Workington Comets are aiming to upset the odds as they prepare to complete their regular Cab Direct Championship campaign.
Ahead of a trip to Redcar Bears today, the Comets are still in with a chance — albeit a slim one — of making the end-of-season play-offs.
To book a spot in this prized four-team shootout, they must overturn a 12-point home meeting deficit at the Bears’ ECCO Arena and secure the bonus point on the same evening for an aggregate victory.
They must then also beat Berwick Bandits, home and away — again winning the aggregate point — as they aim to move into a fourth placed league table spot currently held by Edinburgh Monarchs.
They would then line up alongside Glasgow Tigers, Poole Pirates and Redcar in the play-offs.
Comets manager James Denham said: “We know we’re capable of great things on our day — as we’ve proved against both Glasgow and Poole this season — so we’ll give it our very best shot.”
Denham’s side travel to Redcar with a full strength team after both of last weekend’s matches, away and home to Berwick, were called off because of inclement weather.
By contrast the Bears, still fighting on all fronts having also booked their place in the semi-finals of both the BSN Series and MAXiCab Knockout Cup competitions, will use two guest riders.
Jake Allen, of Scunthorpe, steps in for Erik Riss — who remains sidelined with illness — and will look to put aside recent rivalry with Bears number one and skipper Charles Wright.
Allen and Wright made national headlines after coming to blows on the track during Redcar’s recent home meeting with Scunthorpe following a heat six chequered flag.
Captain and ex-Comet Wright, along with Riss, won the Championship pairs title for Redcar at Workington at the beginning of this season.
Also guesting for the Bears on Friday at reserve, in place of Jody Scott, is Sam Hagon, winner of the British under-21 title for the past two seasons.
Scott is in action at the European under-19 pairs this weekend.
Completing the Bears line-up on Friday are heat leaders Jason Edwards and Danny King; last year’s world under-23 long track champion Jake Mulford, at number two; and Ace Pijper, a member of Workington’s 2023 NDL team, occupying the other Redcar reserve spot at seven.
After heading back from Redcar along the A66, the Comets are next due to host Berwick Bandits on Sunday afternoon (3pm start) at the GT Tyres Arena Northside – their last home meeting of the regular 2025 season.
Denham will run rider replacement at number two in the absence of Fraser Bowes, who has commitments in Poland.
The Bandits will be led out at number one by skipper Drew Kemp, with Hagon at two.
Occupying their other heat leader slots, at three and five, respectively, are Jonas Jeppesen and popular former Workington rider Peter Kildemand, who rode at Derwent Park in 2010 and 2011.
At number four for the visitors is Nick Morris, who replaced a former Comet, Craig Cook, when returning to British speedway this summer.
Dayle Wood and Jack Smith are the reserves in a Berwick team managed by Stewart Dickson.
Denham added: “We know the challenge ahead of us is massive, but there’s still everything to ride for and the boys are fully focused on giving it their all.
“Redcar is the first hurdle — we’ve got to overturn a 12-point deficit and secure the bonus point, and while we know that won’t be easy against a strong side, even with guests in their line-up, we’ve already shown this season against the likes of Glasgow and Poole that we can compete with and beat the very best on our day and it’s a track the lads go well at.
“If we can get the job done there, it puts us in a strong position going into the two clashes with Berwick, starting with Sunday’s meeting at Northside.
“That’s our final home match of the regular season, and we want to give our supporters something to cheer about. They’ve backed us brilliantly all year, and the lads are determined to repay that support with a big performance.
“The play-offs are the prize at stake, and while it’s a tough ask, the opportunity is still alive for us and the lads will give it everything.”
The annual collection for the invaluable Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund will take place at the GT Tyres Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s last regular home meeting against Berwick will be streamed live on Comets TV at http://workingtoncomets.tv
