The countdown is on for speedway’s Championship Big Weekend next month.
Action gets underway at Workington’s GT Tyres Arena on Saturday April 5 from 3pm as the Comets host the Championship Pairs.
Twenty-four hours later the focus switches to the Eddie Wright Raceway at Scunthorpe for the Championship League Riders’ Championship.
All clubs have declared their combinations for the pairs, which sees Redcar defending the title they clinched in dramatic circumstances over Oxford at Cowley last year.
Hosts Workington are represented by new captain Troy Batchelor and Tate Zischke, who is back from the injuries which ended his season last summer.
Bears skipper Charles Wright is back for the Teesside outfit, who are chasing a third Pairs crown in four years, and this time he will be joined by returning German star Erik Riss.
Newly installed Oxford skipper Sam Masters also has a new partner in 2025 as Jordan Jenkins joins him for the Cheetahs.
Glasgow were Pairs champions in 2024 and skipper Chris Harris will once again lead the Tigers, this time alongside new signing Kyle Howarth.
Former Comets No1 Craig Cook lines up alongside Peter Kildemand with both riders joining Berwick over the winter, while Nicolai Klindt (Plymouth), Lewis Kerr (Poole) and Steve Worrall (Scunthorpe) all make their first appearances of 2025 for their new clubs.
Justin Sedgmen is back from injury for Edinburgh, and he partners captain Paco Castagna.
Championship Pairs line-up
Not in draw order:
- BERWICK: Peter Kildemand, Craig Cook
- EDINBURGH: Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna
- GLASGOW: Chris Harris, Kyle Howarth
- OXFORD: Sam Masters, Jordan Jenkins
- PLYMOUTH: Nicolai Klindt, Ben Barker
- POOLE: Lewis Kerr, Zach Cook
- REDCAR: Charles Wright, Erik Riss
- SCUNTHORPE: Steve Worrall, Simon Lambert
- WORKINGTON: Troy Batchelor, Tate Zischke
Meanwhile, four previous winners are named in the line-up for the Championship League Riders’ Championship at Scunthorpe – with two riders going for a third victory overall.
Oxford’s Sam Masters was victorious in 2011 and 2022, representing Somerset and Edinburgh respectively, whilst new Berwick signing Craig Cook won the meeting in 2012 and 2018 in the colours of Edinburgh and then Glasgow.
Also included in the field are 2019 winner Erik Riss, who is back with Redcar this season, along with his Bears team-mate Charles Wright who was victorious in 2023.
Chris Harris (Glasgow), Danny King (Redcar) and Poole duo Richard Lawson and Lewis Kerr have all been rostrum finishers in recent seasons and will be looking to take the top step at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
Hosts Scunthorpe have two representatives with Steve Worrall and Jake Allen taking their place along with Scorpions racer from last year Kyle Howarth, who has joined Glasgow.
CLRC DRAW: 1 Craig Cook (Berwick), 2 Jake Allen (Scunthorpe), 3 Justin Sedgmen (Edinburgh), 4 Ben Barker (Plymouth), 5 Sam Masters (Oxford), 6 Kyle Howarth (Glasgow) 7 Danny King (Redcar), 8 Steve Worrall (Scunthorpe), 9 Troy Batchelor (Workington), 10 Richard Lawson (Poole), 11 Dan Thompson (Glasgow), 12 Erik Riss (Redcar) 13 Lewis Kerr (Poole), 14 Chris Harris (Glasgow), 15 Charles Wright (Redcar), 16 Peter Kildemand (Berwick).
