Kent SLYDE Kings’ pairing Jack Thomas & Nathan Stoneman carry the club’s hopes in the TPTNL’s big individual meeting, the National League Riders’ Championship at Leicester Speedway on Sunday (31/10) [1pm start time].
For both of them it’s their first appearance in the showpiece individual event contested by the third tier’s top riders – though there are some experienced campaigners among the 16 competitors, including three former winners.
The first of these has ‘home track’ advantage – Jon Armstrong, remarkably winner of the event all the way back in 1997, has been riding this season for Coventry Bees, who use the Beaumont Park track in the East Midlands’ city as their home. Armstrong was sixth in last year’s NLRC and many neutrals would love to see a fairy tale end to this, the 4# year old’s Testimonial season. A more realistic winner from within the Bees’ swarm is Connor Mountain – runner up earlier this campaign in the GB U-21 Championship - will surely go into the event as one of the favourites.
Another past winner is Ben Morley – now with the Isle of Wight, Morley was a Kent Kings’ man when he took the title in 2015. Twice finishing on the rostrum in other years, including runner up when attempting to make history by retaining the title the first time it was staged at Leicester in 2016, Morley certainly has the best pedigree in the field when it comes to NLRC success. The man who pipped him to that title two years ago also aims for a second title, Max Clegg who now rides for struggling Stoke. Clegg is also a former GB Champion at U-19 level and fellow Tyke, Ben Wilson (this term with Buxton Hitmen) has a GB U-21 title on his racing CV. Third in that 2016 NLRC and for a period in 2014 a Leicester Lions rider, makes Belle Vue’s three times GB U-21 Grasstrack champion, Tom Perry a contender. His fellow Colt, Kyle Bickley has not just two GB Youth titles at 125cc level in (’13 and ’15) but remarkably conquered the world when still a schoolboy at 125cc Longtrack level winning the FIM Gold Cup twice; before taking the British 500cc crown two years’ ago.
Leon Flint has a not dissimilar youth record with three GB titles and in contention for the min 500cc crown this term – whilst having a successful first season with Birmingham. And in the biggest number of teenagers ever in an NLRC field, Drew Kemp (Kent’s ‘Guest’ the evening before at Eastbourne) is likely to be the pick of the bunch with some extraordinary performances for Mildenhall in the TPTNL and lately in the SGB Championship [SGBC] for his home town club, Ipswich. Kemp’s Mildenhall team mate in the field (with both Danny Ayres, runner up in 2015 and Josh Bailey out injured) is Ryan Kinsley.
Mildenhall are one of Kent’s opponents in semi final action this long weekend – the others are Eastbourne Eagles and they’re represented by the in-form Georgie Wood (in his first NLRC) and Mark Baseby. Baseby last appeared in this event when a Sittingbourne Crusader in 2005 – winning his first race back then and having to wait 13 years to have another chance. Baseby comes in hot foot from travelling across the USA and latterly in Las Vegas – maybe he has a gamblers’ chance after such a long wait?
Completing the line-up are Plymouth’s Henry Atkins (yet another teenager) and the second Isle of Wight Warriors’ rider in the field, Alfie Bowtell appearing for a second year running. The early start is, in fact, to facilitate Bowtell and Morley, who as well as both riding for the IOW, also are partners for SGBC side Lakeside Hammers and will hot footing from Leicester to Peterborough to appear for that club.
Jack Thomas moves up to number one for Kent on Monday, having gained huge experience this season doubling up in the SGBC Glasgow and needs to fear no-one in the NLRC field – the teenager was so unlucky not to finish on the rostrum in the GB U-19s earlier this campaign. Nathan Stoneman has been in excellent form in recent weeks – though the Welsh-born rider (so the only non-Englishman in the field) will go in battered and bruised and down to just one bike after a crash last Monday – there are few if any in the sport more able to put such matters behind him as one of the TPTN:L’s most exciting talents.
The meeting is to be held on Sunday 30th. September at Leicester Speedway, Beaumont Park, Beaumont Leys, Leicester. Leics LE4 1TZ and that all important revised start time is 1pm.