Workington’s Tate Zischke targets positive season start

Workington Comets favourite Tate Zischke is targeting a positive start to the season – starting in today’s Championship Pairs on his home track.

Zischke was a huge success in his debut UK campaign last year until serious injury in early July brought his campaign to a sudden halt.

Back in Cumbria this season, the young Australian will team up with skipper Troy Batchelor in today’s showpiece event as the Comets bid for a seventh triumph overall.

Zischke said: “I’m just looking into the future and yes, my body and everything is feeling 100 per cent back to normal.

“I just want to get back into it, I was sort of on a high when I crashed last year and hopefully pick up where I left off.

“But yes, I’m just looking forward to it and hopefully we can start the season well and just get better as the season gets on also.”

The event will see top riders from across the league battling for glory.

All nine Cab Direct Championship clubs compete in the Pairs, and as in recent years there will be no group stage as all teams race four times in an 18-heat schedule.

The top four Pairs, on the 4-3-2-0 scoring system, qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of those races then meeting in the final.

This highly anticipated curtain-raiser promises a fierce contest, as each club has now declared its duo for the competition.

Redcar, the defending champions, once again feature Charles Wright, this time alongside returning German ace Erik Riss, as they look to secure a third Pairs title in four seasons.

Glasgow, winners of the event in 2023, will rely on the experienced talisman Chris Harris and new signing Kyle Howarth as they bid to reclaim the title, while least season’s runners up, Oxford, bring in newly appointed captain Sam Masters alongside promising British young gun Jordan Jenkins.

A late change for Berwick sees their skipper Danyon Hume replace Craig Cook in the line-up alongside Drew Kemp, who steps in for Peter Kildemand, sidelined with concussion.

Meanwhile, Saturday also marks the first appearances of 2025 for Nicolai Klindt (Plymouth), Lewis Kerr (Poole), and Steve Worrall (Scunthorpe), Kyle Howarth (Glasgow) for their respective new clubs.

Workington speedway promoter Andrew Bain said: “It’s the biggest event we’ve held since we’ve come back in the last three years, we’re all looking forward to it and I’m sure there’s going to be some really exciting racing.

“It’s going to be a big one and the weather looks good so hopefully we’ll get plenty of fans coming.

“There are a lot of riders coming back who rode really well here last year, and I think it’s going to be very interesting.

“There’s a lot of history with the Pairs around Workington and it’s really good to get it back here.”

Line-up

A: PLYMOUTH: Nicolai Klindt & Ben Barker
B: WORKINGTON: Troy Batchelor & Tate Zischke
C: BERWICK: Drew Kemp & Danyon Hume
D: GLASGOW: Chris Harris & Kyle Howarth
E: OXFORD: Sam Masters & Jordan Jenkins
F: SCUNTHORPE: Steve Worrall & Simon Lambert
G: REDCAR: Charles Wright & Erik Riss
H: POOLE: Lewis Kerr & Zach Cook
I: EDINBURGH: Justin Sedgmen & Paco Castagna