The 2017 Kent Speedway ended with a bang and the perfect climax: with the home side’s skipper Luke Bowen taking the Laurels title and lifting the WJ Cearns Trophy.
Despite riding on a battered bike and with an even more battered and bruised body (courtesy of a season’s travails and a further heavy crash on Saturday at Eastbourne) the inspirational captain Bowen was not to be denied his place in history – topping the qualifying with 11 points and making sure he wasn’t going to surrender superiority even in the most challenging of Grand Finals.
That saw him pitched in against his only conqueror in qualifying, his predecessor as Kings’ number one and captain, Ben Morley; and the rider with a 100% record before yesterday in this annual competition, Simon Lambert. As if that wasn’t enough there was Morley’s Lakeside team mate and former GB Under 21 Champion Paul Hurry to contend with. But Bowen was not to be denied the spoils, riding the hardest of first and second bends to get past Morley and Lambert and holding on despite the most determined of challenges by the three times winner Lambert, which lasted right to the line.
The highlight in the qualifying heats was perhaps delivered by one of the more unsung heroes in the SLYDE Kings’ line up, George Hunter – who in a memorable heat 10 secured his own qualification for the semis with a race win. That this meant taking the hugely notable scalps of Hurry and the always impressive Tom Bacon was a real red-letter occasion for Hunter – especially coming on the back of his considerable woes in the disappointing defeat at Eastbourne. It must have been especially sweet to head home the Lakeside veteran after the events earlier this term, when Hurry’s return hastened Hunter’s departure from his home county side.
The other former Kent captain in the field was Steve Boxall of course; and the holder was determined to defend his Laurels title, battling to two second places before holding Jack Thomas at bay to win his third ride. This took a toll on his ailing body though, having been out recently with a damaged knee and having to wear a leg brace; and it was no real surprise after retiring in his last ride that the Canterbury-born racer had to withdraw from his place in the semi-final. That robbed the crowd of the battle of the captains they wanted in the Grand Final but nothing was to deny Bowen the perfect end to his campaign.
There was a surprise treat too when the long missing original WJ Cearns Memorial Shield (for decades from 1952 onwards presented to the Laurels’ winner) re-appeared after being ‘lost’ since the early 1980s (having been, it transpired, taken into safe keeping by a member of the track staff at Wimbledon, its long time former home) and this iconic piece of silverware took pride of place alongside the wildly-exuberant Bowen at the victory presentation,
Then came the ‘bangs’ and the specular aerial pyrotechnic displays as the fireworks roared their readiness to declare that the Kings will return in 2018 when another Speedway season at Central Park Stadium will again thrill the Kentish crowds!
2017 Kent Laurels Qualifying scores: Luke Bowen (Kent) 3 3 3 2 11 Pau Hurry (Lakeside) 3 3 2 2 10 Ben Morley (Lakeside) 3 2 2 3 10 Simon Lambert (Peterborough) 2 1 3 2 8 Steve Boxall (Plymouth) 2 2 3 R 7 (withdrew from S/F) Jack Thomas (Kent) 2 0 2 3 7 George Hunter (Kent) 1 1 1 3 6 Tom Bacon (Birmingham) F 3 1 1 5 Dan Greenwood (Kent) 1 1 0 1 3 Anders Rowe (Kent) 1 0 0 1 2 Bradley Andrews (Kent) 0 1 1 M 2 Taylor Hampshire (Birmingham) 0 0 0 0 0 James Laker (Kent) (res) R 0