Japanese motocross rider Yuki Okura continues to push himself far beyond the comfort zone of his domestic championship as he chases improvement on the world stage. With support from HRC Japan and Gariboldi Racing, Okura recently travelled to Europe to contest rounds of the Italian Championship at the legendary Maggiora circuit before tackling the brutal deep sand of Dreetz for the ADAC MX Masters.
For a rider based in Japan, opportunities to race regularly against Europe’s elite are limited, making every trip abroad an important learning experience. From adapting to rough hard-pack tracks and bottomless sand to dealing with different cultures, food, and lifestyles, Okura explains the many challenges that come with racing overseas — but also why those experiences are vital if he wants to close the gap to the world’s best riders.
We caught up with Okura as he reflects on his races at Maggiora and Dreetz, discusses the current level of motocross in Japan, his ambitions to represent his country at the Motocross of Nations, and his dream of one day lining up in MXGP.
GateDrop: Yuki, you were recently in Europe to do some National championships. Coming from Japan it’s probably not straightforward for you to come over – how did it all come around?
Okura: Normally, I race in the Japanese National Championship, but compared to Europe and the US, there are fewer races in Japan, and the overall level of competition is lower. That’s why, over the past three years, I’ve been trying to come to Europe more often during the off-season and summer breaks to gain more race experience and improve my level.
For this trip as well, HRC Japan and Gariboldi Racing supported me and provided an environment where I could fully focus on training, with the bike, mechanics, and everything else I needed. I can’t thank all the people who support me enough.
GateDrop: You raced the Italian Championship at an iconic track – Maggiora! Firstly, what did you make of that track?
Okura: The track had huge uphills and downhills that you don’t really find in Japan. It was very fast, rough, and technically difficult, but at the same time it was really fun to ride.
GateDrop: Can you talk me through your day at Maggiora?
Okura: To start with, I didn’t ride well in timed practice and qualified 27th. I improved little by little during the races, but because of my qualifying position, I got poor starts in both motos. I feel like if I had qualified a bit better and gotten better starts, I could have learned a lot more by racing closer to the front, so in that sense it was a slightly frustrating day for me.
GateDrop: The following weekend you travelled to Germany for the ADAC MX Masters at Dreetz. Bottomless, deep sand… how did you find that?
Okura: Honestly, it was just extremely difficult. The unique bumps, ruts, and rhythm of the sand jumps were really hard to deal with, and I struggled a lot because I didn’t fully understand how to ride the track properly.
GateDrop: Can you talk me through your day at Dreetz?
Okura: At Dreetz, I qualified 36th. In the races I finished 29th, 22nd, and 23rd, so the race results were better than qualifying, but physically it was a very demanding day because I couldn’t really adapt to how rough the sand track became.
Since I still lack sand riding skills, my main goal was simply to give my maximum effort in all three races and make it to the finish.
GateDrop: Do you have any tracks like either of those two in Japan?
Okura: We don’t really have sand tracks in Japan, so those conditions were very difficult for us. We do have tracks with similar soil to Maggiora, but Maggiora itself was much rougher and more difficult.
GateDrop: Being Japanese, did Honda give you some support and help make this trip possible?
Okura: Like I mentioned earlier, HRC Japan and Gariboldi Racing supported me and created an environment where I could focus completely on training with the bike and mechanics.
Of course, coming to Europe is not easy for me financially either, and it costs a lot of money. But through training and racing in Europe, I want to keep learning, win the Japanese championship, and close the gap to the world level as much as possible.
GateDrop: Going from Maggiora to Dreetz, two totally different tracks! Is that something that makes racing in Europe so tough having to adapt to different conditions?
Okura: Of course, adapting to different track conditions is one of the difficult parts. But beyond that, everything is different from Japan — the soil, the scale of the tracks, the language, the food, and the overall culture and lifestyle. Those things also make it challenging in many ways.
GateDrop: I think you raced the EMX Open series in Lommel last year – that track is so brutal. How did you find that?
Okura: Last year at Lommel, I came straight from Japan without having enough time to train in the sand beforehand.
Honestly, I had absolutely no idea how to ride properly in those conditions, and physically it was so tough that I almost regretted entering the race. But at the same time, experiences like that are helping me learn a lot.
GateDrop: What’s your plans for the rest of the season – to focus on racing in Japan?
Okura: Of course, my biggest goal this season is to win the Japanese championship. But during the summer break and other opportunities, I want to continue coming to Europe for training and race as much as possible to improve my skills.
GateDrop: What’s the level like in Japan? I am sure you are hoping to be a front runner so you can represent your country at the MXoN in Ernee!
Okura: Recently, more international riders have started racing in Japan, so I feel the level domestically is gradually improving. However, I think most Japanese riders still struggle to adapt or compete when they race overseas.
Of course, I would love the chance to represent Japan and challenge myself at the MXoN in France this year.
GateDrop: Have you got plans to come over to Europe again in the future – would you like to come and race a round of MXGP and do you think that is possible?
Okura: If I get the opportunity, I definitely want to race there again. I have a very strong desire to challenge myself in MXGP as well.
GateDrop: Do you follow MXGP? What have you made of the series so far this year? The class is stacked!
Okura: Yes, I follow MXGP. I think the level is unbelievably high. The roughness of the tracks and the intensity of the battles are incredible, and I have nothing but huge respect for all the riders.
GateDrop: MXGP hasn’t been to Japan since the mid-2000s I believe. China is back on the calendar – but would you like to see Japan back on the calendar in the future?
Okura: Of course. There would be nothing better for me than seeing MXGP return to Japan. And if it does happen one day, I would definitely love to challenge myself there as well!!
