Bomber blows the fans away on opening night

In the latest Tape’s Up column in Your Local Paper, Nathan Bunting reflects on a magical opening night for the King’s Lynn Stars at the Adrian Flux Arena.It’s been a long winter.Having seen speedway finish at the Adrian Flux Arena back in September 2024, it was nice to finally be back for some team action as we took on the Oxford Spires in Knockout Cup Quarter-final action.“Audeo Somniare” is a Latin phrase meaning “Dare to Dream” and this is exactly what we have allowed ourselves as Kings Lynn fans over the preseason of 2025.Our side was in place before Christmas 2024, and it allowed us fans to build excitement about what was in front of us.A side full of entertainers, plus riders who will all adhere themselves to the fans throughout 2025, none more so than the “Bomber” Chris Harris.A debut, some 10 years in the making, and we will have to check the record books to see if a rider has had such an impact on debut. The meeting was approached with optimism and professionalism, and Oxford were probably about the right opposition we could have wanted on day 1. King’s Lynn Stars stormed to a 53-37 success, and many left the stadium most satisfied, not only with the result but also the entertainment on show.Chris was ultimately the “star” of the show, picking up an unbeaten 17+1 from six rides, in what was a faultless display.As is always the case, Bomber rarely made a gate, but how he fell behind Charles Wright and Erik Riss in heat 7, fans knew it was only a matter of when rather than if he passed them both. He duly obliged. The way he, not once, but twice, stalked Francis Gusts on his UK debut and sumptuously passed him will leave the young Latvian having nightmares of being chased for the next few nights.He saved the best for last though, another vintage Bomber move in the nominated heat 15. Outgated by both Maciej Janowski and Rohan Tungate, he came around one and under another in one foul swoop.The crowd went up, and he was rightfully declared Rider of the Night as speedway returned to the Adrian Flux Arena in 2025. Ben Cook, Richard Lawson and Nicolai Klindt all started with great wins before fading away as the track started to slicken off in the latter stages due to the cold weather.Testimonial man Niels Kristian Iversen again showed his worth and probably deserved more points than he gained.Jan Kvech, a mistake in heat One and a last in heat 15 aside, was in imperious form, collecting three heat wins in between.The gap between heat 10 and heat 15 was probably too much for him in the end. Special praise must be reserved for Ashton Boughen.A fantastic five points from three rides, including a heat two win will give him so much confidence, and he attacked his rides with the commitment we have seen previously from Ashton, after his meteoric rise at such a young age.All of this bodes well for the future.All roads lead to Cowley, Oxford on Thursday as we move onto the second leg of the Knockout Cup, as the Stars look to preserve their lead and march on into the Semi-Finals. It’s hard to believe that this won’t happen based on what we all witnessed on Monday evening.The next track action at King’s Lynn will see us pitted against Belle Vue Aces in Premiership action next Monday.It was a fantastic experience to be invited along to the Stars press and practice day on Friday as we got our first glimpse of the new look Stars, as they took to the track for the first time as a team.Jan Kvech and Richard Lawson were missing due to prior commitments but it was a good opportunity to speak with riders and management alike, to gauge their thoughts ahead of the new season and find out the aspirations.Once the interviews were complete, and photographs taken, it was time for the riders to hit the track. It wasn’t all plain sailing as both Ashton Boughen and Ben Cook were both experiencing bike problems, before finishing the session strongly.Chris Harris also took a small tumble but this didn’t deter him from completing more laps at his new home for 2025.It was also nice to see Calum Mitchell, a new signing for the Young Stars, but also new to the sport of speedway, taking in a few laps to gain more experience.He started tentatively, but really picked up towards the end of the session. A healthy crowd also gathered in the bar afterwards to meet the team and ask questions about what they would like to see in 2025.It was also nice to be back at the track and take in what will be my second home for the next seven months, and hopefully we get to see more top-flight silverware.I will also be attending the Young Stars Press and Practice on Tuesday morning, and hopefully we get more fans coming to see the “Stars” of the future as they take to the track for the first time.The podcast will contain some great interviews with all riders and managers over the coming weeks, so keep your ears open for that.