Kent Kings Speedway club bring down the curtain on their 2024 Speedway season at The Old Gun Site on Sunday by presenting a ‘first’ in the 54 year history of the Iwade track, an international: England vs. Australia.
Five Kings’ riders are in action in the national sides: newly-crowned NORA 500cc GB Champion Ben Morley captains the England team joined by his club skipper Rhys Naylor and former GB U19 rostrum man Jack Kingston.
While the Australian side are spearheaded by the two Aussies who’ve proved such popular additions to the Iwade-based side’s ranks in recent weeks, Dayle Wood (who will skipper the visitors) and 2023 FIM Oceania Championship semi-finalist, Patrick Hamilton from the famous Speedway town of Mildura in Victoria State.
Completing the line ups for England is Jacob Clouting (who’s been hugely impressive in appearances at The Old Gun Site this term); and for the team in green and gold, 2024 newcomer to British Speedway, Senna Summers and the experienced Matt Marson.
Marson first came over to these shores last decade and was a member of the Mildenhall Fen Tigers’ side which won the National Trophy in 2018. For the past two seasons he’s been based at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester, riding for the Belle Vue Colts.
A regular winner of individual titles when he winters back home in Oz, the 2020 Western Australian Flat Track champ will be flat out trying to secure victory for the Kangaroos.
Teenager Summers is son of former top division rider & Aussie international Aaron Summers, the 19-year-old Senna (named after the legendary Brazilian GP driver) is a newcomer to the NDL this term, racing for the Oxford Chargers.
Joined by track reserves, Kent stalwarts Sam Woods and Nathan Hargrave, the ten will also compete in a second half individual event for The 2024 Kent Supporters Trophy with £250 up for grabs for the winner (and cash prizes for the other finalists) supplied by the Kent Kings Supporters Club.
With special ‘baggy caps’ ready to be awarded to the sides in this Speedway ‘Ashes’ clash, Kent promoter Steve Ribbons prepares the ground for a classic clash of the world’s oldest international Speedway rivals: “Of the top 10 most poisonous creatures on the planet all 10 of them live in Australia!
“Consequently, the people that live there are not only brave but also optimistic souls, whose welcoming smiles hide a steely termination which leads me to Dayle, Patrick and their fellow countrymen who are massively up for this one on Sunday.
“But our England riders are as raring to go as the Lions of their nickname and this is sure to be a classic”.
Gates open at mid-day on Sunday 1st. September at Kent Kings’ home track on Raspberry Hill Lane, off Old Ferry Road, Iwade, Kent ME9 8SP with tapes up at 2pm.
The meeting will be followed by the Kent Kings End of Season Presentations with awards for Rider Of The Year, Most Improved Rider and Team Man of the Year.