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Name: Aaron Slight
Date of Birth: 19/01/1966
Nationality: New Zealander
Slight started competative racing in 1979 and was a prominent leader in World Superbikes from 1992, achieving 13 race wins and consistent top three championship placings.
He joined Team Kawasaki Australia (TKA) in 1989 and paired with teammate Rob Phillis in an entry in the Arai 500 endurance race at Oran park in Australia which they won on a factory ZXR-7 Formula-1 machine. In 1990 Slight finished 2nd in the Australian 1000cc series on a ZXR750 behind Kawasaki Australia teammate Phillis. These placings earned the team the right to represent the factory in the World Superbikes for 1990.
While racing in Japanese Superbike events in 1989 with Team Kawasaki Australia, Slight and teammate Michael Dawson test-rode a radical new Kawasaki 250cc GP development machine, the X-09. The pair eventually raced the 250 at Daytona in 1992 in a team managed by Kork Ballington, Slight retired from the race, Dawson finished 6th.
In '91 Slight won nearly every Australian superbike race for TKA taking that series, as well as the Pan Pacific Superbike championship which he won all six races of aboard a Kawasaki. He also finished 6th in the Suzuka 8-hour endurance race that year teamed with Michael Dowson.
In 1992 Slight and Phillis competed together at Suzuka finishing 6th on a ZXR750. Then in 1993 Slight won the Suzuka race paired with Scott Russell and riding a ZXR-7 (in a field that included Eddie Lawson and Mick Doohan). Slights next appearance at Suzuka would be on a Honda.
Riding for the Team Kawasaki Australia factory-supported team in World Superbikes in 1992 Slight won the series opening race at Albacete Spain but was then sent to Japan for Suzuka-8-hour testing so missed the following races. The ZXR750 was the only bike to present a challenge to the dominant Ducati 888's at the time. That season Slight ended up 6th overall.
Slight saw out the 2nd year of his Kawasaki contract with another win in the first race at Monza in 1993 and would have won the second but was apparently under team orders to let teammate Scott Russell take the race (who was in a battle with Ducati's Carl Fogerty for overall season honours). At the end of 1993 Slight finished up an impressive 3rd overall after taking 4 2nd places and 5 thirds during the rest of the season.
After the 1993 season he moved onto a successful few years with Honda finishing 3rd overall in '94, '95 and '97, second overall in the '96 and '98 seasons and 4th in 1999.
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