It was first blood to the Kent Kings in the NORA League Cup Final on Thursday night (18/7/24) – coming away from the sunshine Isle of Wight with a two points advantage to take into the second leg on Sunday (21st. July).
It was an excellent outcome from an undoubtedly fraught night, with the home promotion facing track preparation difficulties which caused a significant early delay to proceedings, followed by a very nasty injury to one of the Kings’ debutant Aussies, Dayle Wood.
The cumulative result of the two lengthy breaks in racing meant the 9.30pm curfew was reached with just nine of the scheduled 15 heats completed, with a first leg result of 26-28 called in favour of the visitors.
Two peerless maximums distinguished proceedings: from Kings’ skipper on the day Ben Morley who is surely the master of the 385 metres long Smallbrook circuit (making light of the early difficult conditions); and from incredible teenaged debutant, William Cairns storming to four towering wins from his four completed rides. One feels that those lucky enough to witness the 15-year-old’s second ever senior meeting will have good cause in the future to boast that there were there.
The NORA rule which allows Team Managers to handicap two of their opposing riders off 15 metres produced two absolute thrillers – justifying its use on a track large enough to maximise the crowd-pleasing thrills this innovation can produce. Morley had swept to two heat wins when required to start 15 metres back from former team mate Danno Verge in a crucial heat seven. Verge had himself a win and a second from his opening salvoes and was looking very impressive. The race was a thriller – with the Kent skipper chasing manfully, passing team mate Sam Woods and the German, Henning Loof before reeling in Verge and getting past him on the last bend, holding on for a memorable victory on the line.
This had followed a classic heat six with the sport’s two latest teenaged sensations, World Under 16 Championship bronze medal winner Cairns and the Warriors’ Sonny Springer serving up an amazing race: both off 15 metres due to the handicap imposition in Cairns’ case and for a starting offence (failing the two minutes) by Springer.
Kings’ team boss Ben Clifton ably summed up these meeting highlights,
“For all the waiting around, the night should be remembered for two world class races. The clash of the 15-year-olds both off a 15 metre handicap was something any Speedway fan across the world would have marvelled at. Of course King William came out on top of that one; and towards the end of the night, stand-in captain Ben’s last bend swoop around Danno Verge was something that had the entire stadium off their seats.”
The Kings party had needed these successes to lift their spirits after the loss of Dayle Wood to a bad gash on his groin (a potentially very dangerous place to suffer a significant laceration) – the result of the IOW’s Morgan Williams having nowhere to go when the Kings’ racer from Wagga Wagga locked up involuntarily in front of him in heat five. A trip to hospital followed for Wood and Williams was out of the meeting too with concussion – neither rider will now be available for the deciding leg on Sunday.
With this second delay it was clear the match was not going to reach its conclusion and poised at 18-18 the final three heats were going to be vital. Morley’s heroics in heat seven was followed by two more awesome victories for guest Cairns and with the result being declared after just heat nine, it was called as a 28-26 victory to the visitors.
Clifton concluded,
“It was a really tough night, with everything going on. But what a great result. A big thank you to guests Paddy [Hamilton] and William who were not only awesome on track but great teammates off it too.
“I must also praise the Island’s track staff who listened to the riders and did their best to fix what proved to be tricky track conditions, after recent extremes in weather.
Our best wishes must go to our new signing Dayle who suffered a horrific crash and ended up having a night in hospital.”
With Wood out, Kent promoter Steve Ribbons moved swiftly to secure the services of Dayle’s fellow Aussie, Patrick ‘Paddy’ Hamilton to cover for his countryman on Sunday.
Ribbons commented,
“A great team effort means we go into the second leg with a two point lead to defend this Sunday. It’s clear the two sides are very evenly matched, so it means there’s all to play for and certainly looks like a big chance to win some silverware for the Kent faithful. We look forward to seeing a packed Iwade come tapes up on Sunday.”
Those tapes up on the second leg of the NORA League Cup Final are at 2pm (parade at 1.45pm) Sunday 21st. at Iwade Speedway Track, The Old Gun Site, Raspberry Hill Lane (off Old Ferry Road) Iwade, Kent ME9 8SP.
Isle of Wight Warriors 26
Arran Butcher 1′ 1′ R 2+2
Sonny Springer 2 3 2 1′ 8+1
Danno Verge 3 2 2 FX 7
Henning Loof 2′ 1′ 2 5+2
Chad Wirtzfeld 1 1 2 4
Morgan Williams 0 inj. – withd’n 0
Kent Kings 28
Ben Morley 3 3 3 9 [M]
Sam Woods 0 0 0 0
Dayle Wood 1 FX withd’n – inj. 1
Nathan Hargrave FX 2 0 2
Patrick Hamilton 2′ 1 1 4+1
William Cairns 3 3 3 3 12 [M]
Heat details
1. Morley, Springer, Butcher, Woods (fell rem.) 72.4 [3-3]
2. (rerun) Verge, Loof, Wood, Hargrave (fell exc.) 74.6 [8-4]
3. Cairns, Hamilton, Wirtzfeld, Williams 71.0 [9-9]
4. Morley, Verge, Butcher [15m H/C], Woods 73.0 [12-12]
5. (rerun) Springer, Hargrave, Wirtzfeld (fell rem.), Williams (inj.), Woods (fell exc.) 74.7 [16-14]
6. Cairns [15m H/C], Springer [exc. 2M 15m], Hamilton, Butcher (ret.) 72.2 [18-18]
7. Morley [15m H/C], Verge, Loof, Woods 74.7 [21-21]
8. Cairns, Wirtzfeld, Springer [15m H/C], Hargrave (fell rem.) 71.8 [24-24]
9. (stpd. awarded) Cairns, Loof, Hamilton, Verge (fell exc.) no time [26-28]
Abandoned after nine heats due to curfew; result stands