Tomorrow (Weds 4/8), the TouchTec Kings head up the M6 to Perry Barr to take on the Birmingham Brummies.
The Second City side are under the ownership of the original Kent Kings’ captain David Mason and his dad Peter and the Masons issued a plaintive plea last week that this meeting could be make or break for the club after restricted crowd levels during the Covid crisis have affected their income. So there’s an added incentive for Kings’ fans to travel up in numbers to this superb West Midlands track .
Plenty of other good reasons though, like seeing the long standing rivalry between the TouchTec Kings’ seven-times British Champion, Scott Nicholls and the Brummies’ three times winner of that prestigious national title (and last Brit to win a home SGP) Chris Harris. The races between these two legendary riders will surely be worth the admission money alone. Then there’s the not small matter of it being Troy Batchelor’s away debut for the TouchTec Kings; and to add to that there are two former Kent men in the hosts’ ranks in former European Grasstrack Champion, James Shanes and the very popular Jack Thomas (confirmed as a starter despite a recent scaphoid injury). Birmingham also have a two times World Longtrack Champion in their septet in the German star, Erik Riss.
Kent and Birmingham established something of a rivalry when the two clubs were both chasing National League honours (including a memorable Trophy Final in 2016) - this is the first time their acquaintances will have been renewed at Championship level and the stakes are high in different ways for both clubs making this a must-see battle.