Kent Kings Speedway

By Neil Emmott

One of Kent's new signings Tom Bacon was the star rider attraction on the Kent TouchTec Kings' stall at the "Celebration of Speedway" event in Paradise Park in Hertfordshire in February. Team Manager Chris Hunt was also present. The annual event commemorates the anniversary of the first ever Speedway meeting held in the UK, at the King's Oak track at High Beech in Epping Forest in 1928 and it's an early opportunity for the current crop of clubs to promote themselves before the latest (a 93rd year) season of British Speedway.

Kent chose the occasion to launch their new logo and celebrate the fantastic support going into an historic first ever season in the sport's second tier, the Speedway GB Championship [SGBC] being given by TouchTec.

Finally, not wishing to bore you with "oh no not more covid19 news" The current measures put in place right across motorcycle sport to deal with the Coronavirus crisis and indeed beyond have, as was sadly inevitable, forced a delay to the start (due this month) of the Kent TouchTec Kings' season. The Speedway authorities issued the following statement following an emergency meeting of the Management Committee this morning (Tuesday 17th. March). "British Speedway's new season has been suspended with immediate effect. The decision has been taken in line with other sports following the latest update from the Government on the Coronavirus crisis." This suspension will be reviewed on April 15 and the situation will be monitored by the British Speedway Promoters' Association [BSPA] and Speedway Control Bureau [SCB] on a daily basis." Kent Co-Promoter Len Silver added, "If there is no change in the directions given by the BSPA over the next month, which I personally think is unlikely, the opening date and fixture at Central Park will be Wednesday April 22 versus Leicester, by then the Kings should have competed away at Somerset the Wednesday before April 15 if the SCB ban is not extended.".

Tom Bacon & Chris Hunt at the 'Celebration of Speedway'