Kent SLYDE Kings’ rider Adam Sheppard stormed to victory in the inaugural Buckmore Park Futurama at Central Park on Monday (20/4) in a keenly-contested meeting.
Going into the winner-takes all Grand Final, which Sheppard had qualified for courtesy of 12 points accrued in qualifying, the Surrey-based rider - making his way as a reserve in the SLYDE Kings’ team this term - had three times had to play second fiddle to the stand-out rider so far over the evening, Mildenhall’s Tom Bacon; but in an impressive effort of powerful riding it was Sheppard who prevailed when it mattered most to finish top of the rostrum.
A spate of pre-meeting withdrawals with Bacon’s team mate Nick Laurence an injury victim after a crash when Kent and the Suffolk side met up in the Fens on Sunday and Connor King also in the Mildenhall squad simply failing to show without explanation, left the field low on numbers. Then when Kent-based former Sittingbourne Crusaders man Dan Berwick blew his engine when on the stand in the warm up making his the latest of withdrawals, it prompted a redrafting of the qualifying rides, meaning all remaining riders had five rides within the 12 heats prior to the semis. Bacon made the most of this, reeling off five impressive heat victories, including beating Sheppard three times and holding at bay the lively-looking Rob Watts.
Also debuting on the Central Park track were local riders Andrew Palmer (the youngest in the field who got valuable experience along with 5 points) and Dave Perkins, who was delighted to serve up three second places on the way to an 8 point tally and ran Macauley Leek very close in the battle for second place behind Sheppard in the first semi. The two local amateurs rode under the banner of the sponsors, proudly donning the Buckmore Bombers race jackets. Chris Neame who is something of a pillar of the training track at nearby Iwade scored 8 points also to take overall 5th. place.
Watts was second behind Bacon in the second semi setting up a winner takes all clash involving Sheppard, Watts, Bacon and Leek. With Bacon having won six rides out of six he was an outstanding favourite but Sheppard was looking fast, smooth, untroubled by the scourge all too often of mechanical gremlins and had a determined gait as he lined up in trap two with Bacon on the outside gate in the Grand Final. Bacon was first out of the gate but not going into the first bend, with Sheppard showing a strength and determination which was a delight for the Central Park faithful to behold. Holding off a determined challenge over the first two laps, the home rider then pulled away to cross the line as the champion. The young Mildenhall rider will have been disappointed to have failed to bring home the bacon in the final but will have racked up much track knowledge from seven outings around the Central Pak circuit – experience he will find invaluable when he returns with his side in two week’s time.
Sheppard meanwhile was quietly appraising himself of a splendid victory and keen to explain how he’d turned his fortunes around, “I’ve done a lot of work on my bike and received some help and words of support and some parts too from Karl Rushen, our club sponsor and something of a mentor for me. I changed bikes mid-way through the meeting today as I wasn’t entirely happy with how it was firing. But the biggest change was that I took advice from my brother who was watching intently on the pits bend and suggested that I move wider. It worked a treat as I found more dirt out there and I felt I was going very well when winning my semi. Up against Tom Bacon in the Final I was determined not to think about the fact he’d beaten me three times earlier in the meeting and again I rode wide and got around bends one and two ahead of him. I was determined to hold him at bay and delighted to be pulling clear away over the last lap and a half. I will take confidence from this that I’m heading in the right direction! “
That direction next week will see the reigning champions Cradley Heathens in the sights of Sheppard and his team mates when the Kent SLYDE Kings open up their home City Gearboxes National League campaign at 6.30pm (27/4)
Adam Sheppard 3, 2, 3, 2, 2 12 (1st. in Final) Andrew Palmer 0, 1, 1, 2, 1 5 Dave Perkins 2, 1, 1, 2, 2 8 Chris Neame 1, 1, 2, 1, 3 8 Tom Bacon 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 15 (M) (2nd. in Final) Macauley Leek 2, 1, 3, 3, 1 10 (4th. in Final) Rob Watts 3, 2, 2, 2, 3 12 (3rd. in Final)