It’s inter county pride at stake as a side representing Sussex visit Central Park Stadium on Monday 12th. August to take on the Kent TouchTec Kings in a challenge match sponsored by Bayford Meadows Karting circuit. Despite the familiar ring about a Kent vs. Sussex clash – as the expression goes, it’s not Cricket, but a full-blooded Speedway scrap between the two counties on this occasion!
The hosts will feature in their line up for the first time this season a Kentish Speedway legend, who’s done alright over the years when venturing into Sussex parts too, Paul Hurry. The multi-British champion at Grasstrack & Speedway and World Longtrack Grand Prix winner once dominated on the indoor circuit in Brighton in the late '90s and early noughties and after his successful racing comeback last week, the Kings’ Rider-Coach concentrates on the ‘Rider’ part of that title again on Monday – deputising for still out collar-bone victim Rob Ledwith.
Kent’s other injury absentee of late, Alex Spooner hopes though to be back in the saddle. He commented, "After another appointment with top Speedway medic Brian Simpson in Ipswich earlier this week, I’ve been at my local physio clinic having some deep tissue massage followed by some first time experience of acupuncture treatment! And with all this treatment hopefully I’ll be able to have a practice at the weekend fingers crossed with a view to making my Kings comeback in the challenge match on Monday”
With acupuncture treatment the latest stage in his recovery process, the 18 year old will certainly have the needle if he can’t make it back to track next week – especially with a place awaiting him later in the week (alongside team mates Drew Kemp, Dan Gilkes, Anders Rowe and stand-in Kent skipper Jordan Jenkins) in the GB U-19 Championship Final up at Redcar.
So all five of the TouchTec Kings' representatives in that national championship line up on Monday - alongside the hugely experienced Hurry and at the other end of the age & experience scale, latest Kings' signing, 15-year-old Jake Mulford - in his first outing for Kent since signing up officially.
The visitors have a strong line up to give the hosts a real test ahead of some huge National League [NL] matches coming up. Certainly there's not really a stronger pair possible to provide the heat leader spearhead for the Suffolk select septet put together by experienced team boss John Sampford, than Ben Morley & Alfie Bowtell - first and second in last year's National League Riders' Championship [NLRC].
Morley is of course the ultimate Central Park track specialist, having ridden and scored more points there than any other rider and as recently as last Monday he was a maximum scoring Rider Of The Night.
Also returning from last week as a second string for Sussex is another former Kings' rider in 2014 GB Youth Champion, Luke Harris. The third heat leader alongside Bowtell & skipper Morley is the popular rider among the Central Park faithful and again there last week when captaining Plymouth in the SilverSki Holidays Fours, Richard Andrews.
Among all that experience is a Central Park first-timer, Former Wimbledon Dons rider James Clement hasn't ridden professional Speedway for 14 years after a spell with Weymouth but has made a quick impression on his racing comeback, riding in the Summer Sixes event at the nearby Iwade training track and gets his chance with his home county side.
Completing the line up are youngsters Charlie Brooks (like the five Kings, due up at Redcar for the U-19s national title battle on the following Thursday) and Plymouth's Jamie Bursill.
The action gets underway after a comedy appearance by the (in-)famous SOKK 'Start Tarts' on parade at 6.30pm, Monday 12th.August. It's going to be 'Glorious'!