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source - www.times-age.co.nz
10 October 1998
LETS hope Aaron Slight is not destined, as the saying goes, to be forever a bridesmaid but never the bride.
The Masterton motorcycle ace can arguably lay claim to being the highest-profile sportsman to have come out of Wairarapa since Bob Charles burst on to the international golf scene. This week he almost made it to the top of the tree, being beaten into second place in the finals of the World Superbike Championships in Sugo, Japan, by arch-rival Carl Fogarty, of Britain.
Along the way Slight got into an uncharacteristic trackside push-and-shove confrontation with Englishman Mike Hodgson over what he took to be unfair race tactics. Slight contended that Hodgson, who had no show of moving higher up the title ladder, welched on an agreement not to block him on his way to glory, opting instead to impede Slight's progress at every opportunity.
While it's easy to be sympathetic towards an obviously disappointed Slight, the incident nevertheless raises an interesting question. When does a race cease to become a "real" event involving all participants and instead lapse into being a series of deals aimed at advantaging one or two top competitors.
Perhaps the truth behind the Slight-Hodgson agreement was that Fogarty simply managed to secure a better deal with Hodgson. In any event, Slight appears to have now shrugged off his disappointment and is planning to have another crack at the title next season. Maybe he will at last make it to the altar.
Injury may end Slight's title hopes
13 July 1998
MASTERTON superbike rider Aaron Slight's chances of a first-ever world championship looked to be in jeopardy today after he was injured in a crash.
Slight, 32, reportedly broke his ankle in the first race of the World Superbike Championship in California in which several riders were badly injured.
His father, Rex Slight, said he had a "sick feeling" when he saw his son crash in today's race. Watching a live telecast of the event from his Masterton home he said the uncertainty over the extent of Aaron's injuries was his main worry. "It was hard to tell just how bad it was," Mr Slight said.
First reports of the pile-up at Laguna Seca raceway, in which Slight was injured, said the New Zealander suffered a deep gash to his foot and required immediate treatment.
The injury happened when Slight was caught up in a pile-up at the restart of the race after an horrific crash earlier left Japanese rider Akira Yanagawa with serious injuries to his chest.
Slight, who was leading the championship going into this round, was running in ninth place when the race was stopped.
The race was abandoned after the restart pile-up in which Italian Kawasaki rider Piergiorgio Bontempi is believed to have suffered serious injuries.
Rex Slight said he was hoping his son's ability to quickly recover from setbacks would mean he was back racing sooner rather later. "He generally doesn't stay down too long," he said. "Bad luck is nothing new to him - he's been there before."
Today's crash came just a week after Slight took the lead in the superbike world championship in South Africa. He nosed ahead of rival Troy Corser by just one point after the Australian pulled out of the first race.
Last month Slight rode his first-ever double in the championship, winning both races at Misano in Italy
Slight has little time to celebrate Italian win
22 June 1998
Aaron Slight had little time to celebrate his double success in the world superbike championship races held in Misano, Italy, yesterday.
In a brief telephone call to his father Rex, in Masterton, after the second of his wins, Slight said the fact he was leaving early the next morning for testing in Japan meant any major celebrations would have to come later.
"I think he was planning a pretty quiet night," Mr Slight said. "He didn't have any thoughts of going out on the town, that's for sure."
Celebrations or not, Mr Slight said his son was "absolutely rapt" with his Misano wins.
"He's had so much bad luck this year he was starting to think things would never come right, so you can imagine how he felt at putting two races together like that. He was over the moon."
Mr Slight said Aaron was now "quietly confident" he could make a strong bid for his first world championship title. "He's never doubted his own ability to pull it off but when bad luck seems to follow you around you can't help but wonder whether it'll ever happen. This is just the lift he needed," Mr Slight said.
Slight went into the sixth round of the championship lying second equal but his two 100km race victories put him in outright second, just six points behind the leader, Troy Corser, of Australia.
Slight said he really wanted to win the championships this year. "I have had four thirds and one second and it wouldn't worry me at all if I had to beat an Australian to win the title.
"There are seven rounds to go and things are coming right after a slow start to the season. "I'm usually about second or third midway through the season, but I had engine failure early this season and it's taken a few rounds to get back up."
Slight said he was pleased with his riding efforts in both races. He cleared out in the first race but the second race was more tactical, proving hard on the tyres over 40 minutes of racing in 36C heat.
The tyres were heavily tested in both events but there was no damage to his Honda bike, which Slight estimated to be worth more than $NZ2 million to replace.