Roles will be reversed this weekend as Workington Comets again face Scunthorpe Scorpions and Redcar Bears in a BSN Series (Northern) double header.
Last Friday, the GT Tyres Comets belatedly kicked off their competitive campaign with trip along the A66 to face Redcar.
The hosts claimed a 51-39 victory at the ECCO Arena — making it two BSN Series wins on the trot — despite both reserves, Tom Spencer and Ace Pijper, being withdrawn from the meeting with injuries after a heat two incident.
However, the Comets then opened their 2025 account with a thrilling victory over the Scorpions at a sun-kissed GT Tyres Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Inspired by top-scorer Antti Vuolas, who bagged 11 points and led home the hosts in a 4-2 heat 15 triumph — skipper Troy Batchelor claiming third place — the GT Tyres Comets claimed a morale-boosting 47-43 triumph.
Saturday’s epic encounter, in front of the BSN cameras, saw some of the best action at Northside. That included a dramatic heat five conclusion as Antipodean home duo Fraser Bowes and Tate Zischke were edged out on the line by Scunthorpe’s Declan Kennedy — who scored 10 points on the day — in a treble photo finish.
Scunthorpe will be aiming to exact revenge in a BSN Series return today, Friday May 9, (7.30pm start) when they welcome Comets to the Eddie Wright Raceway, where Zischke and Vuolas were on action last month during the Championship League Riders’ Championship.
Vuolas scored eight points on that occasion, narrowly missing out on a semi-final berth.
A familiar face in the Scorpions line-up this week is teenager Luke Harrison, a member of the Comets’ National Development League squad during their 2023 return to action.
Harrison missed Saturday’s meeting as he was in action, with compatriot Ashton Boughen, at the FIM European Under-19 qualifier in Zarnovica, Slovakia.
Harrison finished 10th on six points but was left frustrated when, while going well in his second heat, he pulled up with a mechanical fault on the final bend as he was set to secure a second place.
Scunthorpe will also be motivated on the back of three defeats in their opening four matches of 2025, their one success to date coming at home to Redcar, 46-44, in the BSN Series last month.
- SCUNTHORPE: Steve Worrall, Luke Harrison, Simon Lambert, Connor Mountain, Jake Allen, Declan Kennedy, Zaine Kennedy.
- WORKINGTON: Troy Batchelor, Jye Etheridge, Tate Zischke, Fraser Bowes, Antti Vuolas, Jacob Hook, Vinnie Foord.
And the Bears will be well backed by their loyal band of travelling supporters when they travel west to Northside tomorrow, Saturday May 10 (3pm).
Erik Riss returns to the visitors’ line-up after pitting his skills against the world’s best riders on Saturday night in Landshut, Germany, as the Speedway GP season got under way.
Riss has already tasted success on Workington shale this year, partnering former a Comet, Charles Wright, to Championship League Pairs success last month.
Spencer and Pijper have been named in the Bears’ line-up for tomorrow’s meeting despite their withdrawals last Friday. The pair also sat out Redcar’s 47-43 reverse at Berwick Bandits on Saturday in the MAXiCab Knockout Cup quarter-final first leg.
Comets manager James Denham returns to take charge of the side and ahead of this weekend’s clashes.
He said: “This weekend will be crucial if we want to progress in the BSN Series, the boys haven’t had as much track time as they probably would of liked but we finally got underway last weekend”
“Winning the aggregate points in all these ties will no doubt be crucial on who qualifies for the semis, and that will be our target.
“Ideally we probably would of liked a little more of a lead heading to Scunthorpe on Friday but for our first meeting at home it was just great to get an opening win on the board and I’m in no doubt the boys are capable of taking it to Scunthorpe.
“Tomorrow once again should be a tasty meeting, if last week is anything to go by we should be in for a real treat.
“Redcar are really strong this year and they proved that last week against – but some of our lads like Tate and Fraser have been riding in Poland this week, so that’s more valuable track time they needed going into these meetings.”
“We all know Erik Riss loves it here and he will undoubtedly be there biggest threat, but the key for us will with our reserves Vinnie and Jacob. Vinnie was fantastic last week and if he carries on with that form it makes the job a whole lot easier.”
