The chase for Speedway’s National League Play Offs took another twist at Central Park last week with a match which again went down to a last heat before the result was decided (for a fourth home meeting in a row!) – and this week action resumes with the visit of the Stoke Potters (Monday 22nd. July).
And it’s a Stoke side who come into the fixture on a high having taken their first silverware in the NL era winning the National League Fours at their home track the Saturday before last. A little remembered fact is that Stoke have actually claimed four wins at Central Park since the opening of Speedway there, making them actually one of the more successful visiting sides – so nothing can be taken for granted at all as Chris Hunt’s charges look to stabilise their position in the NL top four.
And the TouchTec Kings will go into battle with the side from Staffs with two riders back in but two out. The returning riders are Jordan Jenkins (who missed the Cradley match after aggravating a previous back injury) and – after what seemed an interminable riding prohibition of 23 days after suffering mild concussion – Nathan Ablitt is back in. That means that the ‘dream’ partnership of Ablitt and fellow 2019 newcomer Dan Gilkes finally get on track together in an NL match at Central Park. And the other newcomer making the Speedway world sit up and pay attention, Jake Mulford is in the Kent line-up on Monday also – named as the No. 8 with Rider Replacement being used for the most recent injury absentee Alex Spooner. Spooner crashed out in heat one last Monday – unluckily shedding a chain which threw him from his machine and landing on his already troublesome shoulder aggravating the injury which led to an earlier spell on the treatment table. The other injury victim is Rob Ledwith out with a broken collar-bone and coming in to ‘Guest’ for the injured skipper is Plymouth’s David Wallinger.
Stoke’s man of the moment is an original Kent Kings’ favourite from that 2013 season, Connor Coles. Coles’ effort in holding off the forceful Georgie Wood in the final hear decider in the Fours revealed a hugely matured and determined rider and he will be looking to show this side of his racing character to his former home fans. A rider who also has plenty of experience riding at Central Park is former GB U21 rostrum finisher Tom Perry who captains the Potters. The rest of their winning quartet was Joe Lawlor (previously of Belle Vue of his home city Manchester) and Luke Priest. Priest was a divine inspiration for his side in the Fours but sadly crashed out in the same meeting that Jenkins was laid low the following day in Mildenhall – unlike JJ, the experienced Priest hasn’t a prayer of recovering in time for the visit to Kent and so Rider Replacement is used by the visitors too. Kiwi on-off NL rider Shelby Rutherford completes the visitors one-to-five with Joe Alcock & Corbin Pavitt the reserves needing to square up to Ablitt & Gilkes.
The gates open on Monday for the visit of Stoke Potters in the NL at 5pm with tapes up at 6.30pm