The Kent CTA Fire Kings will be back in action next Monday as they take to the track in the National Trophy at Central Park against Leicester Lion Cubs.
Kent Speedway may by then be celebrating finishing in the top four in the National League (and therefore qualifying for the first time for the all-important championship play offs) with the vital match involving their main opponents for that top four Mildenhall and King’s Lynn due to have taken place the afternoon before.
The chase for the play-offs goes on the back boiler on Monday though, as the East Midlands side, Leicester visit desperate themselves for a big win which would put them into the Trophy Final.
It’s for a third time of asking, as twice this fixture has fallen foul of the weather: one trusts the promised ‘Indian Summer’ forecasted for September will ensure all goes smoothly this time in terms of getting the action on.
The maths of the top of the Trophy table sees the visitors to Kent’s Central Park in Sittingbourne home needing to win by at least 16 points to overhaul Stoke and qualify to take on Mildenhall in the Trophy Final.
Considering the CTA Fire Kings’ form on their home circuit throughout the past few weeks, this looks a considerable task but with high averages to play with for their missing three Fast Track riders Tom Perry, Max Clegg and James Sarjeant, it is sure to be a meeting featuring some top riders and a highly competitive scrap.
For the home side it’s the first outing of a reordered line up following the issuing of new averages for September. The legacy of that string of big wins at home during August, sees the averages boosted across the team and a new ‘number one’ installed in the form of the hugely popular Benji Compton. For the former League Riders Champion, getting back to being an NL number one marks the latest high point since the Yorkshire-based racer returned to the sport with Kent last year.
Benji who has also recently been selected as Fast Track reserve for Elite League champions, Poole Pirates – has a new average of 9.29 but with fellow team members all upping their points it sees the CTA Fire Kings parading perhaps the most solidly consistent side in the division.
The action versus Leicester Lion Cubs gets underway at 6.30pm at Central Park, Sittingbourne.
One rider expected to be lining up for the Lion Cubs to take on Kent is ever-popular visitor, Oli Greenwood. And the rider who is doing so well now in the Premier League with Rye House it will be a more than useful warm up for the following week’s big national championship meeting at Central Park.
Greenwood goes into that meeting among the favourites as Kent stages for the first time a major British Speedway championship event.
The draw for the championship has been announced with a fascinating blend of top British talent making their way in the sport through the Fast Track system in the Elite League, including reigning GB Under 21 champ, Josh Bates and his Team GB team mate Adam Ellis of Lakeside Hammers; the cream of the NL crop including former Kings rider Jack Kingston; and some raw talent competing in Speedway’s Midland Development League. Full preview to follow but the draw is:
1. Nathan Greaves (Swindon & Cradley)
2. Danno Verge (Scunthorpe)
3. Sean Phillips (Buxton)
4. Josh Bailey (King’s Lynn)
5. Connor Mountain (Mildenhall)
6. Adam Portwood (MDL)
7. Max Clegg (Leicester & Cradley)
8. James Shanes (Devon)
9. Adam Ellis (Lakeside)
10. Scooter Webster (MDL)
11. Danny Phillips (Cradley)
12. Layne Cupitt (MDL)
13. Josh Bates (Leicester & Mildenhall)
14. Tyler Govier (Devon)
15. Jack Kingston (Mildenhall)
16. Oliver Greenwood (Rye House)
1st. reserve Kelsey Dugard