A former Workington Comet is the 2023 Championship League Riders’ champion after a thrilling final at Redcar’s ECCO Arena.
The Redcar skipper Charles Wright came out on top in a three-way battle with Glasgow’s Chris Harris and Ben Cook of Poole, with Cook having led the scorers heading into the closing stages.
Another Bears rider Danny King was fourth in a meeting which provided some excellent racing after superb work by the track staff to get the event on following afternoon rain.
Wright said: “It feels brilliant, especially on my home track as well, and with the weather we had before we didn’t even think we’d get this meeting on.
“I battled through, I had a slow start but I got in the semi, got through that, and I had the worst gate in the Final but I made a cracking first corner and my home track knowledge came through.
“It’s one I’ve never won before, and it’s a great feeling.”
Wright, 34, was always in the shadow of elder brother James when they rode at Derwent Park for Workington but his career has blossomed in later years capped by winning the British final in 2019.
Apart from 2010, he rode for the Comets between 2007 and 2011 and for the last four seasons has ridden in the top flight with Belle Vue Aces.
Another ex-Comet Richard Lawson got to the last chance qualifier after scoring nine points in the heats but crashed out.
Craig Cook, the third ex-Workington rider in the line-up, had a disappointing meeting and only had two rides because of mechanical problems.
However two of the current Workington riders Luke Harrison and Sam McGurk were track reserves and each had two outings but did not manage a point.
