Makoto Tamada began his racing career in 1994, riding a 250cc bike in regional championships in his native Japan. He rode in the 250cc Japanese national championships, progressing to the Japanese and World Superbike grids. His second placed finish in the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours race in 2002 led to his MotoGP debut in 2003 with Honda Pons. In just his second season he recorded two Grand Prix victories earning an heroic status in his home nation. His reward was a single rider setup for 2005 and 2006 with Konica Minolta Honda, but he found the adaptation from Bridgestone to Michelin tyres difficult and results were affected and he moved to Yamaha Tech 3 in 2007, his final season in MotoGP.