Mildenhall DJS Fen Tigers – proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery – take their 100% record in this year’s Speedway season into May, with the next side looking to quieten the Tigers’ roar being the Oxford Chargers – who visit West Row this coming Sunday (14th. – 4pm start time).
And there’s certainly a very familiar look to the visitors with all three of their heat leader trio being ex-Mildenhall men. Captaining the side from the University City and riding in their number one race jacket is Jordan Jenkins – who occupied those same roles for the Fen Tigers when the Suffolk club won the National Development League [NDL] in 2021. Joining Jenkins to make a formidable looking top two, especially on such familiar West Row shale, is his successor as Mildenhall skipper of last term, Ryan Kinsley. The Norfolk-born Kinsley had a nightmare 2022. Injured almost a year ago to the day in a horror crash which ended his season with a very troublesome shoulder injury. The irony won’t be lost of fans that the rider involved in that crash is Kinsley’s new team mate, Jenkins.
That’s some top pairing and it’ll be an irresistible force running into an immoveable object when Jenkins and Kinsley come up against the hosts’ in-form top two of Alfie Bowtell and skipper Lee Complin. Bowtell has dropped points in just two races all season and was unsurprisingly named the NDL Rider of the Month for April. With Jenkins being the reigning League Riders’ Champion there’s no doubt that Mildenhall’s Essex Boy will be looking to ensure that the Only Way for him is the chequered flag first!
The third ex-Fen Tiger in the visitors’ ranks is Plymouth-based Henry Atkins, a former GB Youth champion and there’s another national champion from youth ranks in the Aussie Luke Killeen – who’ll be riding the Mildenhall track for the first time.
With the Fen Tigers’ Arran Butcher the most in-form Reserve in the division this term the battles between the 22 year old from Leicestershire and the highly-rated long-travelled prospect from Perth will be another sub-text.
Mildenhall’s 2022 season turned with away and home defeats of Oxford and they’ll be determined to keep their unbeaten record this term going and mean that the side from the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’ experience another nightmare against the Fen men. One things for sure, the visit of the Chargers is going to be electric!
The gates open at 2.30pm with parade at 3.40pm and tapes up on this NDL battle at 4pm this Sunday 14th. May.
