Kent SLYDE Kings raced to an emphatic 58-32 win in Speedway's Travel Plus National League [TPNL] over the Cradley Heathens to clinch a top four position and guarantee involvement on the championship play offs.
On a night dedicated to fund raising for the SOKK fan group which helps Kent riders, the home side only recorded one last place in 15 heats. This came in rather unfortunate circumstances in Heat 2 when Kent reserve Danno Verge blew an engine whilst in third.
Heat 1 was notable as Kings captain Luke Bowen took nearly a second off the track record - lowering it from his previous record of 57.1 to a remarkable 56.4 seconds. Cradley captain Ash Morris was second with Kings' Jack Thomas taking the third placed point - it gave the home team an early advantage.
In the reserve race, Cradley reserve Bradley Andrews made the start but was passed by Luke Clifton with Ben Basford trailing some way behind after Verge's mechanical misfortune it kept the gap at two.
The scores remained close over the opening exchanges with the SLYDE Kings leading 18-12 after Heat 5.
Over the next third of the meeting the home side really turned the screw leading by 16 points after Heat 10 with 5-1 heat advantages in Heats 6 and 10 both times through Captain Marvel Luke Bowen and young Jack Thomas. The first after Thomas brilliantly held off former Kent rider Ben Morley, to add to his growing reputation. The second was much more comfortable after the exclusion of another former Kent rider Luke Chessell. This left the Kent duo to take on Cradley Number 8 Niall Strudwick.
Heats 7 and 9 were shared with wins for the former Kent brigade in Chessell and Morley respectively.
Heat 8 saw the Kings duo of Jack Thomas and Luke Clifton on a 5-1 when Thomas suffered bike problems on the last lap allowing Bradley Andrews to claim second place. With the Kings leading 38-22 after Heat 10, Heat 11 was won by Ash Morris again with the Kent pairing this time James Shanes and Danno Verge taking the minor places.
The match points and a place in the Play Offs were sealed in Heat 12 when Danny Ayres won his third race of the night with Luke Clifton taking third and the Kings moved 18 points ahead.
Heat 13 was shared before the match ended with back to back 5-1 heat advantages.
Heat 14 saw a back to full fitness and form, Danny Ayres storm to another emphatic victory , before the exciting Heat 15.
In the final race Ben Morley made a fast start, with the chasing Luke Bowen and Danny Ayres in hot pursuit. On the third lap, Luke Bowen squeezed through the narrowest possible gap between Morley and the backstraight fence. Sadly the former captain lost control and fell and was excluded and the race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Kings sealing a 58-32 victory.
Before the meeting we had the fund raising activities of SOKK founder and long term Kent fan Bill Roissetter who after cycling from Canterbury to Sittingbourne completed a lap of the track.
Also we had Gill, Val, Steph and Sue as start line girls for the opening 7 races. All in all a successful night on and off the track for the team and fans alike.
Next up for the SLYDE Kings is the two legged National Knock Out Cup semi final vs Birmingham. The first leg is at the Brummies' Perry Barr home on Wednesday 7/9 with the deciding leg at Central Park next. Monday (6.30pm start time). Sandwiched between the two are a TPNL away match at Coventry on Friday (9/9) and on Sunday (11/9), the Kings' teenaged rider James Shanes goes for European title glory in the continental Grasstrack Championship Final at Swingfield near Folkestone.
