The Kent CTA Fire Kings are continuing their building towards the new season with their sixth rider signing up.

Rikki Mullins has signed to join the Kings for the coming campaign and he knows the Sittingbourne based sides’ team manager Chris Hunt.

Speaking of the signing, Hunt said: “Rikki has always showed great promise but his previous spells in the League, where he’s amassed around twenty appearances all told, have tended to be hampered by poor machinery.  Those issues are well and truly behind him now and I’m confident that a revitalised Rikki, in from the off, will emerge as one of the better reserves in the division”.

Hailing originally from Sidcup in the metropolitan area of Kent, Mullins’ story is very much of a Speedway enthusiast emerging from the background to seek centre stage on track – as he explains.

“I was from a young age a big fan of the then Arena Essex Hammers and as soon as I was old enough to help out I became a member of the track staff team at the Raceway in Thurrock.  One day in 2006 we had a try-out track racing day for the staff down at the circuit in Iwade and I was able for a first time to have a go at racing myself.  It went well and thanks to a lot of support from the club I decided to give racing a go.  The Hammers’ top American rider at that time Josh Larsen even supplied me with a bike”.

Mullins’ initial impact was dramatic, scoring paid 11 points in his first competitive meeting riding for the Iwade Colts as part of the Summer Championship in the track’s then non-league days in July 2006 and following that up by securing an impressive 11 points in the St. John’s Ambulance Trophy at Christmas that same year – finishing level on points with future GB Under 18 champion Jerran Hart that afternoon at Iwade underlined the raw potential of the then teenaged Mullins.
2007 saw further progress with regular pre-meeting rides alongside the likes of his now Kings’ team mate Aaron Baseby at Rikki’s beloved Arena Essex Raceway and he even appeared for a Hammers quartet in a challenge Four team Tournament at Iwade towards the end of the year.

By this point Mullins had broken into the Conference League side based at Iwade under Chris Hunt’s management, the Sittingbourne Crusaders; a position he retained during the 2008 campaign: a highlight of which was scoring a maximum in the Ernie Edwards Memorial Trophy as well as being named as number 8 for the Lakeside Hammers on one occasion.
However, at the end of that season after Mullins had recorded his best score in the crossed swords racejacket, paid 14 versus a ‘Select’ of visiting Dutch and Belgium riders, the Crusaders departed league racing not to return; and Mullins found himself moving with his mentor Hunt down further south and across the Solent to hook up with the Ryde-based Isle of Wight Islanders.

He added: “To be honest my time with the Isle of Wight from 2008 through to 2012, though I loved the whole set up there, was a rather in and out affair – I was often their number 8 and then in as reserve for a few matches before a spell out again. It particularly seemed to be the case that I wasn’t in at the start of a season and without that lead-in, it can be difficult to maintain machinery at the level needed”.

“I have one new bike which has been put together by Rob Couzins from ‘Rob Racing’ to whom I owe a great debt of thanks.  And now that I’m confirmed in the Kings’ line up for the forthcoming campaign one of my backers, Mick Newton has fantastically generously offered to supply me with a second new bike – so I’m going to be in a great position machinery-wise for the 2015 season.  I also want to thank another sponsor Steve Deen who has supplied me with a new race suit and also bike covers for 2015.”

“I have the machinery and everything in place for the ‘City Gearboxes’ National League season and I am raring to get going as a Kings rider.  I’ve some experience of the Central Park circuit having got in laps there at last year’s Press Day and riding for Wimbledon in the John Cearns Cup last May.  I’m sure the circuit will suit me and to ensure I’m fit myself for the new season I’m going to the gym five days a week!”

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie