The teenager from Battle is already a reigning national champion, taking the 250cc British Youth title in what was his last season as a junior and now it’s team titles he covets with his new side,
“With the team that Kent management, Chris (Hunt) and Len (Silver) have put together”, the talented teen commented, “it looks like it could be a very promising year for Kent in the National League [NL] – and I am pleased to be a part of it”.
And having been on the radar of the ambitious Kings’ management for some time, the much coveted youngster took time off from celebrating this landmark birthday to reveal how was always intending that it would be Central Park he made his first league racing home,
“Kent was always my favourite choice as I had ridden there a few times on my 250cc bike and I really enjoyed the track.
“The fans there are always very supportive and they create a great atmosphere and Len & Chris made me very welcome”
The years of knowledge in the sport built up by Silver and Hunt will be a huge benefit to Ablitt in what will predominantly be a season spent learning what the rigors of a full league racing season are all about, but there’s another experienced face Nathan is looking forward to seeing in the pits,
“Another reason I opted for Kent ahead of other offers I received was that Paul Hurry will be involved as Team Coach in ’19 and it will be great to have someone with such experience to learn from in my debut senior season”
Hurry is a bona fide Kentish Speedway legend, hailing from Canterbury where he first watched the sport on the terraces at the old Kingsmead Stadium and going on to forge an extraordinary career on two wheels winning numerous titles at Speedway, Grasstrack & Longtrack and now turning his attention to training the next generation.
There’s plenty of material in that regard at Central Park with six of the septet looking to challenge for the NL being 18 or younger with the man hotly tipped to be skipper (with an announcement coming soon on the captaincy) Rob Ledwith providing a steadying force at the helm. With a youth national champ in the form of Ablitt, the presence of Ledwith who won the GB Veterans’ title last term provides a perfect counter-point as Ablitt says,
“Most of the team are so young and we still have a lot to learn, so the experience of Rob and Paul can really help us with that. It helps too that being all of a similar age we have known each other for a few years through participating together in the Youth Championships and this has helped us to get along and create a good team atmosphere already in the lead up to the season.”
That season gets underway with a Good Friday visit to Plymouth in the National Trophy and then an Easter Cup Challenge to open proceedings at Central Park on the Bank Holiday Monday of the Easter weekend, April 22nd 4:00pm start time, when Belle Vue Colts are the opponents in a prestigious one-off challenge.
Whether it will be mainly Mondays for the NL home matches for the rest of 2019 or that Saturday Nights will be alright for fighting for that coveted championship title will go a long way to be decided at Thursday’s (7th. March) Swale Borough Council Planning Committee meeting, when an application to be able to use Saturdays will be presented for approval.