Motorcycle Speedway makes long awaited return to Kent

KentOnline / KMTV

In the 15 heats across a meeting, racers can get up to top speeds of 50 miles per hour, but the Kent Kings have left their throne, going from the National Development League, to the No Brakes League.

Transcript

00:00Speed is something valued in nearly every sport, including football, rugby, cricket,

00:06hockey and essentially Formula One.

00:08But how far would you be willing to go for just a bit more pace?

00:12Speedway riders man bikes that are stripped to their bare essentials in search of a lighter

00:17load and a higher top speed.

00:20It's 15 dead heats between two teams and while some can reach up to 50 miles an hour,

00:25none of them have brakes.

00:27No brakes, no gears, no hesitation, this is Speedway.

00:33To pick up points, the racers must cross the finish line first, second or third.

00:37The single racer in fourth gets nothing.

00:40With no brakes or linear gears to slow themselves down, a lot of bodyweight is used to turn

00:44corners, keep balance and stay on the bike itself, according to former GB youth champion

00:49Reece Naylor.

00:50Yeah, for turns, yeah, there's a lot of bodyweight usage on a bike.

00:55Obviously for some people looking in, you just get on the bike and ride it, but there's

00:59a lot of usage in your upper body, your legs, that body of movement whilst you're going

01:03round the corner, whilst you're going down the straight also.

01:05So it's not just as simple as get on the bike and off you go.

01:09Last Sunday, the Kent Kings went up against the Ryehouse Rockets in a friendly to keep

01:13their senses sharp against competition.

01:15Throughout the heats, which last a minute each, several racers were thrown from their

01:20bikes and were mostly unharmed.

01:22Thankfully, paramedics were on the scene for one rider who hurt his ankle.

01:26Injuries are a constant risk for Speedway racers, some of whom are as young as 15, while

01:32the oldest on the track, last friendly, was aged 60.

01:36The dirt track of the Eyewade Speedway is tucked in marshland just north of the village

01:40of Eyewade, which has hosted Speedway races since the sport's prime in the 1970s.

01:46The Kings pulled out from the National Development League, entering the No Brakes Racing League

01:50earlier this year, changing their name back from Kent Royals.

01:53Yes, we're not in the league this year because the chap that was running it last year, Si

01:59Kello, had to pull out for health reasons.

02:02He's got a bad heart and we wish him well.

02:04I took over late in the day once all the league structures had been finalised.

02:09So we're running a series of non-league challenge matches this year in preparation for another

02:14crack at it next season.

02:16The season runs from March to October.

02:19Down here in Eyewade we don't predominantly use March because it's very wet and the name

02:24of this place is Marsh Bank Farm and the clue is marsh, so it gets very wet and very boggy.

02:30While some might look at Speedway and think it's just a bunch of leather-clad bikers,

02:34the sport is enjoyed by the elderly and families of all ages.

02:38July 7th fans can see the Kings face off against the Isle of Wight Warriors, who are tipped

02:43to be a strong squad.

02:44Finn McDermid for KMTV.

Category

Transcript

Recommended