Name: Kai Sakakibara
Age: 13
Date: 27 June 2010
Venue: Maitland
Race: Maitland Open 2010
Class: 15 boys (raced up) and A pro
Result: 15 boys: 1st
A pro: Semi final
Weather: Sunny
Course condition: Bit soft in some spots but smooth and fast.
Sponsors
Redline, Skins, Blackman Bicycles, Precision BMX, Time, Champion System
Race summary
I raced two classes. 15boys and A pro. The races came up really quick and it was very tiring racing 2 classes.
I had a good 15minute practice and got into racing.
15 boys
For some reason I was put in the 15 boys. We didn’t know why because I was registered as 14 boys and was told that I was racing 15 boys.
I went up for my age race after my first A pro race and I didn’t get called up as 14 boys. I double checked but they still said I wasn’t on the sheet, so I made my way back to our Redline tent. Then there was an announcement calling me up to the start hill. I rode up to the start hill confused, and then was told that I was racing 15 boys. I had to jump straight on the gate so I had to race it.
I got 1st in my first moto, leading it all the way. It was a pretty tidy lap and I also did some new things around the track that I hadn’t done before.
I had a 1st in my second moto as well. I was a bit untidy down the first and second straight, but it was still a good lap.
I had a good start in my third moto, but bonked the first step up down the first straight and lost some speed. Matthew Sweeney was with me down the first straight but I had the lead around the first corner. I lost some speed down the second straight by casing the second double but I still had the lead down the third straight. I had a good lead and I pushed It through to the end. I finished 1st.
I had a good start in the last moto, but had Aidan Vahtrik beside me on the inside. I was in 2nd around the first corner. I had a good second straight and went for a good third straight, but someone from the race before had crashed and we only had half the straight to ride on. I had to drop my speed and couldn’t get back up there. I finished 2nd.
I had second pick in the final and got lane 1. I was a bit slow out of the gate in the final and was trailing beside Aidan Vahtrik’s side a bit down the first straight, but got the inside into the first corner. I had a good rail around it and got the second straight really good and lead into the second corner. Aidan was right with me but I kept the lines covered all the way. I got it to the line and won the race.
A pro
I was out of lane 8 in the first moto. I wheelied out of the gate a bit and was out late. Getting stuck on the outside of a rider beside me, I had nowhere to go but straight. I took a long high low around the first corner and got myself into 5th and went for another move on the inside on the second corner. I just missed on getting that spot in 4th and was in 5th down the third straight. I was going to rail the last corner but a rider slid out infront of me and I had to duck in early. I was side by side down the last straight with him and nearly got pushed off the track. When doing so, I got passed by another rider. I finished 6th.
In my second moto, I had a good start and first straight but Gavin Nicholls from the outside got in front of me. I was in 2nd in and out of the first corner. I stuffed up the table top down the second straight and slowed down a bit but still kept it going. The rest of the run was good and I finished 2nd.
In the third moto, I had a good start but was in 3rd into the first corner behind Gavin Nicholls and Brock Gould-Goldsworthy. I had a clean line into the first corner and came up the inside of Gavin, but just couldn’t get him and was in 2nd out of the first corner. Brock got a good rail around the corner and came past and I was in 3rd into the second corner. I had a good third straight and got the speed around the last corner, but Hayden Mugridge got better. He got me on the line. I finished 4th.
I came out of lane 2 in the last moto. I had a good start but Brock Gould-Goldsworthy, Tom Stothers and Kyle Hughes came across from the outside. I had Blake Moore on the inside of me and it was tight down the first straight. I hit shoulders with Blake and was out back a bit. I was in 5th into the first corner. I had a good rail around the first corner and caught up to Blake in 4th. I went for a high-low on the second corner but Blake went low as well so I was still in 5th down the third straight. I went for a good pull down the last straight, but wasn’t enough to get to the 4th. I finished 5th.
I was a bit unsure whether I would make it into the semi-final but I did and had sixth pick.
In the semi final, I had a good start and came across down the first straight. I was right on the outside of Kyle Hughes and was in 3rd into the first corner. A rider came in from the inside so all I could do around that long corner was rail. I was in 4th out of the first corner. I had a good second straight and kept my position around the second corner as well. I stuck to the inside down the third straight, but Tom Stothers infront of me was there, so I swung to the outside a bit going into the last corner, to get the rail around it. I saw a rider coming up the inside so brought my body over and tried to get around him, but couldn’t do it. He pushed me up the corner and I unclipped. I couldn’t clip back in through the tight rhythm section last straight. Everyone passed me and I finished 8th.
It was a good day in Maitland, the weather, track and racing. It was a good fun riding in A pro and also in the 15 boys as well.
