The Kent SLYDE Kings are back in action again this weekend as they head over the Thames to take on Rye House Raiders in the City Gearboxes National League.
Though the sides have clashed before at Central Park, because the Raiders (based at the picturesque track by the side of the River Lea in Hoddesdon, Herts) haven’t competed in the League since 2012, this will actually be the first ever visit of the Kings to Rye House on Saturday.
Seeking to get off the mark in the CGNL, Kent hope to have Danny Ayres back and are boosted too by the scintillating form of both Ben Morley and new signing James Shanes.
The Raiders are skippered by a rider familiar to Kent fans: 2014 Kings rider Luke Chessell. The rider from Swindon started last year in the Kent side but lost his place mid-season to Aaron Baseby and will feel he has plenty to prove on Saturday, returning to the track he rode for in 2012.
Chessell is not the sole ex-Kings man in the Rye squad: as the ‘Boston Bullet’ Sam Woods is back in the CGNL after largely being inactive in the League since leaving Central Park midway through 2013.
Another rider well known at Central Park is Brendan Johnson ast seen at Kent riding in the recent Invicta Pairs, Poole-based Brendan who is a former GB Under 18 champion recently hooked up with the Raiders after the Herts side lost Luke Priest to injury.
Talking of national champs, Australian-born Rob Branford was GB Under 21 champ two years back (qualifying courtesy of a British passport) and after a spell back ‘home’ down under in 2014, the rider from Adelaide is back on these shores and on British tracks as number one for the Raiders.
Kyle Hughes is one of the most successful riders in terms of third tier team medals having been a member of league championship winning sides with Mildenhall and Oxford and Cup & Trophy winners with Plymouth. Hughes returns this year with Rye House after a spell away from Speedway doing Motorcycle Road Racing.
As with many CGNL teams this season, Rye House Raiders have introduced two newcomers to third division racing at numbers 6 & 7 this year. It will be a fascinating battle between the SLYDE Kings’ own two reserves Adam Sheppard (who knows the Rye House circuit well from riding in Development League matches there on many occasions) and Jamie Couzins go on against the Raiders’ two rookies, Alfie Bowtell and 2014 GB under 19s finalist, Danyon Hume.
The action gets underway at Rye House Stadium at 7pm on Saturday.
Image courtesy of Elizabeth Leslie