Following the announcement that Kent Speedway will be entering a 'second side' in the National League [NL] in addition to the Championship division in 2020 it's been a busy week preparing the way for what is going to be a busy campaign.
First up is the appointment as Team Manager of the NL team with the news that the hugely experienced John Sampford is to take the reins. Sampford has twice led Rye House sides to league title glory and is Kent's Development Manager (steering the Kent Kestrels' junior team to the Southern Development League title in 2018) so was an obvious choice to lead the Kent NL side in 2020.
Co-promoter Len Silver said of the appointment, " John Sampford, has been working alongside Chris (Hunt) and myself over the past few years. As soon as it became clear that Kent were to continue also to take part in the NL, I invited John to take charge of that side as Team Manager and was delighted that he accepted within minutes. His rule-book knowledge is paramount and he will ensure that the team score whatever is the maximum of the riders' abilities."
The NL team of course needs a name and Kent's Commercial Manager, Graham Darling is to conduct a competition involving local schools, to find a name for the side. This will start after the Christmas holidays and Kent riders will visit the winning school to present the prizes.
The big news though centres around the first name to be confirmed as a member of the NL side and again Kent have stolen a march on the opposition and signed up the top name among the current crop of teenagers moved up into the senior ranks.
To the huge delight of everyone in Kent's management team, Sam Hagon, son of former rider Martin and grandson of legendary racer Alf, has agreed to join the club's National League side. 15 year old Sam is the reigning British Champion in the 250cc class and was coveted by virtually all of the clubs going to the tapes in the 2020 NL.
Coming from the Hagon Speedway dynasty with his father Martin having originally ridden at Len Silver's Hackney track in the early '80s and grandfather Alf twice a top tier title winner with Wimbledon in the mid-1950s, Waltham Abbey born Sam has Speedway coursing through his veins and had his father's famous Hagon Shocks Training Academy as the perfect schooling.
The youngster actually had his first races in the USA in a series of Handicap races against six other riders, one of whom was the son of 1996 World Champion Billy Hamill - Kurtis Hamill. Whilst still in the States, Sam finished 2nd in his first ever main event in the 150cc class. As well as winning last year's British Youth Championship Sam took his first foray into European and World Championship racing at Youth Level
Of the signing of young Sam, Len Silver commented, "We are privileged to have such a huge talent starting his full career with us and it continues that life-long friendship I have had with the family when his grandfather Alf, and I used to ski together years ago. I could not be more pleased".