This evening (Tuesday 1st. June) it’s back to Championship action as the TouchTec Kings make the long journey way out west to take on fellow 2021 Championship newcomers Plymouth Gladiators.
The Kings will be at full strength with Paul Hurry fit again and Dan Gilkes in top form after his impressive unbeaten haul yesterday top scoring for the Royals.
Plymouth like Kent have moved up from the National League and the Gladiators have certainly made the Speedway world sit up and take notice with two sensational signings for this 2021 campaign.
The first of these is the three times World Champion, Jason Crump. The 45-year-old Bristol born Australian has a list of honours that will certainly inspire his teammates throughout the season. ‘Crumpie’, has the most Grand Prix wins of any rider in the sport’s history with 23, is a three times winner of the Speedway World Team, was World Under 21 Champion before his record for an Australian, three senior titles and was Elite League Riders’ Champion four times. Retiring in 2012, Jason made his comeback after racing against Team GB for Australia in two test matches in the winter of 2020, with this hugely-anticipated comeback to league racing in the UK being delayed by 12 months due to the pandemic.
Joining the legendary Aussie as a second marquee signing for the Devonians is Bjarne Pedersen, who has announced 2021 will be his final season in the sport and started his Plymouth career with an 18-point maximum away to Scunthorpe. An experienced Grand Prix performer himself, Pedersen helped Denmark to World Cup wins in 2006 and 2008.
There are three newcomers to league racing in the Gladiators’ septet: American Dillon Ruml, French racer Steven Goret and Australian Zach Cook. Ruml isn’t an unfamiliar name to Kent fans though, as the 22-year-old from Orange County, California who was the top scorer for Team USA in the TransAtlantic Fours meeting at Central Park in 2017.
Plymouth have been rocked by the news that locally-born reserve Henry Atkins will be out for the season after it was confirmed his dislocated shoulder will need surgery. They certainly won’t be weakened though by their choice of ‘Guest’ to cover for the stricken Atkins: it’s twice GB U-19 champion and a Kings rider himself in 2019, Drew Kemp. And completing the hosts’ team is Chelmsford-born former Lakeside Hammer, Alfie Bowtell.
Team [in alphabetical order]: Plymouth Gladiators: Alfie Bowtell; Zach Cook; Jason Crump; Steven Goret; Drew Kemp [G]; Bjarne Pedersen; Dillon Ruml Kent TouchTec Kings: Tom Bacon; Dan Gilkes; Cameron Heeps; Paul Hurry; Ben Morley; Scott Nicholls; Paul Starke