After recording their first victory of 2026, Workington Comets enter Bandit country this weekend and have back-to-back meetings against Berwick in the Quarter-Finals of the MAXiCab Knockout Cup.
After a narrow defeat at Redcar Bears in their BSN Series opener a fortnight ago, the GT Tyres-sponsored Comets beat Scunthorpe Scorpions on Saturday 49-41 in the same competition.
That latest contest, on home shale in front of a healthy crowd at the GT Tyres Arena Northside, proved a stern test for a new-look Workington outfit who recorded vital 5-1 wins in heats 12 and 14 on their way to hard-earned victory with some excellent racing on show.
With reserve Vinnie Foord ruled out of action until June after fracturing his knee in the Redcar opener, the Comets will again call on a guest this weekend as they visit Berwick on Saturday evening (7pm) before entertaining the Bandits on Sunday afternoon (3pm) in the two-legged tie.
Dayle Wood will guest for Workington and is no stranger to their opponents having shown steady progression as reserve for the Shielfield Park men during 2025.
Aussie Wood, aged 31, is riding in the Championship this season for Oxford Cheetahs, and is in fine form having recorded a stunning 10+2 haul at home to Poole Pirates in a 51-39 BSN Series success last week.
After seeing their opening two meetings of 2026 postponed, Bandits opened their BSN (Scottish) Series campaign with defeat at Glasgow Tigers last Friday before a 49-41 success over the same opponents the following day.
New Berwick signing Reid Battye turned in a brilliant display in that return fixture, scoring 12+3 at reserve as the hosts turned the tables on their visitors having trailed at halfway stage of the meeting.
Nick Morris finished with 10+2 points. Fellow heat leaders Peter Kildemand — who started his UK speedway journey with the Comets in 2010 and 2011 — and new signing Victor Palovaara weighed in with 9+1 and eight, respectively.
At number two for the Bandits this weekend is a face familiar to the GT Tyres Comets faithful: Jye Etheridge — who scored 7+1 against Glasgow on Saturday — rode for Workington last season.
At number four for Berwick this weekend is the Norwegian, Lasse Fredriksen, with a Brit — Jack Smith — and Battye, the 24-year-old Aussie, filling the reserve slots.
Also in action this weekend, in the northern junior league, are Workington’s Alwell Glass Meteors.
The Meteors face Berwick Bullets away on Saturday and then host the same opponents after the senior team meeting at the GT Tyres Arena on Sunday.
Jack Shimelt, Laylen Richardson, George Climo and Junior Travers make up the Alwell Glass Meteors for their trip to Northumberland, with Anika Loftus — the 18-year-old sister of Edinburgh Monarch, Jordy Loftus — replacing Shimelt at number one for the West Cumbria return.
However, an injury to local youngster Junior Travers, sees NJL team boss Baz Collins bring in Callum Hague on Saturday and Lewis Hague for Sunday’s home fixture.
Anika rides for Edinburgh’s National Development League team as she makes her UK speedway debut this year.
Barry Collins once again steps into James Denham’s team manager role for the weekends KOC ties with Berwick.
He said: “It looks to be a cracking weekend of racing, with two fairly evenly matched teams, great weather forecast and everything set for two competitive meetings.
“Berwick have riders who go well around Northside in Peter Kildemand and Jye Etheridge, but likewise both Jonas Jeppesen and Craig Cook rode at Berwick last year so both legs could be close and come down to key moments.
“Last week at home we started off and finished excellent but Scunthorpe pushed us as we seemed to get caught off guard mid-meeting, but it was the first home fixture and once the lads got together in the pits they were all confident in the end with their setups.
“We need to start strong as we did last week, home and away, if we want to progress to the semi’s and try to extend or at least comfortably maintain a good lead.”
After both Comets meetings this weekend, Collins will then step into the NJL manager role for the Alwell Glass Meteors side:
He said: “It will be good for the young riders to get their first meeting this weekend, I know they are champing at the bit to get going.
“We won the NJL title in 2024 and hopefully we can do it again, young George Climo has started the season off really well winning a section of the first round of the British Youth Championship at Glasgow. He seems like he could be a talent at this early stage of his career.
“Unfortunately Junior Travers is injured so we have called on Callum and Lewis Hague to guest on Saturday and Sunday respectively, so a huge thanks to them for stepping in for us.”
