The John Kocinski/Carl Fogarty team swap benefited both parties; Kocinski's meticulous personality was a perfect fit at Honda while Fogarty was welcomed back to the familiar Ducati stable. With Troy Corser leaving on a doomed voyage to 500cc Grand Prix, Fogarty and Kocinski started a rivalry reminiscent of the 1993 season, but this time it had the weight of genuine dislike behind it. After some disastrous early-season results Kocinski found a rhythm and strung together a run of wins and podiums right as Fogarty's performances crumbled into repeated crashes. Kocinski sealed Honda's 3rd championship at the penultimate round, then with his work complete announced his return to 500cc Grand Prix for 1998. Aaron Slight remained close but barely out of reach of title contention, followed in the standings by the impressive Kawasaki pairing of Simon Crafar - who deserved better than the horrendous luck he endured all year - and Akira Yanagawa who immediately impressed and became the first Japanese rider to win a World Superbike race outside of Japan.