Under the watchful eyes of a pair of nesting kestrels perched up on one of the imposing pylons high above the Old Gun site track, the Kent Crayford Kestrels looked equally at home at their new Iwade circuit base – beating reigning champions Reading Racers in the Southern Development League [SDL] to make it two wins from two and complete a successful weekend for the junior side.
On a perfect racing surface there was indeed some very exciting Speedway racing with pride of place going to the Kestrels’ Alex Spooner who for a second SDL match running recorded a full maximum.
If anyone had any doubt as the crucial value of these SDL matches for the Kent club’s young talent then these would’ve been dispelled immediately. Very short of competitive action, Jacob Clouting is blossoming in this competition and he looked stylism personified as he left experienced National League practitioner Nick Laurence in his wake in the opening heat . Fast too, as the 62.1 race time established an SDL record for the track and was to remain the fastest time of the afternoon.
The Essex-based teenager Spooner’s first win came when he took his time to reel in the fast gating Jamie Bursill in heat two, before sweeping past the Racer to move the Kestrels into a lead they were never to relinquish. The race had been in two parts really: Bursill and Spooner locked together at the front; and – after Kestrels’ ever present James Laker had fallen and remounted to set off after Reading’s no. 4, Stephen Whitehouse there was effectively a splinter group at the back. And a splinter group it became literally, when Whitehouse became the first (but not the last) rider to misjudge the exit from the wide sweeping pits bend corner and took a large wooden chunk out of a fence panel located between start and finish line on the home straight.
Heat three saw Clouting dominate again with the action being for second, as the Kestrels’ Andrew Palmer (a very unfortunate faller first time out) was determined to get the better of Bursill. The two passed and repassed each other in an excellent battle before the Canterbury-based youngster prevailed. The resulting 5-1 was a decesive step towards the Kestrels’ win.
Heat four was frustrating for James Laker, falling and so allowing his namesake in the Reading side (but a rider he’s grown up with at Central Park) Rhys Laker to get a point.
More dropped points for the homesters followed in the next race, with Clouting a faller when tucked in for a 5-1 behind Spooner on the third lap; but thanks to back to win heat wins by Spooner the SDL victory had been secured before Laurence got a final heat win for the Racers. Plaudits in that one go again to Palmer who along with Laker passed Bursill only for the Reading youngster to again overhaul Palmer and the Kestrels no. 4 come back at him again.
There was no doubt the crowd had been royally entertained by both sides in this SDL encounter.
Kent Crayford Kestrels 21 Andrew Palmer F 2* 1* 3+2 Jacob Clouting 3 3 F 6 James Laker 1 0 2 3 Alex Spooner 3 3 3 9 [M]
Reading Racers 15 Nick Laurence 2 2 3 7 Rhys Laker 1*1* 1* 3+3 Jamie Bursill 2 1 0 3 Stephen Whitehouse F 0 2 2
Heat details 1 Clouting, Laurence, R. Laker. Palmer (fell rem. fell) 62.1 (SDL t/r) [3-3] 2 (awarded) Spooner, Bursill, J. Laker (fell rem.), Whitehouse (fell disq.) no time [7-5] 3 Clouting, Palmer, Bursill. Whitehouse 62.8 [12-6] 4 Spooner, Laurence, R. Laker, J. Laker (fell rem.) 62.8 [15-9] 5 (awarded) Spooner, Whitehouse, R. Laker, Clouting (fell disq.) no time [18-12] 6 (rerun) Laurence, J. Laker, Palmer, Bursill 66.2 [21-15]
Following the SDL action, there was a second match for the Kestrels – who’d earlier on been presented with their race jackets by the Crayford Supporters Group, who are the team’s sponsors this term and had as special guests former Crayford riders Laurie Etheridge and Pete Wigley. Laurie had brought along his 1975 Jawa resplendent in original Crayford Kestrels livery.
The second match pitched the modern-day Kestrels into action against Midland Development League, Milton Keynes Knights – in an inter divisional challenge.
Laurence was a late stand in for the Bucks side and he had buck-ed his ideas up too, because in the opening race he beat Clouting. Spooner was back on the winning trail in heat two holding off one-time Kings’ man Jamie Couzins.
Heat three was to prove decesive in terms of the destiny of this match. Clouting had problems on the troublesome fourth bend and seeing he was about to make contact with the fence, bailed out falling heavily. A damaged shoulder was the verdict and as a precautionary measure his afternoon was called a halt to. The 1-5 to the Knights moved them ahead.
Heat four saw Spooner on track but finally his colours were lowered – by the resurgent Laurence. Spooner combined with Laker to level matters in heat five which gave the crowd a last heat decider. It would’ve been a levelled match too surely but for Palmer completely losing shape on the third bend on lap two and allowing Chris Watts past. In the battle at the front Laker did a great job in putting Laurence under extreme pressure, but the stand-in Knight just held on for his maximum and his side’s match victory.
Kent Crayford Kestrels 17 Andrew Palmer 1* 1 0 2+1 Jacob Clouting 2 F W 2 James Laker 1 1* 1 2 5+1 Alex Spooner 3 2 3 8
Milton Keynes Knights 19 Nick Laurence 3 3 3 9 [M] Stephen Whitehouse 0 0 0 0 Chris Watts R 2* 1 3+1 Jamie Couzins 2 3 2 7