After 18 months almost to the day since the last motorcycle wheels turned in action on the Central Park Stadium Speedway track, the Kent TouchTec Kings roar back in the SGB Championship on Tuesday 18th. May (6.30pm start time).

No one could possibly have foreseen when the Kings announced in October 2019 that they were to be moving up to the sport’s second tier that a global pandemic would put those ambitions on hold for so long – an entire season lost to the sport in 2020.

But the confirmation of the further easing of restrictions announced on Monday 10th. May sees Kent’s only professional Speedway club raring to go and tickets selling fast for what is surely the most eagerly anticipated fixture in the history of the sport in the county.

The new look TouchTec-sponsored Kings took to the track resplendent in their red and white racing suits in a Practice Day up at Leicester Speedway last week and team boss Chris Hunt was delighted with the way things quickly got together.

“It was great to have the whole team out on track, to see them in their smart club colours and to see how well they immediately gelled together as a unit.  With a mix of considerable experience and youth we have what is I think is the perfect blend.  The way they all looked out on track it was almost as if they’d never been away!”

Ironically, considering they were Kent’s hosts for their launch event in front of the sport’s media, it’s Leicester Lions who form the opposition for the opening meeting at Central Park – a match which is indeed the first fixture in the SGB Championship season anywhere in the country.

And it’s a division which does indeed span the length and breadth of the UK from the two Scottish clubs, Glasgow and Edinburgh and just over the border into the north-east of England, Berwick, Newcastle and Redcar; through the midlands with Birmingham and further east, Leicester and Scunthorpe; and all the way to the three south coast clubs. Kent’s local rivals Eastbourne Eagles, the legendary Poole Pirates and way out in the south west, Plymouth Gladiators. 

And it’s a real baptism of fire for the Kent side in the opening week of the season taking on the reigning champions Leicester Lions in that opening home fixture and then just three days later on Friday (14/5) travelling north of the border to do battle with  the Glasgow Tigers.

The TouchTec Kings are led for their inaugural campaign in the Championship division by seven-times British Championship and former Grand Prix rider, Scott Nicholls, who in 2019 captained Tuesday’s visitors Leicester to the Championship title – there’s no more experienced or successful exponent of the craft of Speedway Kent could hope to have in their corner.

Nicholls is raring to go for the new campaign,

“I’ve managed some eight hours or so track time now in the past couple of weeks after over a year off the bike and it’s been great to be back in the saddle and get the buzz of going sideways again!  I am feeling really fit but the race sharpness is yet to come – but of course everyone’s in the same position after the year off”.

Partnering Nicholls by taking the number two race jacket will be a rider on an even more significant comeback than anyone else, Maidstone-based Paul Hurry who’s not ridden at this level since 2010 when an injury threatened to end the career of the multi title winner at Speedway, Grasstrack and Long Track.  But in 2019 the Canterbury-born racer won his second European title at Grasstrack, so I think it’s fair to say he’s still got the winning formula.

If Hurry is the local man in the side then Cameron Heeps has travelled the furthest – hailing from Perth in Western Australia where he’s a three times senior State Champion,  Heeps is the first Australian to ride for the Kings and forms a heat leader trio with  his skipper Nicholls and two times British Finalist, Paul Starke.

The side is completed by three riders already hugely popular with the Central Park faithful: the returning Ben Morley, an ‘original’ Kings’ man from 2013, who won the first of his two National League Riders individual titles in his third season with Kent in 2015; Daniel Gilkes who is retained from last season’s side and who will be doubling also with the Kent Iwade Garage Royals team competing in the National League; and West Midlander, Tom Bacon.  Bacon has had the tag for some years now among the Kent fans of the most popular visiting rider and this season he and they are delighted to see him lose that title as instead he’s riding in the Invicta colours of the Kings.

Tickets are now on sale for the opening fixture vs. Leicester Lions on 18th. May and will then go on sale next Wednesday (19th. May) for the visit of Eastbourne Eagles in the Knockout Cup (this cup tie taking place at Central Park on Tuesday 25th. May); and that will be the arrangement for the opening tranche of fixtures following local authority and central government regulations on advance ticketing and Covid-safe crowd management. 

Tickets are to be purchased by ‘phoning 01795 475547 or calling in person at Central Park Stadium between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

Kent Speedway update [14/21]:  Glasgow away on Friday 21st May behind closed doors

Because of the continuing Covid restrictions affecting the Glasgow area in Scotland, it has regrettably had to be announced by the Glasgow Tigers’ club that their match against Kent TouchTec Kings next Friday (May 21st) at the Ashfield Stadium will not be allowed spectators. The Championship match (the Kings’ first ever away one in this division) will go ahead behind closed doors.

So obviously Kent supporters must not travel to this match but there will be a pay-per-view live streaming of the meeting.

The live streaming will be put on by the QTV service on behalf of Glasgow Speedway with ex footballer from Motherwell, Partick Thistle and Northern Ireland Captain, Stephen Craigan joining the match-day presentation.

The full details of how fans can access this PPV live streaming of the match will be announced by Glasgow very shortly.