s that he has maintained since his days winning the Honda Thailand Talent Cup.

He once again raised the flags of both countries as he stood on the podium after this victory. The scene symbolized his pride as a Japanese citizen and his gratitude for being raised in Thailand.

タイタレントカップ優勝時