Kent SLYDE Kings return to City Gearboxes National League [CGNL] action on Saturday with a trip up to the north-west to take on the Stoke Potters.

After the Sittingbourne-based side’s recent heroics when taking league leaders Birmingham to a last heat decider in their last away match, the side go to Staffs with new found confidence – though for team boss Chris Hunt there are further headaches over exactly who will be donning the Invicta race jackets in this latest CGNL encounter.

That’s because not only is Aaron Baseby (in the best form of his season on Monday when finishing 5th. in the Laurels at Central Park) is again absent from an away match – having also been absent at Perry Barr last Wednesday; but now it’s been revealed that struggling reserve Danno Verge is taking a break from the team after a protracted run of disappointing form since moving down into the reserve berth.

The teenager from Shorne explained,

“I’ve struggled since I moved to reserve which should not have happened – it should have done the opposite and I should have scored more points. I need to get this sorted out and so I’ve taken a couple of weeks off to improve my fitness.”

Danno, who has seen his starting average – which was assessed after a season riding in 2014 for Scunthorpe Stags – steadily reduce during a disappointing campaign, is taking assertive action to improve his fitness and stamina,

“I’m working with Aaron Rowe (AR Fitness ) who trained Tai Woffinden in 2013 when he won the World Championship. We are working on my fitness and recently I did a fitness test with him at his studio in Tunbridge Wells and we’re also working on my nutritional diet. I will be taking a break from CGNL action but I’m going to be doing a few practices at other tracks where I can to try and get faster and try a few different things.

“I’m working very hard to try and get to be where I want to and I want to improve myself not only for me but for all the Kent SLYDE Kings fans, who’ve been so supportive to me all season. I will be back and I will be better that what I’ve been the last month since I’ve been at reserve”.

With Rider Replacement likely to be utilised for the absent no. 3, Baseby, much attention will shift to the lower rated riders in the remaining sextet to be on duty on Saturday and so Chris Hunt is seeking the most suitable replacement for Verge to fill that now vacant reserve berth.

For the home side, skipper Jon Armstrong has announced he will be carrying on after the veteran, former League Riders Champion intimated last week that after a season peppered with expensive machinery problems that he was preparing to bring down the curtain on his 20 plus years’ career.

Also featuring for the Potters will be Chris Widman who finished third in Monday’s Laurels and at reserve the side managed by Malcolm Vasey now include another veteran of the third tier, in former Buxton stalwart Paul Burnett.