Post by admin on May 1, 2008 17:47:02 GMT 12
By Derek Barclay
Plenty of young Kiwi starlets have arrived on these shores seeking Speedway fame and fortune over the past 60 years: from Ronnie Moore, through Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Larry Ross up to the modern-day Andrew Bargh - all of those five finding their first home at Wimbledon. Appropriate then, perhaps, that the latest in this long and proud lineage, Alex Cunningham was welcomed to the 'mother country' when he jetted in from Christchurch last Wednesday by former Dons' skipper, Chris Hunt.
One of six-times World champ Mauger's carefully tutored South Islanders and a regular at double world number one, Moore's home track in the Canterbury region, the 21-year-old who hails from the world's southernmost town of Invercargill, will see his first northern hemisphere Speedway action in the flesh, at the British Under 21 Final at Lakeside on Friday - appropriately for the rider who finished sixth recently in his country's championship at that level.
Sittingbourne team boss, Hunt was looking forward to meeting up with his exciting new charge,
"Alex will be staying briefly with me and we'll be sorting out his machinery - my old bike (with new engine) which he's buying; before he heads off to his UK base near Jerran Hart's home in Ipswich".
There it'll be happy days for Cunningham, with an excellent set-up including workshop facilities awaiting the Kiwi. Getting his UK racing licences sorted out will be the next priority for the new arrival, with Hunt assisting,
"Hopefully we'll have all the paperwork sorted by the end of the week, with Alex earmarked to make his competitive UK debut - where he's likely to be racing fellow Kiwi, Andrew Aldridge in a similar position - in our away KOC cup-tie, first leg at Rye House on Saturday week."
Meanwhile, Crusaders' fans' attention - including 'Barmy Army' new recruit, Cunningham's - will be firmly on Harland Cook: the Watford-based teenager proudly carrying the hopes of the Kent club in the Under 21 final at Lakeside
Plenty of young Kiwi starlets have arrived on these shores seeking Speedway fame and fortune over the past 60 years: from Ronnie Moore, through Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger, Larry Ross up to the modern-day Andrew Bargh - all of those five finding their first home at Wimbledon. Appropriate then, perhaps, that the latest in this long and proud lineage, Alex Cunningham was welcomed to the 'mother country' when he jetted in from Christchurch last Wednesday by former Dons' skipper, Chris Hunt.
One of six-times World champ Mauger's carefully tutored South Islanders and a regular at double world number one, Moore's home track in the Canterbury region, the 21-year-old who hails from the world's southernmost town of Invercargill, will see his first northern hemisphere Speedway action in the flesh, at the British Under 21 Final at Lakeside on Friday - appropriately for the rider who finished sixth recently in his country's championship at that level.
Sittingbourne team boss, Hunt was looking forward to meeting up with his exciting new charge,
"Alex will be staying briefly with me and we'll be sorting out his machinery - my old bike (with new engine) which he's buying; before he heads off to his UK base near Jerran Hart's home in Ipswich".
There it'll be happy days for Cunningham, with an excellent set-up including workshop facilities awaiting the Kiwi. Getting his UK racing licences sorted out will be the next priority for the new arrival, with Hunt assisting,
"Hopefully we'll have all the paperwork sorted by the end of the week, with Alex earmarked to make his competitive UK debut - where he's likely to be racing fellow Kiwi, Andrew Aldridge in a similar position - in our away KOC cup-tie, first leg at Rye House on Saturday week."
Meanwhile, Crusaders' fans' attention - including 'Barmy Army' new recruit, Cunningham's - will be firmly on Harland Cook: the Watford-based teenager proudly carrying the hopes of the Kent club in the Under 21 final at Lakeside