The last two weeks of October is traditionally the end of the British Speedway season and it’s a sobering thought to think that we’ve reached that point in 2020 with only a handful of Speedway meetings (and hardly any of them with spectators allowed) having been staged anywhere in the UK. The sad reality of an awful 2020.
But the final meeting of this British season that barely was (and one sadly where the bikes never so much as warmed up at the Kent TouchTec Kings’ Central Park home) is one of the sport’s traditional great individual championships, with 16 of the country’s best young stars contesting the GB Under 21 national title. The meeting ius being held this evening (Wednesday 21/10) at its home the last three seasons, Shielfield Park in the Borders: the home of Berwick Speedway.
And this is a first-ever destination racing-wise for the Kent duo taking part in their first GB U21 Final: Dan Gilkes and his Kent Iwade Garage Royals’ team-mate, Alex Spooner.
The GB U21 championship has an impeccable pedigree in being a crucial staging post along the way to the very pinnacle of the sport for British riders with all of the last five English World Champions having taken the national U21 title in the earlier days of their careers: Peter Collins, Mike Lee, Gary Havelock, Mark Loram & Tai Woffinden. Kentish legendary riders Barry Thomas & Paul Hurry also have the ‘Junior’ national title on their career racing CVs too.
And after finishing second (to former Kent man Drew Kemp, who he comes up against this evening) in his only competitive meeting of 2020, the GB U19s at Scunthorpe, the TouchTec Kings’ Dan Gilkes is really up for this latest challenge,
“I’m really looking forward to some more racing. Obviously having only had one meeting this year it’s great to get the opportunity to race again. I’m looking forward to gaining more experience and knowledge as I continue my development.”
The meeting can be watched on Berwick Speedway’s BanditsTV YouTube Channel – go to www,berwickspeedway.com for details.
Line-up of Riders (in draw order): 1) Alex Spooner (Kent Iwade Garage Royals); 2) Joe Thompson (Leicester Lions); 3) Tom Spencer (Leicester Lion Cubs); 4) Anders Rowe (Rawicz, Polska); 5) Jason Edwards (Eastbourne Eagles); 6) Dan Bewley (Sparta Wroclaw); 7 Joe Lawlor (Redcar Bears); 8 Jack Thomas (Birmingham Brummies); 9) Drew Kemp (Ipswich Witches); 10) Jordan Palin (Scunthorpe Scorpions); 11) Jamie Halder (unattached); 12) Dan Thompson (Leicester Lions); 13) Kyle Bickley (Berwick Bandits); 14) Tom Brennan (Eastbourne Eagles); 15) Leon Flint (Berwick Bandits); 16) Dan Gilkes (Kent TouchTec Kings). Reserves: 17) Harry McGurk (Plymouth Gladiators); 18) Mason Watson (Armadale Devils)