It was almost too good to be true when Macleay Valley's young motorbike rider Sonny Spurgin led the 2023 Darcy Ward Invitational junior race in Brisbane, his dad Tim said.
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"Sonny was in front for one lap, and he was just in a brilliant position," he said. "We just knew he was going to win."
The 10-year-old's impressive lead, however, was cut short when his bike hit a pothole on the track, causing him and another rider to crash after the first lap.
"There was like a big rut that had formed on the track which Sonny hit and down he went," Tim said. "Just like that, we went from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain.
"The kid behind him in second place hit the back of Sonny's helmet which knocked him out... he's okay now though, he came to pretty quick."
2023 marked the fifth annual Darcy Ward Invitational, recognised as a large speedway event with senior and junior riders attending by invitation only.
Sonny was the first qualifier for the "A" final in his race after coming first in three heats and second in one heat.
Tim said he was devastated to see Sonny finish the race like that after his impressive performance in his heats.
"We were both just gutted," he said. "We were so quiet after that and didn't really talk to each other as we were packing up because we knew he should've won it but it got taken off us."
While Tim said it was one of Sonny's bigger accidents on a bike, he said that losing "a race he should've won" hurt him more than the crash itself.
"Sonny's no stranger to accidents, he has had a few over the years but that one was probably a big one for him.
"It took him a few days to get over, not the injury, but the fact that he lost a race he should've won.
"He's back to himself and riding again, and he's even more determined to win the big events now.
"The way he rode on the night in his heats to go straight through as the first qualifier... he would've turned a lot of heads."
Sonny's performance at the Darcy Ward Invitational echoed a similar impressive display at the the 2023 Australian Speedway Championships on January 11, where he came second overall in his division.
"The junior 125cc's rode as a support class to entertain the crowd," Tim said. "It was great to see him share the pitch with riders of that calibre.
"That was his first time sharing the pitch with world champions, to see him interact with them and get photos with a few was awesome."
Tim said Sonny has taken a lot of confidence out of his performance at both the Australian Championships and the Darcy Ward Invitational as they gear up for a big year of racing.
"He works so hard every year, so we really want him to get one win at a major event this year," he said.
"That's the focus now, to just get him over the line in first place."
