Next up for the Kent TouchTec Kings is another long road trip (following on from the away days so far this season at Glasgow & Plymouth) – this time it’s up the length of the A1 to Middlesbrough to take on the Redcar Bears at the Media Prima Arena on Friday (25/6).
And there’s a big boost for team boss Chris Hunt with the news that Cameron Heeps has confirmed he’s recovered from that troublesome shoulder injury suffered last month and is fit to ride. Co-promoter Len Silver commented,
“I know that he has performed very well at the Redcar in the past, so I am hoping that he quickly gets back in the groove.”
With an R/R facility still in place for the retired Tom Bacon, the Kings’ management are giving further much-needed experience to GB Under 21 finalist Jake Mulford in the no. 8 berth. And of course, talking of the GB U21 competition it’s a quick return to the Redcar track for the TouchTec Kings’ other teenager, Dan Gilkes who will be relishing more chances to impress up on Teesside after winning his semi final in that event last week.
It will be a case of friends reunited for Dan with two former Kent riders in the Bears septet – both team mates of Gilkes in the successful 2019 National Trophy winning team: Jordan Jenkins and reigning NL Riders Champion, Anders Rowe. Rowe previously alerted himself to the Bears’ management with a strong showing as runner up in the 2019 British U19 Final held on the Redcar circuit. For Jenkins this is his first full season in the Championship.
Leading the Bears attack will be the 2019 British Champion Charles Wright – who after a slow burner start to his career had an extraordinary last full campaign in the sport reaching the pinnacle of British Speedway, winning the British Final and with it getting a ride at the last Cardiff staged British Grand Prix, where he far from disgraced himself against the world’s best.
One rider potentially missing for the Bears will be Australian Jordan Stewart, the 23-year-old Mildura man, tangled with Birmingham’s Valentin Grobauer in the recentlt abandoned Knockout-Cup fixture at Perry Barr and suffered shoulder injuries.
Another Aussie in the north-easterners’ ranks is Brisbane born Jake Allen. The former second tier title winner with Somerset initially elected to sit out the 2021 UK season but changed his mind as the situation with Covid-19 began to ease back in April, so Redcar jumped at the chance to sign him.
He joins another overseas import in this cosmopolitan outfit in 30-year-old Dane born Michael Palm-Toft. And in the reserve berth there’s plenty of experience given to the Bears in the form of James Sarjeant – with what really looks to be a falsely low average Sarjeant could be a Major threat in the Redcar ranks.
This meeting is all ticket and fans must secure tickets before travelling – fans should go to the Redcar Bears website and select the tickets tab to purchase online via the ‘eventgenius’ app.
The meeting gets underway at 7.30pm at the South Tees Motorsports Park in South Park, Middlesbrough, TS6 6XH