Kent SLYDE Kings took the spoils in the Kent County Fours in a thrilling last heat decider to send a good-sized Friday night (23/9) crowd happy.
A maximum from skipper Luke Bowen and a Rider of the Night performance from David Mason, on board revamped machinery and turning the clock back with an excellent showing, were the highlights for the home side on a thoroughly entertaining night of racing and nostalgia at Central Park.
The nostalgia came courtesy of the presence as guests of the meeting sponsors of a good number of former Crayford Kestrels riders of old: with former National League Riders Champion Laurie Etheridge, the former north-west Kent club’s record appearance holder Alan sage, crowd favourite Pete Wigley and bona fide Kentish racing legend Barry Thomas presenting the trophies to the winning quartet at the end of the meeting. And there was plenty for former Canterbury fans in the crowd to be excited about too: with Thomas, Etheridge & Sage al being former Crusaders too they brought along with them a number of former stars from the former club from Kingsmead too. The Kestrels took to track too – with a ‘Select’ side donning the famous red, yellow and black race jacket to compete alongside the hosts, old rivals Eastbourne and a strong Isle of Wight Warriors in the on track action.
And it was certainly a successful return for a rather younger ‘old boy’ in the Crayford foursome, 2013-Kings rider Connor Coles impressing with three second places and a win – taking first place ahead of Eagles number one in his third ride. However Coles’ nine points return was actually more than half of the Crayford total so the ‘Select’ side led by the SLYDE Kings’ Danno Verge was never going to be in contention. Not so the other three sides though in a meeting which was nip and tuck all evening. The Warriors were the early pacesetters with former Sittingbourne Crusader Mark Baseby and the IoW skipper James Cockle taking maximum points from the first two heats. It wasn’t indeed until Bowen took to the track in heat four that the hosts recorded a race win – with the warriors’ Cupitt relegated to last the SLYDE Kings took a one point lead at the end of the first set of races.
Things were tied up through a Perks victory in heat 5 – the scores now were level across the top three sides: 12 points each. Step up ‘Magic’ Mason who won heat 6 in his fastest ever race time at Central Park – with the play offs looming the all time record points holder for the third tier has seemingly hit the best form of his season at exactly the right time. Baseby hit back with a second race win in the next race though and at the halfway point it was perfectly poised: Isle of Wight 16 Kent 15 and certainly not out of contention, Eastbourne 11.
Baseby made it three wins from three to demonstrate that he is one of the most useful performing visiting riders around Central Park in heat 9 to increase the Warriors’ lead; though Cockle failing to finish after a coming together with Coles in the next race did set back the hopes of the side from over the Solent.
Bowen matched Baseby’s feat of winning all three of his rides in the first 12 heats and at that juncture it was still just about as close as possible: the Warriors on 22, the SLYDE Kings one behind that on 21 and a resurgent Eagles’ quartet now breathing down the others’ necks on 19.
Again it was a Mason win which turned the tide: winning heat 13 to finish on a hugely creditable nine.
Eastbourne hit back in the next heat with Georgie Woods limbering up for the far bigger challenge his club face at Central Park in next Friday’s Play-off semi with a third to first effort, getting past the homesters’ Luke Clifton and then sweeping past the plucky Coles to keep the Eagles first three points behind the leaders.
It was all over for the Sussex side in heat 15 though with the youngster Tom Brennan failing to score and with Cockle heading home the SLYDE Kings’ Jack Thomas it meant the scores between the top two were tied again: 27 all going into heat 16 with the unbeaten Bowen and Baseby up against each other in a winner takes all battle!
IN the end the last heat decider though was plain sailing for the lightning fast Bowen. Baseby was last out of the traps and was to fall in an abortive attempt to get back Crayford’s Chris Widman, with Perks ending the night with a second place and a double figures return. Perks and Woods will return next week along with their Eagles’ colleagues including GB World Team Cup international Adam Ellis in the biggest meeting of the season at Central Park: the Travel Plus National League [TPNL] Play-off Semi-final: Kent SLYDE Kings vs. Eastbourne Eagles. The meeting is on FRIDAY 30th. September – 6.30pm start time.