The curtain comes down on the Kent CTA Fire Kings home season on Friday evening when they take on the Arena Essex Young Hammers.

It will end what has been an ultimately successful season for the Kings who are in their second season and have made remarkable progress from a return to speedway last season.

A number of speedway fans are expected to make the short journey across the Dartford Bridge to Sittingbourne to see their junior side take on the National League Play Off semi-finalists.  Lakeside promoter Jon Cook has already announced that he is considering entering a side in the National League next season and so Friday is a chance to establish this new local derby on the Speedway calendar.

The two sides will be competing for the 2014 Tunnel Trophy – won last year by Kent when the opponents were Rye House. With both injury victims from last Friday’s ultimately unsuccessful Play Off semi second leg clash up in Coventry, David Mason and Ben Morley confirming their fitness the CTA Fire Kings will go into this final home meeting of 2014 at full strength.

The visitors will be captained by Marc Owen, the rider regarded by most of the Central Park faithful as the person they’d  most want to see in action again for the final meeting of 2014, such has been the sheer excitement in previous visits this season of the Sussex-based rider’s round the boards, never-say-die racing style.

Owen plies his trade currently in the National League with the King’s Lynn Young Stars, the Norfolk side who’ve qualified for the Knock-out Cup Final.  Also from that side is James Cockle – the London-born racer who brings a lot of experience to the Hammers’ septet.

King’s Lynn’s opponents in that Cup Final will be Cradley and from the table-toppers and getting much needed practice in after a spell out of action is the Heathens’ Matt Williamson.

The Hammers have a fully-fledged number one in the form of arguably the National League’s top individual competitor, Stefan Nielson. The Anglo-Dane who has twice been crowned GB Under 19 champion has been out with a broken arm but is poised to make a dramatic return to action on Friday, Nielsen was an immense performer in his previous visits to Central Park and could well be challenging for the track record if he hits the shale track running in Arena Essex colours.

For many though the biggest attraction on Friday is the long-awaited Central Park racing debut of one of the county of Kent’s most loved sons: Mark Baseby.  The Sevenoaks-born racer is elder brother of the CTA Fire Kings’ own Aaron and is a former Sittingbourne Crusaders star, where he helped the Iwade-based side to a third place in the National League Fours in 2008 before taking his buccaneering style to Bournemouth and helping the Poole-based side claim the League & Cup double with the following year.  Baseby senior now plies his racing trade at Grasstrack and on the Continent and this is his first appearance on a British Speedway track for four years.

Having began the season in the CTA Fire Kings’ side, it’s perhaps appropriate that the GB Youth 500cc champion Luke Harris is in the Arena Essex side and so is able to be thanked by fans for his own significant contribution to Kent’s successful 2014 campaign.

Completing the line-up is the son for former Crayford, Canterbury and Arena Essex rider Alan Mogridge, Arron Mogridge – a rider who has shown marked improvement on each occasion he’s turned out at Central Park.

The action gets underway at 6.30pm with a Presentation Event attended by all the Riders and Management in the Central Bar after the meeting at which the Rider Of The year trophy and other awards will be presented.