Workington Speedway have complete their 2026 line-up with talented British teenager Jamie Etherington.
The 16-year-old from Kent rode in the NDL and NDT last season for the Scunthorpe/Sheffield Steelers and Kent respectively, and truly came of age in British Speedway.
One of the standout performances of the 2025 season was his outstanding 20+1 paid maximum for the Steelers against Oxford. Even more impressive was the young Brit doubling his starting NDL average.
Etherington finished runner-up to Will Cairns in the 2024 British Youth Championships.
He will also line up for the returning Buxton side this season in the NDL, ensuring he gets plenty of valuable track time throughout the season.
Promoter Andrew Bain insists there is no pressure on the young Brit to deliver match-winning performances in his debut Championship season.
He said: “Jamie is a really exciting talent and we are delighted to welcome him to Workington this season. He will be part of an exciting and very experienced team.
“We have built the team with three of the best heat leaders and two solid second strings in Niklas and Tate.
“I’ve made it clear to him there is no pressure to deliver match-winning performances, but we feel he certainly has the capability to score valuable points from reserve alongside Vinnie.
“Being in a team with Craig, Troy and Jonas — who have been there and done it at the highest level — I believe both we and Jamie will reap the rewards from that.”
Speaking about the completed 2026 side, Bain believes his new-look team has the balance of experience, youth and strength needed to compete for success:
“Overall, we are thrilled with the team we’ve assembled. We had to make some tough decisions and many riders wanted to return this season, but for various reasons it wasn’t possible.
“Our strength-in-depth approach last season didn’t work away from home and ultimately cost us a play-off place.
“This year, however, I believe we have the right balance of youth and experience that we’ve seen in trophy-winning teams of the past, and the fans can expect a really exciting season.”
Jamie completes the 2026 Comets on a starting average of 2.00.
2026 Workington Comets: Jonas Jeppesen – 8.20, Craig Cook – 7.99, Troy Batchelor – 7.10, Tate Zischke – 5.76, Niklas Holm Jakobsen – 5.00, Vinnie Foord – 3.68, Jamie Etherington – 2.00
