Kent TouchTec Kings have made an immediate and sensational impact as the new boys of the SGB Championship by securing the services of legendary British international rider, Scott Nicholls.
Among scenes of wild celebration at the club’s End of Season celebration event on Saturday (16/11) , the 41 year old multi-British champion was revealed as the first signing of the new era, the club’s new number one and captain.
Coming through the door into the latest challenge of his hugely distinguished career Nicholls spoke to the Kent fans for the first time,“It is the first time I’ve been here and I’m immediately really impressed by the venue . It’s a perfect situation for me – I’ve always enjoyed the challenge in my time in the sport of helping a club get established and progress and with the Kings moving up and with the vision Len [Silver] and Chris [Hunt] have plus our sponsors TouchTec, it’s an exciting time to be coming on board”.
The presentation of the race jacket to the record-breaking seven times British champion by team Boss Chris Hunt followed with Nicholls continuing,“A big thank you for this warm welcome. I am really looking forward to seeing the track and come next Easter getting out there and taking on the latest big challenge in my career”.
It’s a career which has seen the Suffolk born Scott take two GB Under 21 crowns moving onto those seven senior British Final wins and a long spell as top Brit in the World Championship Speedway Grand Prix [SGP] series including finishing runner up in SGPs on four occasions. He moves to Kent from Leicester Lions having led the East Midlands club to the SGB Championship title in the season which has just finished.
Based now in the south-east in Brighton and with media commitments of his own as a key part of BT Sport’s TV coverage of the SGP series he served with such distinction as a rider, Scotty (as he’s universally known in the sport) is ready to play a vital role in this exciting new era for the sport in Kent.
Co-promoter Len Silver has seen it all in his 55 years as a promoter and he couldn’t conceal his delight at pulling off this coup.”Kent’s entry into the Championship gave us an immediate problem in finding a big hitter to lead the team. So, Scott’s interest in us came like manna from heaven. There are few riders at Championship, or any, level who enjoy the reputation that is Scott’s. He was immensely easy to deal with and quickly demonstrated to myself and Chris [Hunt] that he wanted to be an integral part of the team management as well as our Number One. It is going to be a pleasure working with him and I could not be more delighted”.
Team Manager Chris Hunt speaks of the incoming Nicholls in similar vein,“I’m so happy to have secured the services of Scotty. Clearly no one in the modern sport here in the UK has a more impressive racing CV than Scott – with that incredible tally of British titles and success with the Great Britain team here and abroad plus league titles in the top two divisions here. What has impressed me so much is how team-orientated Scott is – he sees the opportunity with the TouchTec Kings in this pivotal season coming up for us in 2020 as akin to a fresh start for him. And that’s quite something from a rider of his huge experience. These are exciting days indeed coming for Kent Speedway”.