CAPTAIN Drew Kemp cannot wait to pull on the No.1 racesuit for Berwick Bandits.
The 23-year-old takes over at the head of the septet for tonight's (Saturday) Cab Direct Championship clash with Plymouth Gladiators in front of the BSN cameras at Shielfield Park.
He said: “I always try to set myself goals at the beginning of the season and in 2025 getting to number one was one of them. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Kemp has made steady upward progress since joining the Bandits at the beginning of 2024 and his place at the head of the team and lifting his average over eight points comes as he adds consistency to his racing.
Already this season he has lifted the Premiership Knockout Cup with Leicester and will play a key role in their bid to reach a second successive Grand Final over the coming weeks.
But becoming the fourth Berwick number one of the campaign – Peter Kildemand, Craig Cook and Nick Morris have previously filled the position – means an end – tactical substitutions aside – to an incredible run.
Kemp has become the go-to man in heat 14, going to tapes 16 times and taking the chequered flag first in 12 in addition to following team-mate Jonas Jeppesen home for a 5-1.
Morris trades places in a Berwick side looking to claim fifth place in the Championship after finishing at the bottom of the league last season.
They have been involved in a series of tight battles throughout the campaign with four points or less deciding 12 of their fixtures this season. The fact that Berwick managed only three wins and a draw from them is the reason that they have once again missed out on the play-offs.
Included in the losses was a two-points reverse at Plymouth two weeks ago which means that both sides have their eyes on the aggregate point tonight.
Nikolai Klindt – making just his fifth home appearance of the season – inspired Plymouth that night and is likely to head the charge again on Saturday alongside seven-times British Champion Scott Nicholls.
The Gladiators have again called in Simon Lambert as a guest replacement for broken arm victim Lasse Fredriksen. He is regarded as a Shielfield Park specialist and has scored freely there over the years.
Plymouth have never won at Shielfield Park, their best result a 45-all draw in 2015.
Another regular big scorer at the fast Northumbrian circuit, Ben Barker, is still sidelined with the Gladiators still to decide whether to book a second guest or operate rider-replacement.
Tonight’s clash is included in BSN’s Total Season and Championship Season Passes or it can be purchased on a one-off basis here.
Berwick: Drew Kemp, Sam Hagon, Jonas Jeppesen, Nick Morris, Peter Kildemand, Dayle Wood, Jack Smith.
Plymouth: Nikolai Klindt, Ben Barker R/R, Simon Lambert, Joe Thompson, Scott Nicholls, Alfie Bowtell, Tom Spencer.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.