A change to the line up of the Kent Iwade Garage Royals National League side for the now imminent 2021 Speedway season sees an old favourite return to the Central Park-based club’s ranks. 25 year old Jamie Couzins who spent a whole season in the Kings’ NL side in 2015 and has gathered other experience over the intervening years, is to replace namesake Jamie Bursill in the new Royals’ side.
Couzins who hails from nearby Faversham (making him the most locally based rider in either Kent side in 2021) had, unusually, some racing experience in 2020 – riding for the Crayford Kestrels’ amateur side in some behind closed doors matches at the training track facility in Lydd and impressed with some high scoring performances.
Kent co-promoter Len Silver explains the late team change, “The suggested transfer of Jamie Bursill will not be completed as the rider was unable to commit to all Royals' fixtures. In his place in the Iwade Garage team will be local boy, Jamie Couzins who has made a number of appearances at Central Park over the last few years and has committed to every fixture. I am personally pleased at the agreement. He has shown steady progress and is a very reliable rider at this level.”
Couzins is delighted to be back in the fold and with an NL berth for this much anticipated campaign, he commented “It’s really good to be back - as people know I really enjoy riding for Kent and think with there being two teams we can get advice from the big boys to help us improve. I’m looking forward to the forthcoming NL season. I was lucky to get a few meetings in last year that helped but the NL is going to be much harder - so I’m excited for the challenge. I want to pay tribute to the valuable opportunities I got last year from Mark Shipman and everyone at the Crayford Kestrels Amateur Club and for their continuing support this year as I embark on the next stage of my racing career.”