The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) are launching the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) this year. The inaugural season of the championship will kick off in Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and comprise six rounds (two races at each round) integrated within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. A provisional permanent entry list with 24 riders has been announced. We caught up with some of the riders on the entry list, today we give you the sixth installment in this series, the story of Japanese rider Luna Hirano (平野 ルナ).
Photos © Luna Hirano
Luna’s first experience with a motorcycle started at the circuit which is iconic on the MotoGP calendar. It is almost destined that she steps onto the world stage of motorcycling one day. “The first time I encountered motorsport was in 2006 when I was 6 years old. I rode an electric minibike at an amusement park in the Mobility Resort Motegi. I liked riding, so my mother got me onto a pocket-bike. This is how I got started.”
When Luna first started riding, it was the friends she made at the track that kept her riding, rather than the goal to become a professional rider. Nevertheless, in 2018, Luna arrived in the All Japan Road Racing Championship. They randomly assigned her the number 44, and the number got stuck. There were highlights in her five seasons racing in the All Japan Road Racing Championship, but also low points. “There was a year when I only completed the race once at the All Japan Championship. But I fell and retired from the race. The crash also resulted in injuries that made me want to quit racing. I was able to get through this because of my mother who always supported me.”
I am where I am today because of those who kept telling me that I’m doing my best.
Luna’s career doesn’t only consist of sprint racing, she’s also a veteran in endurance racing. She has participated three times in the famous Suzuka 8h. In her 2019 Suzuka 8h as well as Sepang 8h, she not only completed the race, she competed in the race with only two riders on the team. “This was the first time where only two people instead of three ran an endurance race at the EWC (FIM Endurance World Championship). Based on simple calculations, each person had to run for 4 hours, so it was a very tough endurance race for a 19-year-old at the time. It was also my first 1000cc race.”
If a women’s EWC team is created in the future, I would definitely like to participate.
Suzuka 8h also gave Luna her best memory in racing. “In 2022, I served as the checkered rider of our team. The last stint is really tough. But because it’s so painful, when I see the checkered flag waved at the end, the grandstands decorated with penlights, the sky filled with fireworks, I knew I would never forget that sight.”
Now her chance to compete in international sprint races also comes. Luna is one of the two Asian riders on the WorldWCR entry list. “There is no women-only road race in Japan. When I participated in the All Japan Championship and Suzuka 8h, everyone except me was male. It’s really difficult for women to continue racing. When I saw the WorldWCR announcement, I was happy to see that there is now a place where female riders and kids who are working hard on pocket-bikes have a place they can aim for. I applied because I wanted to make WorldWCR widely known in Japan.”
Even though Luna hasn’t had much experience racing outside of Japan, and she does not plan to move to Europe for the championship, she looks very much forward to the competition.“My only overseas race experience was the Sepang 8h in Malaysia. I would like to know what kind of excitement is going on on the other side of the sea. I’m also curious about what kind of riding styles there are. I am very interested in how the riders over there perform and I have high expectations of the championship. I’m good at long runs. I’m quite tall and heavy, which could become one of my weaknesses. I might sometimes be a bit nervous. I also hate racing in the rain.”
It’s now crucial time for preparation before the championship, Luna is trying her best to get familiar with the R7 and the circuits. “I didn’t know much about the R7. I’ve ridden the R6, which is heavier and doesn’t have as much speed. I’ve also ridden GSX-1000R in the endurance races. I will do my best to try to actually ride the R7 before the WorldWCR season starts. I’m also playing games to learn the circuits. I’ll put a lot of effort into image training.”
Luna admits that training isn’t something she’s fond of, but to realize her dream, she trains hard every day. “I hate exercising so much that I wish I could just play games all day long. If I don’t have to do anything for a day, I’ll play games or watch TV or videos. But I like riding bikes. So I will do my best in training for the race. I can’t run much due to an injury from a fall in the past, but I train using a bicycle or a 125cc machine.”
Luna’s racing idols are Dani Pedrosa, Ben Spies, and Kazuki Watanabe. They have all shined in international racing. We are sure Luna will do the same this year in the WorldWCR.
The 2024 WorldWCR Calendar
1. Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, MWC “Marco Simoncelli” – 14-16 June
2. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park – 12-14 July
3. Pirelli Portuguese Round, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve – 9-11 August
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 23-25 August
5. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit* – 20-22 September
6. Prometeon Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – 18-20 October
* Subject to homologation
On May 25, we continue this series with the story of German rider Lucy Michel. Meanwhile on May 5 and May 15, we bring you two Dakar Rally stories.
Paddock Sorority 
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