King's Lynn speedster praises turnout for testimonial meeting

Popular local King’s Lynn Stars speedway rider Lewis Kerr praised the turnout for his testimonial on Sunday.

A large four-figure crowd filled the car park and spaces around the Adrian Flux Arena and flocked into the stadium for the Dersingham racer’s big day.

The 32-year-old Kerr, known as Lewi, said: “It was a great day, a great crowd and some really fantastic racing, so I was well pleased.”

One of his team mates, Stars top scorer Richard Lawson, made the final, and Kerr commented: “He didn’t have the best gate for the final.

“It was the best decision that I made not to ride, to be honest, because I was everywhere. If I had to think about riding, it would have been difficult.”

Many were convinced Kerr himself was one of the four start line ‘ladies’ in drag, wigs and dresses who accompanied the riders in a bit of fun for the grand final, won by ex-Lynn rider Sam Masters over the likes of Lawson. Masters’ Australian side also won the four team tournament.

But Kerr added of the ‘drag race’: “Mainly my mechanic Stevo (Steve Norman) will take the credit for that idea.

“No, I wasn’t dressed-up. It was my mechanic Fred, a mate of Alex Brady (team boss), his cousin and another guy who works for Alex.

“I was in the middle, watching!”

Team manager Alex Brady said on estimates that the attendance approached 2,000: “Not far off: certainly in excess of a thousand for sure and well supported.

“I’m pretty pleased to have a good crowd turn up for it; it’s good. It wasn’t your typical testimonial, was it?

“Everyone was going for it and no inch or quarter was given or asked. It was really good. Sam did really well to win it.

“It would have been nice to see Richard win, and Niels (Kristian Iversen) looked good too: it seemed like he had an armchair out for his first two rides. It was a really good night of racing and no one was holding back.”

At one stage it seemed as though Lynn had a good chance of emerging victorious but a mid-meeting horror spell of tapes offences, falls and time-outs stalled their momentum.

Brady added: “I hope it’s not an omen for our season because it’s very much like our meetings last year. It was good to get some race rust off. You can practise all you like but there’s nothing like competitive racing.

“Hopefully it puts us in good stead and I look forward to Ipswich a week on Thursday.

“Jake (2022 number eight Waldron) only came into the meeting late yesterday. He had a grasstrack meeting scheduled but with Ritchie taking a tumble on Friday he needed to fill in so came along.

“He had a busier night than expected. He did pretty well and him taking a tumble in his second ride didn’t help for later on. But he looked on the pace and made the gates.”

On Ritchie Worrall, who took a training tumble at Leicester, Brady added: “Nothing seemed to be serious with Ritchie at least; it was just a couple of days too soon for him. He should be fine for Thursday for press and practice day.”