Wightlink Islanders return to Smallbrook tomorrow evening following a heavy defeat against the Sheffield/Scunthorpe combined team at Sheffield last Thursday 61-32. Newport Hornets are the visitors in National league action and after coming out 56-38 winners in May’s KO Cup tie the fixture has the makings of a tight tussle for vital league points.
The Islanders recently ran the Hornets close at home 47-43 in one of their better away performances. After only providing a single heat race winner all evening in Sheffield last week which came down to a tactical ride by skipper Nick Simmons in heat 11 a much improved performance is expected from the Islanders.
Co-promoter Chris Hunt said, “Newport tomorrow is again another tough meeting, in fact all meetings are tough for us and I think the team should be riding with an eye for a place with the Islanders next year. It’s not going to be easy but they have to show us what they can do, with Jay Herne and Todd Kurtz flying for Newport, add in Brendan Johnson if he’s on song as well it’s going to be a tight meeting.”
Blind stunt-fundraiser Colin McArthur is to ride a motorcycle around the Isle of Wight’s speedway track for his latest challenge during the interval tomorrow, 60-year-old Colin will take the controls of his friend Dave Richmond’s classic 1979 Suzuki GS 850.
Dave will be on the bike giving instructions but there is space in the Watsonian Squire sidecar for anyone wanting to join in the challenge. Wightlink Islanders chairman Brian Ginders has agreed that he will take a seat in the sidecar providing that £100.00 is donated in addition to the collection that will take place during the meeting. If anyone would like to see the club chairman take to the sidecar seat they are asked to make their donation via the referees box before the meeting starts tomorrow evening.
Colin said: “I have never ridden a motorbike before so I have been practising at the track. I’ll be raising more funds for retinitis pigmentosa and if anyone fancies adding to the total by riding with me I can be called on 07935 747 332.”
Colin has already successfully driven a passenger hovercraft, a £3 million passenger catamaran, a Britten-Norman plane, as well as riding a horse. He said: “I am really grateful to the people at Island Speedway for their assistance is arranging this event and we hope for a large crowd to swell the coffers for RP Fighting Blindness.”
All money donated will go to the research fund, which sponsors scientists to find a cure or treatment for the eye condition caused by defective genes, which switch off the cells in the retina and can lead to total blindness.The Justgiving page for this event is www.justgiving.com/blindmotorcycling
The club will be holding a Christmas Dinner in the Premier Lounge on Saturday 3rd December, there are limited tickets available priced at £25.00 per ticket which can be purchased from Ness behind the bar. Deposits or full payment secure tickets for the 5-course meal which starts at 7.00pm.
