THE growing strength of Sittingbourne Speedway Club was highlighted at a presentation evening organised by the supporters club.

The Rider of the Year award, voted for by the fans, went to 17-year-old Mark Baseby with the title of Most Improved Rider of the Year going to fellow Grade Two teamster, Dan Blake.

In a comeback season that saw more than 25 riders appear in the crossed swords race jacket, it was appropriate that Baseby and Blake (who appeared 20 and 16 times respectively) shared centre stage.

To that annual award is to be added another, with 2005 skipper, the retiring Chris Hunt, being acknowledged.

Hunt received one trophy himself to mark his achievements in the sport (certainly as one of the stalwarts of Speedway’s third division over several years), with a second trophy inaugurated on the night and to be presented by the club every subsequent year: the Chris Hunt Achievement award.

Other key presentations on the night were to the managerial pairing of Sean Wilkinson and Steve Ribbons who worked hard all year, and to "Mr Sittingbourne Speedway" Graham Arnold, who as club chairman and track curator, holds the key to the immediate future of the AC Associates Crusaders as a Conference League side.

No decision has yet been made as to the club and the track’s role in 2006 season.

Club loyalist Shane Colvin received one of the biggest cheers of the night presenting a giant cheque for £100 to Arnold from the internet auction sale of his 2004 Crusaders’ race-jacket: £77 made up to the ton by Colvin’s sponsor, APT.

There was further financial good news from the event with the raffle and other fund-raising on the night paying the expenses incurred and leaving a balance to go back to the club.

The club plans to stage a special event of similar proportions in February to mark the 35th.anniversary of the Iwade club.

By then, the future of the AC Associates Crusaders as a League outfit will have long been decided.