It has been a busy couple of weeks for the management team of the Wightlink Warriors and with negotiations now complete, the Island side can name the quartet of riders who will represent the club when racing gets underway in June.
With ultra-enthusiastic team manager Steve Piper continuing in his role and actively involved in the selections, he was quick to give a summary of his new season charges starting with the captain who will be local racer Danno Verge (pictured).
Piper said, “Danno did a fantastic job last year and was really frustrated that the side didn’t win the three-team tournament, but he is determined to right that wrong this season and was the first rider to accept our invitation. He will also be riding in the National Development League (NDL) for Iwade (Sittingbourne) on a regular basis so I’m sure the Warriors will benefit from that aspect as well.
Also back from last year is Alex Spooner who has so much ability and determination. Alex too has secured a NDL berth over at Mildenhall and is delighted to be offered extra track time with us to stay sharp. We really hope that with regular racing and an injury/illness free run we will see him blossom into the classy rider that is just bursting to come out.
A major consideration in our team building was the ability of the riders to positively interact with our supporters and one young man who quickly became a fan favourite in 2019 was Connor King. The lack of competitive action over the past couple of seasons has stalled his progress, but we know Connor has so much to give both on and off track and we’re delighted to welcome him back. He also has an NDL slot at Plymouth so lots of miles ahead for our Suffolk based Warrior.
Last, and definitely by no means least, I am over the moon to confirm that Ben Morley is returning to the Island to take up the number 1 race jacket and lead our charge. He will also line up at Iwade in the NDL, but with a relatively light racing schedule it made sense to ask Ben if he wanted extra meetings and he jumped at the chance to return to a track that he has seen great success on. Ben and his family have always been superb ambassadors for the Wightlink Warriors and his brilliant rapport with the fans will certainly enhance the race night experience.
So, there we have it. Four focussed, friendly guys who will always do their best for the club and I’m really looking forward to working alongside them. We’ll be keeping in touch with each other as we prepare for the season, and I know we’re all itching to get racing underway.
The other thing to mention is that the club management are still actively working on the Wightlink Wizards squad for 2022 and will be making an announcement soon.”