The much-anticipated start to Kent’s National League [NL] campaign is up in the Potteries on Sunday 12th. May, with the TouchTec Kings taking on old adversaries, Stoke Potters.
A change from the Staffs’ side’s normal Saturday evening race night to a Sunday afternoon (3pm start time) has the consequence of meaning that Kent will go into this without new number one, Drew Kemp who will be riding for his SGB Championship side, Sheffield Tigers across the Pennines instead, Kings’ team boss Chris Hunt has moved swiftly to bring in as ‘Guest’ a rider who couldn’t’ be better known to the Kent faithful, Ben Morley: twice NL Riders’ Champion (including last season) and still record points holder for the Kings after his three seasons at Central Park from 2013 to 2015. It’s fair to say that Kent have had something of a hoodoo when it’s come to use of the ‘Guest’ facility in recent years, but one thing all would attest to is that the Southend-based speedster Morley has never let his old side down at any time.
Further team selection problems for Hunt with Alex Spooner who, after his frightening looking spill on Bank Holiday afternoon, has been diagnosed with a rotary cuff injury. Club co-promoter, Len Silver knows plenty about that sort of affliction and he commented,
“News about Alex is not too good. He has damage to his shoulder joint and to the rotary cuff ligament which controls all the upper movement of the arm. By strange co-incidence, I have the same injury, so I fully understand his problem. He is seeing a specialist on Friday, so we will not know the full story until then.”
Kent will user the Rider Replacement facility for the missing Spooner. This will doubtless mean a busier afternoon for skipper Rob Ledwith – the 47 year old is visiting a lot of tracks new to him this coming NL campaign but not so Stoke’s Loomer Road, as the Maidstone-based racer has ridden there in the early days of his career back in the early 1990s with Arena Essex Hammers.
Stoke have had problems of their own – calling off an important warm up meeting last weekend citing damage made a week earlier by the other motor sport formula who use the circuit, the Bangers & Stocks; and then having their plans rocked by the sudden decision of former Kings’ rider Luke Chessell to take a break from the sport. That necessitated a hurried survey around available riders by team boss Adam Isherwood and the sound of Isherwood’s ‘phone call was a more welcome ringing noise for Joe Lawlor than the fire alarm incident up in Glasgow which had wrecked the start of this season for the one-time Belle Vue Colts’ man. Lawlor is now able to put that incident which cost him a SGB Championship place behind him and will make his Potters’ debut against Kent on Sunday. There may be no Chessell but there’s still one former Kings’ man in the hosts’ line up: original Kent rider , Connor Coles and completing their heat leader trio is Tom Perry. Perry has the best record of any current rider when it comes to being a member of NL winning sides, having tasted a hat trick of title success with Cradley & Birmingham. Now moved a little further north from his native West Midlands, Perry (who on the Grasstracks once took the national nU21 title three years running) will be hoping his winning streak rubs off on his latest NL employers. Perry is to be at Central Park on Monday week – in the Wimbledon side contesting the John Cearns Cup.
There’s a familiar look to the Potters septet now that club stalwart Luke Priest is back – the 33-year-old first appeared in Stoke colours (when their third tier side were known as the Spitfires) back in 2003 and was a member of their Fours winning quartet three years later. A local lad alongside Priest is Joe Alcock with Cumbrian rookie Corban Pavitt having moved on from Buxton to partner Alcock in the reserve berths. Another former Buxton Hitman joins up wisth the Potters this term but comes from considerably further away, one of the few antipodeans in the NL this season, 29-year-old Shelby Rutherford hails from Perth in Western Australia.
The action gets underway at 3pm on Sunday at Stoke Speedway, Loomer Road Stadium, Loomer Road, Chesterton, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffs ST5 7LB. Those intending to travel should take note of the stadium telephone number to check on weather updates and/or on any late postponement on 01782 562184 (racedays only)