Hi Tom,
I'm pretty sure that it doesn't have to do with being a citizen. You have to go to Keirin school before you are permitted to ride with those guys. You must qualify to be accepted to the school and it is very selective. American sprinter Nelson Vails attended the school and rode for several years on the Keirin circuit. He was very popular. Perhaps there were other non Japanese riders.
Keirin rider Koichi Nakano was ten times world professional sprint champion but he refused to ride the Keirin at the world championships. He believed that the race was not safe because the other riders had not been trained at the Keirin school.
Regards, Jamie Swan
Centerport Cycles Inc. http://www.centerportcycles.com (mapped) http://www.limws.org http://www.liatca.org http://www.cabinfeverauctions.com
On Aug 12, 2007, at 5:33 AM, Tom Sanders wrote:
> Re:It is my understanding that a bike with a brake hole in the fork
> will not
> pass the strict inspection for Keirin use in Japan.
>
> Marcus,
> Are you aware that unless you are a Japanese citizen you may not
> ride on the
> track with Keirin riders?
> My buddy Tim Potter, head of the MSU Bike Iniative went to Japan as
> a Road
> Racer back in the '60s and was greeted warmly by young Keirin
> Racers, but
> they could not even bring him to the track as a guest. He often
> rode their
> mountain training rides with them and was invited to the home of a
> nationally prominent older racer. This Gent had been National
> Champion once
> and runner up also at the tender age of 19. Tim ended up marrying the
> daughter and bringing her back here where they now have two or three
> children, the last of which starts college this fall. Tim and his
> brother
> Jeff (the Publisher of Out Your Back Door) and I often get together
> for
> lunch and to swap cycling stories.
> In other words, just the fact that Charles is a U.S. Citizen already
> dis-qualifies him from Kierin racing.
> You might enjoy this link http://www.bikes.msu.edu/
> tim_potter.html
> Tom Sanders
> Lansing, Mi