The last home SGB Championship [SGBC] match this season for the Kent TouchTec Kings sees the reigning champions, Leicester Lions come to Central Park at 6.30pm this evening (Tuesday 14th.).
The Lions have confirmed their place in the end of season Play Offs, aiming to defend the title they won in 2019; sadly for the hosts though, the results from other matches went against them last weekend and indeed the bonus point gained by Scunthorpe in the thriller at Central Park last Tuesday has ultimately put the Steel town side who lie one place above the TouchTec Kings beyond their reach . Leicester sit one further place up the table and are the Kings’ remaining opponents home and then away (25/9).
The East Midlanders will arrive at Central Park with a multi-talented squad – who have on their respective racing CVs, Grand Prix wins, National and State titles.
Star name for the visitors is a legendary Dane of the modern era with a 20 plus years career riding here in the UK, Hans Andersen. A four times SGP winner and twice a World Team Cup champion with Denmark, in the early years of the century many had him down as a likely world individual number one and but for misfortune one year he could well have achieved that world title he once seemed destined to win. Andersen against Scott Nicholls (Kent’s 2021 skipper) has been a battle fought out on tracks all over the world – and will surely be a show-stopper when it’s replayed this evening!
A rider who has previously raced at Central Park this season is the Lions’ skipper, Kyle Howarth. The Mancunian played a starring role as top scorer when ‘guesting’ for the TouchTec Kings in the home Knockout Cup win against Eastbourne in July.
As has been a common feature in visiting sides in this inaugural SGBC season, the Lions have a strong antipodean core – with three Australians lining up in their septet.
Nick Morris has raced in the UK since 2010 and reached the pinnacle in the second tier in 2017 when he took the title in the SGBC Individual Riders’ event. Ryan Douglas was a member of the Leicester side which won that SGBC title in 2019, the same year he won the State Championship in his native Queensland, The third Aussie, Zaine Kennedy is less experienced with less than one full season under his belt before this term.
All three Australians will be riding Central Park for the first time but the two locally-produced English youngsters in the visitors’ line up are certainly experienced around Kent’s home track. 2020 GB Youth champion Dan Thompson and his sibling Joe were members of the East Midlands’ club’s National League side, the Lion Cubs who in 2019 defeated the TouchTec Kings in the title-deciding Play Off Final, Joe scoring paid 11 in the win at Central Park, With Joe as their Rising Star reserve while Dan has moved into the main body of the team, the Thompson Twins will be looking to Take Them Up to further away success!
The hosts are at full strength and are unbeaten at home since July and looking to extend their glorious end of season winning run at Central Park to a super six in a row.
Teams [in alphabetical order]
Kent TouchTec Kings Troy Batchelor; Dan Gilkes; Cameron Heeps; Ben Morley; Jake Mulford; Scott Nicholls; Paul Starke
Leicester Lions Hans Andersen; Ryan Douglas; Kyle Howarth; Zaine Kennedy; Nick Morris; Dan Thompson; Joe Thompson
The meeting starts at 6.30pm. (gates at 5pm) and with it being the last TouchTec Kings’ home match of 2021 they’ll be the traditional annual Rider Awards in the Central Bar following the completion of the on track action.
The Kent Speedway season does continue after this week though. with five home National League matches filling the rest of the Tuesdays at Central Park in September and October, with Kent’s second team the Iwade Garage Royals very much in contention for the NL title.