AFTER a five-year hiatus, Lara’s Aaron Hindle returned to the kart circuit this year with immediate success in the Victorian Karting Series.
Now he’s in the race of his life. And only half this race has to do with karting.
As Hindle suits up to battle for the Victorian Championship at Geelong’s Beckley Park this weekend, his wife Stacey is due to give birth to their first child tomorrow.
‘‘It’s going to be a nervous week, that’s for sure,’’ said Hindle, who will race in the TaG 125 Heavy category of the Castrol EDGE CIK Stars of KartingSeries at Corio.
‘‘I’m definitely racing and will be at the track until I get the phone call,’’ he said. ‘‘After all, the baby might not be born for another week yet — who knows? I’m just praying that it’s not Sunday when I’m sitting on pole position for the final.’’
The fact that the pair met through the sport ofkarting is something that Hindle says will help him this weekend as they await their lifechanging experience.
‘‘Being an ex-karter herself, Stacey is pretty understanding,’’ Hindle said. ‘‘She knows how much racing means to me and the fact that I really want to do well at this event on my home track.’’
Hindle’s karting career began as a youngster in the Rookies category before he moved through the ranks into the Junior National and then Senior ranks before financial burdens put the brakes on his career.
‘‘Ever since I stopped racing five years ago I’d always had a burning desire to get back into it but never had the cash to do it,’’ he said.
‘‘Now I’ve got a secure job and also the support of Dominic (Albanese, Geelong Extreme Kartsproprietor).
‘‘My first day back I won four races from four, and have been up near the front in every other event.’’
After testing his skills against the best drivers from all across the country at the previous round of the CIK Stars of Karting Series in South Australia, Hindle is confident of finishing on the podium on his home track.
‘‘I really enjoyed racing in the Stars of KartingSeries. If I hadn’t had a mechanical failure in the pre-final, which led me not to finish the prefinal, I was confident that I would have finished on the podium,’’ he said.
‘‘ The disappointment of Adelaide has made me hungrier for success this weekend where I think local knowledge, both in terms of the track and the weather, will come into play.’’
Hindle will be one of 147 drivers lining up on the grid across the seven categories at this weekend’s third round of Australia’s elite championship.
