COVATTI OUT OF THE SQUAD BUT TEAM PRACTICE SHOW TOGETHERNESS
Tuesday 21 July 2020
When the Kent TouchTec Kings do eventually get back on track, the Central Park Stadium in Sittingbourne-based Speedway club shall be doing so without that touch of Latino flair which promised so much in the form of one of their marquee signings for their debut Speedway Great Britain Championship [SGBC] season, Nicolas Covatti.
The Italian-based South American who also has ridden in the UK for Ipswich Witches returned to his family home in Italy when the Covid-19 pandemic was ravaging his adopted homeland and now finds that the crisis which the global pandemic has caused in the UK which means there's yet to be any league Speedway here, had led to his decision not to return to the sport in this country for 2020 or 2021
With the general feeling being that most SGBC clubs will look to keep the same sides in place for what can be made of a truncated 2020 campaign, for the next season in 2021, losing Covatti is obviously a blow for the TouchTec Kings’ management but co-promoter Len Silver is actively pursuing options,
Silver commented on hearing the news of Covatti's intentions, "It's with regret but understanding that we learn that Nico Covatti has put out a statement in which he says that he will not ride in UK in 2021 having already ruled out a return if we race this year three weeks ago. Team Manager Chris Hunt and I will now begin to study ways in which we can deal with his absence in the TouchTec Kings' line up and there are a number of ways and options that may be available."
Uniquely a multi national Speedway champion both in his adopted homeland and in Argentina, Covatti had said, "I am not going back to England this season, which anyhow has no estimated start date yet.and I don't think I will be next season either. I have been working for two months in a large factory of one of my main sponsors. I have a very good job, which also would allow me to race [here in Italy] on Saturdays and Sundays." He went on, reflecting his frame of mind which the current crisis has clearly focused this thoughts on. "In truth, it was too much pressure on me riding in the English leagues,.having to always be thinking about making a certain number of points per meeting to live and support the family. And this pandemic changed all my plans, but it helped me to say what I already had in mind last year".
There was plenty for Silver and Hunt to be very happy about as they had the first chance this year to see the Kings and National League Royals' squads all out on track at a 'behind closed doors' team practice day at King's Lynn Speedway on Monday (20th. July). Len was pleased to see all fit and raring to go (including the youngest member of the two sides, Sam Hagon recovered from his broken collar bone) and was heartened by how men and machines slipped back into the racing groove so well,.
He commented, "It was noteworthy how every single rider, from the vastly experienced, like the Kings; new skipper, seven-times British Champion, Scott Nicholls through to young Sam and fellow teenager, Jake Mulford all showed consistent improvement each time they went onto the King's Lynn circuit at such a beneficial track day for them all individually and for team morale. If only we could start racing tomorrow I'd be full of optimism for both sides,"
In terms of getting action underway in 2020 the sport’s ruling body, the now re-named British Speedway Promoters Limited, have remained optimistic that with grass roots competitions and events starting up across motor sport and regular sport, that the much delayed Speedway league season may get the green light soon.
There’s yet to be a formal response from the BSP Ltd to the government’s announcement about spectators not being allowed back into some stadiums until October.