Workington Comets track photographer Dave Payne is spending a few weeks in Australia – following the speedway.
Dave plans to cover all the rounds of the Australian Championship which start on January 4 in North Brisbane and conclude in Adelaide on January 13.
He is particularly looking forward to seeing the Comets new signing Tate Zischke in action at the North Brisbane track where his mentor and former Speedway GP icon Darcy Ward is the promoter.
Dave met up with Tate for the first time at the recent centenary meeting and was very impressed.
He told Cumbria Crack: “I was very impressed with him, both as a rider and a person. He has good support round him, too, in family and sponsors.
“I spoke with his main sponsor Ivor Harm of BRTS who also sponsored another Australian who rode successfully in the UK and the Comets in 2014, Josh Grajczonek.
“I laughed when he said that Tate struggled to understand my accent – because he’s in for a shock when he arrives in west Cumbria if he struggled with mine.
“I am going to teach him a few Cumbrian phrases when I see him next week.”
That’s on Thursday at the Queensland venue for the opening round of the Championship, where Zischke will be taking part in his one and only round.
The action then switches to New South Wales circuit Kurri Kurri on January 7 while Victorian club Albury Wodonga is the venue for round three on January 9.
The iconic Mildura track returns to the calendar on January 11 after floods in the surrounding area forced the cancellation of the 2023 round there.
Adelaide circuit Gillman then provides the stage where the 2024 Australian champion will be crowned on January 13.
