It’s Bank Holiday Monday Speedway action at Central Park on 30th. August with the visit in SGB Championship action of Kent TouchTec Kings’ old rivals, Birmingham Brummies.
The two sides had many memorable clashes in their National League days including the National Trophy Final and in the Play Offs and now both clubs meet at Central Park for a first time in the sport’s second tier.
Kent have moved up to 7th. in the table following their last four matches with two home wins and two away draws – one point off a Play Off position; whilst their West Mildlanders opponents are one point further behind showing the vital importance of this match.
And the Brummies come with a side packed full of stars, boasting no less than a three times British champion and GB Grand Prix winner; a twice European champion; a four-times U21 Italian champion; a British Youth champion; oh, and a two times World Champion thrown in for good measure!
But following two thumping home wins and the two successful forays up north squeezed in between, there’s a strong argument to say that the TouchTec Kings are THE in-form team in the league right now, so this one is shaping up to be a classic!
Let’s go over those credentials of the visitors then. Starting with the World titles, won at Long Track by German Erik Riss, who has shown he’s no slouch on the shorter circuits of GB Speedway, winning the Individual Riders’ title at Championship level the last time it was staged in 2019. Riss is joined in the Brummies’ side by fellow German, Valentin Grobauer. It may be August Bank Holiday but the Bavarian will be out to make it Valentin’s Day!
Also from Continental Europe is Italian, ‘Paco’ Castagna – a four-times national Under-21 Champion, he has been in high scoring mood of late. A rider with experience of the Central Park track (unlike the before mentioned) is the home grown West Midlander Ashley Morris – a former GB Under 15s champion all the back in 2009 he has NL title success with Cradley on his racing CV and was often seen with the Heathens at Central Park.
Not as often of course as the two ex-Kings’ men in the Birmingham ranks. James Shanes is the man with the pair of European titles, at his other discipline of Grasstrack of course and was Kent rider for two years winning the King of Kent individual at Central Park at the end of the second of those two seasons in 2016
Jack Thomas, meanwhile, certainly needs no introduction as a true product of the Kent club and actually appearance record holdere still from his three seasons based at Central Park from 2016 to 2018. Jack was as recently as last weekend a Kings’ hero with his star ‘Guest-ing’ role in the draw at Newcastle but the steel shoe is on the other foot on Monday as he comes with his 2021 club the Brummies.
And to leave the best to last – the Second City slickers’ three times British Champion is Chris Harris. 38-years-of age now, Cornishman Harris is Team GB’s record points scorer in the World Team Cup and remains the only British winner of the SGP at Cardiff.
In many ways the story of British Speedway over almost two decades now has been the rivalry between Harris and seven-times GB champion, Kent’s own Scott Nicholls and the clashes between the two most experienced riders in the Championship on Monday will doubtless be worth the admission money alone.
Then there’s the sparkling form of Aussie Troy Batchelor – paid for 30 unbeaten points over the past two matches and with all the rest of the TouchTec Kings’ septet looking awesone around their home circuit it’s sure to be an excellent meeting.
It’s also the opportunity to show support for the sport’s Riders’ Benevolent Fund which does such valuable work assisting Speedway riders who encounter hardship through injury. They’ll be the annual collection held in the interval – and Central Park crowds consistently are at or near the top when it comes to the ‘Ben Fund’ collections each year so the club are sure that such generosity and support for the cause will be repeated again.
The gates open at 2.30pm with tapes up at 4pm this coming Monday, 30th. August.
Images courtesy of Oddshots Photography