Kyle Buckley was somewhat of a surprise enlisting in the Kawasaki Insurances Ninja 300 Cup this season, and the regular runner on the domestic racing circuit has predictably risen to the top of the hotly-contested class.

With his dad also a passionate road racer, it was in his blood to take up two wheels and after a finding his feet on dirt, Buckley, who lives on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland, gravitated towards the tarmac.

He raced various classes from the age of six but discovered his passion on pocket rockets and set about forging a future in road racing.

“I raced dirt track for a while and then got into pocket rockets which I really seemed to enjoy,” said Buckley. “I liked the road much more than I did dirt, and then moved from there into mini motard and kept progressing.”

He stepped up to a CBR150 and spent some time racing successfully in the MRRDA series before a move to the premier national championship circuit in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in 2008.

In 2009 he took the national 150 class title and stepped onto a 250 machine for a season before eyeing the next available class, the Superstock 600 ranks.

“I only did one year in 250s as we figured that would be enough,” he continued. “When I was old enough, at 16, we decided to make the move to the 600.

Image: Russell Colvin.

“It was a big jump, for sure. The bikes are heavy and fast, and a lot to get used to, especially when you’ve been on the little MDs, but it was the right move and really enjoyable.”

Buckley achieved a solid ninth place in his first year in the Superstock ranks in 2011, though it would be his 2012 program that would set him on the path for greater results.

“We joined with the YRD team the following year, so it was Daniel Falzon, Brad Gross, James Beck and myself all there together. We went well and raced pretty closely in the top four.”

A bout of bad luck struck Buckley at his home round, somewhat thwarting his title hopes and resulting in a fourth place finish for the season.

2013 was a challenging year for the Queenslander, with the costs of going racing proving particularly tough on his family’s modest budget. He ran two rounds of Supersport and set his sights on different options for 2014, which he found in the form of the BCPerformance A1 Kawasaki team’s Ninja 300 Cup program.

“I got in contact with Kelvin [Reilly] and they were putting together a great package. I thought that it looked like the class for me and I’d give it a good go.”

And despite the downgrade in engine capacity, Buckley feels the challenge of the class, including the top competition, is just as tough as his time on a 600cc machine.

Image: Russell Colvin.

“I really enjoy it. The competition is just as hard as on the 600s, which I didn’t expect. I have noticed it sort of brings me back to the junior days, with that focus on corner speed and braking, and less focus on who has the best bike and setup.

“Because the bikes are so similar it does bring it back to the fundamental skills. I’m a bit taller and heavier than the front guys so that makes it tougher.”

Buckley ran a close second to primary rival Brandom Demmery in all three races at the Wakefield Park season opener before reversing the results for three hard-fought wins at Mallala’s second round.

A bruising weekend at Queensland Raceway saw him race through the pain of a dislocated shoulder, still able to register two podium places to keep Demmery in check. Heading to Winton he finds himself with a meagre five-point margin to make up in order to take back the class lead.

And beyond 2013? Buckley’s found a home in the BCPerformance camp and is hopeful of pursuing a move back to the 600 ranks for the 2014 season.

Longer term his visions are to make it big on the world stage, hoping to one day walk in the footsteps of idol Casey Stoner.

For now his focus is making the most of opportunities on home soil, with the immediate focus to wrestle back the Ninja 300 Cup class lead and take the title to the wire.