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.
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