Workington Comets are back to full strength as they aim to boat their points tally this weekend.
Comets visit Glasgow Tigers tonight, before hosting Oxford Cheetahs on home shale this Saturday at 6pm.
After testing Cab Direct Championship trips to Scunthorpe Scorpions and Plymouth Gladiators last weekend, the Comets are on their travels for a third meeting on the trot when they visit Glasgow’s acclaimed Ashfield track.
James Denham’s side are searching for a first league win in five.
They were defeated — but gained a bonus point — at Scunthorpe before losing to Plymouth, having previously been defeated narrowly away to Poole Pirates and then at home to Redcar Bears.
But Denham’s men are continuing to show promise.
Jye Etheridge returns to the team this weekend after crashing heavily at Scunthorpe and sitting out the long journey to Plymouth.
Fraser Bowes is also back in action having missed out on the meeting in Devon due to commitments on the continent for his Polish club.
Antti Vuolas and Tate Zischke swap heat leader berths and will ride at three and five, respectively, for Comets’ trip to Glasgow Tigers.
Tigers currently sit second in the league table and are hot on the heels of leaders and reigning champions Poole, who are five points clear at the summit but have played three more matches.
Popular former British GP winner Chris Harris, who excelled for Comets and scored 12 points when guesting at Northside last year against Redcar Bears, captains the Glasgow side.
SGP2 rider Dan Thompson — who also guested impressively for Comets last year — and ex-Workington rider Kyle Howarth fill the other heat leader slots. Leon Flint — another former Comets guest — is at number four, while Freddy Hodder and Max Perry are the hosts’ reserves.
Poole’s Tobias Thomson guests for Glasgow in place of Villads Nagel, who crashed while riding in Sweden earlier this week.
Zischke and Vuolas will revert to their usual three and five heat leader spot for the visit of Oxford to the GT Tyres Arena.
Hugely experienced Aussie rider Sam Masters, who recently helped his ROWE Motor Oil Premiership side Leicester Lions win the top flight Knockout Cup, skippers the Cheetahs.
The visitors are set to use rider replacement if number two Jordan Jenkins fails a fitness test,a nd will employ a guest at three with Francis Gusts in SGP qualifying action in Denmark.
Teenager Mitch McDiarmid is at four with fellow Aussie Cameron Heeps, at five. Luke Killeen and Jonas Knudsen are their reserves.
Oxford — fifth in the current standings — are also targeting a return to form having lost three of their last four Championship meetings.
They were last in action on Wednesday when they were beaten at home, 41-49, by Redcar Bears.
On that evening, Masters bagged a colossal haul of 19+1 points for the hosts, while Glasgow’s Flint — guesting for Redcar — was their joint top scorer on the night with 11+1.
Comets team boss James Denham said: “We’re heading into this week-end full of belief. Yes, results haven’t gone our way recently, but we’ve never gave in any meeting and Plymouth was tough as we had a few changes in the team – but with Jye, Vinnie and Fraser back in the side, we’re at full strength and ready to take it to two very strong teams.
“We know what Glasgow bring to the table — they’re chasing the top spot for a reason — but we’re not going there to make up the numbers.
“ We’ve got riders who can win races anywhere, and we’re going into both fixtures with confidence and plenty of fight.
“Back at home tomorrow, we’ll be looking to take control from heat one. Oxford are a dangerous side, but we’re more than capable of putting them under pressure across the board.
“We’ve got the firepower, and we’ve got the strength, now it’s time to turn performances into points. We’re targeting two big results this weekend — and I believe we can get them.”
