Kent SLYDE Kings get their home City Gearboxes National League challenge up and running this evening with the visit of the Cradley Heathens. 
The West Midlanders (who now ride in Birmingham having moved from their previous home in Wolverhampton) have been the League champions in both of the past two years but lost at the Central Park home of the Kings in 2013 and last year won only by a narrow four points – and this year the meeting shows every sign of being another very close run affair.
The Heathens have three survivors from their all-conquering side of 2014 – with newly-installed skipper Max Clegg and four-times GB Youth champion Nathan Greaves both aiming for a hat-trick of NL titles before either gets out of their teens! Matt Williamson missed the Heathens’ visit to Kent last year but has started this season in very good form – making the move up, traversed previously by both Clegg & Greaves, from reserve into a fully-fledged heat leader at this level.
For Luke Harris it will be an emotional return to the club who gave him his first chance in NL Speedway – the teenager from Northolt who last season emulated his now team-mate Greaves by annexing the GB Youth 500cc Championship was a Kent Kings man this time last year and will looking to impress on his return in the colours of the reigning champions.
Arron Mogridge has strong links with the county of Kent as his father Alan began his league racing career with Crayford and also counted Canterbury as one of his clubs on a very long and distinguished racing CV. Moggo junior is in the form of his relatively short career having top scored (with 11 points from four rides) for the Heathens in their CGNL win on Wednesday against Eastbourne Eagles – a result which put the West Midlanders back on top of the League albeit that it’s very early days in the current campaign.
It’s at reserve where the Heathens pack a particularly potent punch. Michael Neale has joined up from Buxton and has already delivered some impressive returns from the no 6 berth. And in Ellis Perks the Heathens have perhaps the top three pointer in the league currently. Born in Worcester but emigrated to Australia as a ten year old, Perks who comes from a Speedway family began his racing career on the circuits on the Gold Coast and since returning to the home country has brought a bit of that sunshine and plenty of Aussie grit with him.
Ellis actually made his first impression on British Speedway at Central Park last year when he was drafted in at the last minute to ride in the GB Under 19s championships and the impression he made then and in some late season appearances for Mildenhall and Scunthorpe put him top of the ‘most wanted’ list by just about every CGNL club. With his Great-Uncle Dave Perks having been a Cradley Speedway legend back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, there was never much doubt which club young Ellis would pick; and his ‘return’ to his family’s spiritual home has worked out spectacularly well to date.
For the homesters, the really positive news is that 2014 Rider of the Year Danny Ayres has had the cast removed from his broken hand and is fit to resume back in the no. 4 race jacket.
The action gets underway at 6.30pm on Monday at Central Park. The two teams (in alphabetical order) are:
Kent SLYDE Kings
Danny Ayres, Aaron Baseby, Jamie Couzins, Ben Morley, James Shanes, Adam Sheppard, Danno Verge
Cradley Heathens
Max Clegg, Nathan Greaves, Luke Harris, Arron Mogridge, Michael Neale, Ellis Perks, Matt Williamson
Image courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie