Sometimes one can look at a moment and reflect, usually by definition retrospectively, that a team’s season was rescued in a single race. 
Such a moment may well be the heroic effort put into heat 14 (destined to be the last heat indeed in a truncated match, vs. King’s Lynn Young Stars at Central Park on Monday by the homesters’ currently overworked reserve pairing Jack Thomas and Danno Verge.
The Kent SLYDE Kings were deep into the worst injury crisis in their history; down to five men on the night; mechanical breakdowns robbing the team of points against a plucky King’s Lynn outfit, themselves breathing down the neck of those in the coveted play off positions; and staring at the grim spectre of a second confidence-sapping defeat in just over 24 hours. So, for Sittingbourne-based club’s two young reserves to come out and deliver a 5-1 against their opponents’ in-form Ryan Kinsley and Shane Hazelden was truly outstanding.
There were sub-texts aplenty in this match. Two horrific crashes on the same part of the first bend air fence turn defined proceedings really. A heat five coming together at the start saw the stand-in skipper for the depleted Kings, David Mason suffer concussion which ended his participation; but it was team mate Thomas in the same incident who was catapulted over the air fence onto the grassy knoll behind. Only the exuberance of youth and bravery so typical of a Speedway rider could have possibly allowed the teenager to carry on after that, but carry on he did to lead ultimately to his starring role in that heat 14 maximum.
There were sub-texts aplenty in this match. Two horrific crashes on the same part of the first bend air fence turn defined proceedings really. A heat five coming together at the start saw the stand-in skipper for the depleted Kings, David Mason suffer concussion which ended his participation; but it was team mate Thomas in the same incident who was catapulted over the air fence onto the grassy knoll behind. Only the exuberance of youth and bravery so typical of a Speedway rider could have possibly allowed the teenager to carry on after that, but carry on he did to lead ultimately to his starring role in that heat 14 maximum.
Yet sadly such a great effort by the two reserves in that match-winning heat couldn’t be celebrated when on the final lap, former Iwade-trainee Hazelden who had been splendid throughout the match, fell and was collected inavertedly by his following team mate. It did for any chance of a final heat (though as Kent now led by five that was less significant than it may have been), as he received treatment for a full 40 minutes or so with a suspected broken leg.
Kent had needed two ‘guests’ after the carnage of Mildenhall the preceding afternoon and made good calls with Ben Morley and Kelsey Dugard. There was never really going to be doubt that record points-scoring former King Morley was going to deliver and only an engine failure when leading heat three prevented the returning hero going through the card unbeaten. That mechanical mishap was evidence of the Central Park ‘curse of the guest riders’ manifesting itself again and it certainly did with young Dugard – superb in partnering Morley to an opening heat 5-1 and very plucky indeed in leading Nathan Greaves for three laps in his second outing – then carburettor problems saw the former Eastbourne man splutter to early retirements in both of his other programmed rides and denied him the chance of taking a fifth.
With Mason withdrawn from proceedings after he too had delivered a first race win it was left to Verge & Thomas to pick up the slack again.
James Shanes was in imperious form fortunately – warming up very nicely indeed for his big weekend coming up, when he seeks to defend his British Masters title; but when the Boy Wizard shed a chain when leading heat seven thus gifting the visitors a 5-1 followed by Dugard’s breakdown in the next race leading to a similar outcome, the writing was absolutely on the wall for the beleaguered SLYDE Kings.
Three behind with three heats to go, never was a pair of 5-1s for the home side more needed and the top two Morley & Shanes delivered in heat 13, setting it up for Thomas & Verge to become the heroes of the hour.
Co-promoter Len Silver has seen it all in over 50 years as a Team Manager/promoter but was moved by the heroics said: “I cannot tell you how emotional I felt when Jack and Danno pulled a totally unexpected 5-1 in heat 14 to take the overall victory. The fact that Jack had been involved in that horrific pile-up when he sailed over the fence, made it even more amazing and showed what guts he has.
“Losing David after only one ride was always going to put us on our back foot, while engine blow ups and broken chains, all while in leading positions, made it even worse -so well done to the whole team for such a brave result.”
The news that club captain Luke Bowen injured vertebrae as well as breaking fingers in his crash on Sunday and now Mason’s enforced lay-off due to being knocked unconscious in his crash against King’s Lynn gives team boss Chris Hunt a matching headache – knowing that for the next home match he will have only THREE men standing. Belle Vue Colts from Manchester are those visitors – next Monday (22/8) at 6.30pm.
TAGS: Kent Kings