Workington Comets have signed the former Grand Prix rider, Elite League Riders Champion, and Australian international Troy Batchelor for the 2024 season.
The 36-year-old from Brisbane, Australia links up with fellow Australian and league newcomer Tate Zischke for the Comets’ return to the speedway Championship.
Batchelor, who started his UK career in 2005 with the Kings Lynn Stars, helped Kings Lynn to complete the Premier League treble in his second season in the UK in 2006.
In 2007 he stepped up the Elite League (now known as the Premiership) with the Poole Pirates. Since then he has picked-up numerous individual and team honours during his career – most notably in the UK becoming the Elite League Riders Champion in 2014.
In his first full-time appearance at GP level he finished in ninth place with 91 points scored. He claimed his first podium when he finished second in the Danish Grand Prix of 2014 in Copenhagen.
Troy comes with a wealth of experience from tracks in the UK and more recently has been riding for Ipswich, Oxford and Birmingham.
Workington Speedway promoter Andrew Bain tips Batchelor for a fantastic season with the Comets.
“Troy, along with our captain Craig Cook will bring a huge amount of experience to our team for 2024. I can only see Troy kicking onto the rider everyone knows he is capable of at Northside.
“We have three riders in the team so far who have yet to have any knowledge of the tracks in the UK so Troy’s experience in the team is our trump card. He and Craig will be able to pass on their knowledge and experience to the younger and newer members of the league.
“Troy has seen on social media the exciting things happening here at Workington and he is thrilled to be involved in our new era of speedway.”
Bachelor joins the GT Tyres Comets with an average of 7.16, which leaves 6.32 for the final rider to make up the 2024 septet.
