BY JEM ANSHAW
There is no place Kai Frame likes being more than out the front – and at the recent NSW Long Track Titles that is exactly where he was.
Now he and passenger Mick Bryant are the NSW Longtrack Sidecar Champions.
Across their three heats Kai and Mick placed two firsts and a second, affording them second pick of the grid for the final.
“First pick took the middle, and I took the outside lines, because I like to go around the outside so it was perfect for me,” Kai said.
The final unfortunately was delayed by an accident off the start, after those involved had been attended to and transferred to hospital for further care the race was restarted.
“I got a bad start again, but I stuck to my line on the outside and by the time we were coming out of turn to one was in font, and I stayed there for the whole race,” Kai shared of the restart.
The win gives Kai the NSW title to accompany the Australian number 1 he already carries.
The Quirindi race meeting was marred by the passing of sidecar passenger Mick Vecchi, who succumbed to serious injuries he sustained in one of the heats on the Saturday.
“It is very devastating what happened to him, and it hit close to home,” Kai said, adding it is hard to go back out on track after incidents like this happen especially when Mick was a good mate and former passenger.
“I also want to make a little shout out to Jarred Marko and Wade Robertson – they had a pretty big off too.”
Jarred and Wade, from Kurri Kurri and Heddon Greta respectively, are on the mend after Jarred ended up with a collapsed lung and damaged rib cage the accident in the final and Wade suffered a bad concussion.
It is eyes forward for Kai and Mick – at the end of July they will contest the NSW Senior Dirt Track Titles and September for the Australian Titles both to be held in Gunnedah.