Aaron Slight: The Half You Don't Know

Aaron Slight is one of the best riders World Superbike ever produced, and one of the unluckiest.Thirteen wins. Eighty-seven podiums. Three straight Suzuka 8-Hour victories. Four third-place championship finishes and two as runner-up, including 1998 when he lost the title to Carl Fogarty by just 5.5 points.Then in February 2000, a brain aneurysm and emergency surgery in Sydney nearly ended his life. He came back to race the same season. Honda did not renew him at the end of the year. And that was the end of his racing career.In this episode I sit down with the man from Masterton, Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, to trace the whole story. The motocross kid who started at twelve. The friend whose death pushed him onto the road. The move to Australia with a TZR250 and not much else. The factory Kawasaki years and the Castrol Honda years against Carl Fogarty, Troy Corser, and John Kocinski. The Suzuka crash that nearly took his hand. The Simon Crafar connection. And the fight that had nothing to do with a stopwatch.His book is called "You Don't Know the Half Of It." This is the other half.This is the format the KiwiMoto72 Podcast is known for. From the early years to the present day, long-form. Made to be heard in one sitting or stretched across a few drives.⏱ CHAPTERS00:00 The Journey of Aaron Slight03:05 Reflections on a Racing Career06:13 The Influence of Marcedon08:48 The Impact of Loss and Transition11:53 Early Racing Experiences13:26 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Australia21:07 The Road to Japan26:42 Suzuka: Triumphs and Trials33:08 The Journey Begins: Early Racing Experiences37:28 Overcoming Adversity: The Hand Injury and Comeback40:44 Transitioning to World Superbike: The Competitive Landscape44:40 First Win in Europe: A Pivotal Moment47:33 Training and Fitness: Evolving as a Racer50:44 The Absence of Coaching: Self-Taught Skills54:27 The Competitive Rivalries: Close Calls and Frustrations01:04:48 Reflecting on a Racing Career01:10:49 The Aneurysm and Its Impact01:18:34 The Road to Recovery and Return to Racing01:25:09 Transitioning from Racing to Life Beyond the Track01:31:22 Lessons Learned and Advice for Young Riders🎧 LISTEN ELSEWHERESpotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.🌐 KIWIMOTO72Website: kiwimoto72.comInstagram: @kiwimoto72Newsletter via Beehiiv, link on the website.❤️ SUPPORT THE CHANNELPatreon: patreon.com/KiwiMoto72Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kiwimoto72Merch: kiwimoto72.myspreadshop.comRecorded 12 June 2026.#AaronSlight #WSBK #KiwiMoto72Send us Fan MailSupport the showIf you found this video helpful, consider supporting the channel by checking out the links below, or consider buying me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiwimoto72Or check out ALL my KiwiMoto72 Links here https://linktr.ee/kiwimoto72KiwiMoto72 Podcast 👉 Watch it here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCd6Uc3xNWizwhOpTfkI0IDSIgd0Cp3dN🎧 Or listen on your favorite platform:• Spotify: https://tr.ee/0pmdjh1_2J• Apple Podcasts: https://tr.ee/r_ffi8iQOk• Buzzsprout: https://tr.ee/b8EYmzjlxO