Putting the disappointment behind them of both of their scheduled home matches over the holiday weekend being lost to rain offs, the Kent SLYDE Kings hope the elements will be kinder as they contest the 2018 Easter Cup in the West Midlands on Wednesday taking on the Birmingham Brummies.

Old rivalries (with some titanic struggles between the two sides over the previous three seasons) take on a new perspective with the recently-installed management at the famous Second City club being Kent’s first captain from their 2013 season, David Mason and his father Peter. Known throughout the sport as ‘Magic’, record points scorer during his long third tier racing career David will be seeking to cast a spell on his former club in this early season challenge event at Perry Barr,

Leading the way for the hosts and captaining the West Midlanders in his third season at the Perry Barr club is Tom Bacon. The 25-year- old is a popular figure among Kent supporters who remember a starring role one time as a ‘Guest’ for the Kings in a match up at Birmingham in his debut season in the sport in 2015 – a performance which ironically put him firmly on the Brummies’ radar leading to him becoming a League title winning member of their side the following year.

Bacon’s heat leader partners in the Birmingham side are Aussie Mitchell Davey -the rider from Ayr breathing new life into the top end of the Brummies’ line up – and Danyon Hume. The one time Rye House Raiders’ man Hume is, like Bacon, starting his third season with the club but spent the majority of 2017 on the injured list – having sustained a badly broken arm in the British Under 21 Final at Poole in April last year.

Another returnee to the Brummies ranks in 2018 is the flamboyant Layne Cupitt, The 20-year-old from Notts is the brother-in-law of two-times World Champion Tai Woffinden.

A new member in the Perry Barr camp this year is Callum Walker. The Gloucester-born 19-year-old’s first career appearances came under his current team boss Laurence Rogers’ management for Coventry Storm. He spent two seasons with the now nomadic club before making the switch, again under Rogers’ stewardship, to Plymouth Devils for the 2017 campaign. .

Completing the line up for the visitors are the reserves, Leon Flint and Arran Butcher. Durham-born teenager, Flint made history in the 2017 season by becoming the first overseas rider to compete in the French Speedway League – under the 250cc reserve rule that they introduced to develop younger riders. Flint has recently turned 15 and has risen through the British Youth Championship ranks winning the 150cc class in 2015 and the 250cc in both 2016 and 2017. Flint’s progress on the shale has also been noted on the continent where he has been signed to the squad of Polish First Division side R.O.W Rybnik.

Butcher is far less of a known quantity; hailing from Leicester, the 17-year-old has been a champion in Beach Racing on the sand. He is ‘shore’ to want to bring that kind of success to the shale and recorded a paid win on his racing debut for his new team last Wednesday against Coventry Bees.

For the action-starved SLYDE Kings it’s a significant day for two of the septet. Taylor Hampshire appears against his 2017 side hoping to put his hard-worn experience of the Perry Barr circuit to be good use for his new employers. For new team mate Jacob Clouting, his debut in senior Speedway is ending up taking place away from home and it’s a big challenge for the hugely promising 19-year-old.

For three of the Kings in action on Wednesday they’ll be fond memories of their last trip to Perry Barr – a hoodoo-ending 51-39 win last September. Both skipper Luke Bowen (paid 13) and Jack Thomas (paid 11) posted double figures tallies and Anders Rowe got a vital heat win too – all will be hoping to reprise that kind of showing collectively and as a team.

The action gets underway at 7.30pm on Wednesday 4th. April at Birmingham Speedway, Perry Barr Stadium, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2ET

Picture supplied by Elizabeth Leslie