The Kent Iwade Garage Royals look to maintain their 100% record in Speedway’s National League on Saturday in a match against league leaders Berwick Bullets up in the Borders.
The second part of a double header, following the two clubs’ senior sides doing battle in the SGB Championship.
The withdrawal of local rivals Eastbourne Seagulls from the NL has had the effect of wiping out two of John Sampford’s side’s results with a consequent losing of points in the league table, as they’d drawn against and then beaten the Sussex side in their meetings this term.
That blow is slightly mitigated by the fact that now the draw in the season opener at Central Park is off the official records, the Iwade Garage-sponsored Royals have a 100% record.
Obviously if they can maintain that then the elusive league title would be theirs. Biut there can be many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip and Sampford [who hands over Team Manager duties on Saturday to Kent co-promoter Chris Hunt (there, of course, with the Kings)] urges some caution.
“It will be the biggest challenge so far this season for the Royals. We are fully aware that for the majority of our side this will be their first time they’ve even seen, let alone ridden the circuit at Shiefield Park.
“For Dan (Gilkes), who tops the division’s averages and Jake (Mulford) this match will of course follow straight on from their duties for the senior Kings’ side in the preceding SGBC match. And on such a big track so many rides can be very draining. Both are very fit youngsters but of course being Speedway, it’s about both man and machine holding out so that can be an issue on occasions like this.
“We know though how vital another away win would be for our chances of taking the title and will be going all out to give the current league leaders a real run for their money.”
The Kings have a full complement of riders for this one, with new signing Vinnie Foord making his debut for the club – lining up [in alphabetical order] as follows:
Jacob Clouting; Vinnie Foord; Daniel Gilkes; Ryan Kinsley; Jake Mulford; Alex Spooner’; Josh Warren
The hosts have a side which combines experience (Greg Blair, Kyle Bickley, Luke Crang, Ryan MacDonald) with some very raw youngsters (Mason Watson, Kieron Douglas, Ben Rathbone) and they are likely to be without the former Youth World Champion, Bickley who picked up an injury in the recent GB Under 19 Final.
There’s a fixture update also – the Iwade Garage Royals’ away match at a track even further north than Berwick, versus Edinburgh Speedway-based Armadale Devils is now agreed for Friday September 17th.