Race Report NSW State Championships 2009 3,4 October 2009

Name: Kai Sakakibara
Age: 13
Venue: Maitland
Race: NSW state titles 2009
Class: 13 boys
Result: 8th
Weather: Wet and sloppy on the first day, a bit drier on the second day.
Course condition: The track was still pretty fast even with the bad weather

Comment: We got half an hour of warm up and started racing. My age group only had semis, not quarters. In my first moto, I didn’t know if I would slip on the gate, so I had my weight back a bit on the start. I wheelied out a bit, but still was a good start. I lost some speed through the second straight but kept 1st all the way. In my second moto, I got a good start, but didn’t get a good push on the back of the jumps. Tim Kmetyk got them well and came out in front. We were side by side down the first straight but he got me into the first corner. I stayed nice and tight near him around the whole track and finished 2nd. In my third moto, I wheelied out of the gate really bad but came straight into the inside and got the holeshot. It was a nice smooth run all the way through and I finished with a comfortable 2nd. In my fourth moto, I slipped two pedals out of the gate. I came over the first step-up right with Jordan Lecher but didn’t get the good push on the back of it. That put me in 2nd. I caught up to Jordan on the third straight and nearly hit him on the last corner, but still finished 2nd. That concluded day 1.

The track was dryer and faster on day 2. I had a slow gate in my last moto, but got the good push down the first straight and led around the first corner. I stayed nice and smooth around the rest of the track and finished 1st. I had first pick in my semi, so I chose lane 1. I got a great start but Alex Cahill got the better pump on the back of the first step-up. I was in 2nd down the first straight but Alex went sketchy over the double into the first corner, which let me slip into the first spot. Jordan Lecher got the better rail around the first corner and came past through the second straight. Alex passed me through the third straight but I got him back with a high-low. I finished 2nd. In my final, I didn’t come out of the gate very strong and hit elbows with Tim down the first straight. I was in 3rd into the first corner, but caught Alex on the inside and got into 2nd. But while racing it with Alex, Tim was sneaking up the inside of both of us, so I had to go and cover the inside. Alex got past into the second corner and I had to go low under him. Tim, who got the good pedals around the second corner, came up the inside on the third straight. I went for a high-low, but Tim was going low as well, and we crashed together. It was disappointing but I had a good time racing everyone.