This Sunday sees the first major tournament of the National League season taking place, with the staging of the National League Fours at the famous Brandon Stadium in Coventry.

The Kent SLYDE Kings have been drawn in Group ‘B’ alongside holders Cradley Heathens, Rye House Raiders (the next visitors, on the following day indeed, to Central Park) and Mildenhall Fen Tigers.

The SLYDE-backed Kings go into this tournament having actually lost their last four matches (three in the City Gearboxes NL and one, away to the Raiders, in the National Trophy) but because of the format find themselves among the favourites.

That’s because, as the name implies, this tournament sees each competing side in each semi field four man teams who take their place in a series of heats where they’re up against riders from each of the other three teams in the Group: so though a team event, the racing out on track is very much on an individual basis.

And Kent’s top four are arguably as strong as any in the division, with three featuring in the top 15 in the averages for all competitions and all four showing good current form. Skipper Ben Morley was a maximum man moreover when the SLYDE Kings drew at Coventry against the local Storm side last month in the KOC tie held at Brandon and Danny Ayres also impressed that evening.

James Shanes is a former Storm rider and has a very good record at the West Midlands circuit.  Aaron Baseby enjoyed one of his best performances in a Kent race jacket last Monday winning three heats.

The Group is the first obstacle the Kent quartet will need to negotiate: raced over eight quick fire heats, the top two teams in each group progress to the Final, once again stage over eight heats.

Cradley have won the event both of the past two years and on each occasion proving to be Kent’s ultimate downfall. Last year the Kings narrowly missed out on progressing from their semi-final group when they were pipped at the last minute by a Cradley quartet who then went on to win the Final; and in 2013, on their debut in the event, the Sittingbourne-based side lost to the Heathens (then known as Dudley) in a last heat decider in the Final itself.

This year Cradley are handicapped to some extent by the loss of their number one Max Clegg but can still call on a useful looking foursome in Nathan Greaves, Arron Mogridge, Matt Williamson and the Aussie-reared racer Ellis Perks.  For Mogridge & Williamson this is a big step up for them and for Perks, another stage in his fast developing British career.

The Raiders are also missing their number one, Robert Branford (like Perks a rider who learnt his racing trade in his Australian homeland), riding as is Clegg for his Premier League club in an unfortunate fixture clash with the big NL event.  Branford tops the division’s averages and it’s a matter of conjecture whether the quartet of Kyle Hughes, former Kings’ man Sam Woods and the two Lukes, Priest and Chessell (the latter also a former Kent favourite) can succeed without their talismanic number one.

Priest is one of just a handful of riders in the field with a Fours victory already on his racing CV: a home track winner with the Stoke Potters (the Staffs side are missing this term along with Buxton) back in 2006.

Completing the Group are Mildenhall – twice winners of the Fours, in 2004 and three years ago. Sole survivor from that 2012 wining quartet is their skipper and the reigning individual champ in the NL, Danny Halsey; and he’s joined by two former Kent Kings’ riders Jack Kingston and Connor Coles and Coles’ namesake, Connor Mountain.

Mountain has been making big strides forward this year and if he and the also fast-improving Kingston & Coles can replicate recent form the Suffolk-based Fen Tigers could spring a surprise.

If the SLYDE Kings do get through their Group they’ll face the top two from Group ‘A’ in the eight heat Final.
Home advantage means that the Storm will be fancied to progress from that semi , especially as second in the averages Dan Greenwood, skipper Luke Crang and Darryl Ritchings are all strong riders, . Their four is topped off by Rob Shuttleworth.

But with competition newcomers Eastbourne and Birmingham in this Group it’s certain to be a hugely competitive scrap for the top two positions.  The Eagles feature 2015 sensation, the Kiwi Bradley Wilson-Dean; whilst talking of great to watch newcomers to the division, then the Brummies young Brit, Zach Wajtknecht certainly falls into that category.

The West Midlanders make the relatively short journey with GB Young international Adam Ellis, winner previously with the Heathens Tom Perry and the up and coming Sam Chapman accompanying young Zach in their Four.

Meanwhile Wilson-Dean is joined by yet another one-time Kent Kings’ man, David Mason (a winner of this event when a Weymouth Wildcat way back in 2005), the much-improved Richard Andrews and a big favourite of many SLYDE Kings’ followers due to his buccaneering performances when racing at Central Park, Marc Owen.

The Young Stars from Norfolk side King’s Lynn complete Group ‘A’ with experienced James Cockle (a former Pairs winner) spearheading a four who may find the going rather tough, alongside Scott Campos, Tom Stokes and one-time Iwade trainee, Shane Hazelden.

The NL Fours is at Coventry Stadium, Rugby Road, Brandon CV8 3GJ –  24 heats with gates opening at 1.30pm and heat one at 3.00pm. Admission price is £15 with children under the age of 16 free.

Full team line ups (team compositions in alphabetical order):

GROUP ‘A’
Coventry Storm: Luke Crang, Dan Greenwood, Darryl Ritchings, Rob Shuttleworth
Eastbourne Eagles: Richard Andrews, David Mason, Marc Owen, Bradley Wilson-Dean
King’s Lynn Young Stars: Scott Campos, James Cockle, Shane Hazelden, Tom Stokes
Birmingham Brummies: Sam Chapman, Adam Ellis, Tom Perry, Zach Wajtknecht

GROUP ‘B’
Rye House Raiders: Luke Chessell,  Kyle Hughes, Sam Woods, Luke Priest
Mildenhall Fen Tigers: Connor Coles, Dan Halsey, Jack Kingston,  Connor Mountain
Cradley Heathens: Nathan Greaves, Arron Mogridge, Ellis Perks, Matt Williamson
Kent SLYDE Kings: Danny Ayres, Aaron Baseby, Ben Morley, James Shanes

Picture supplied by Elizabeth Leslie.