Speedway is back
Last updated 19:40, Thursday, 20 March 2008
FAST and furious speedway powers back into action in Workington this weekend with the start of the 2008 season.
And Comets have a new owner, new riders and a new-look track all ready to ignite a rip-roaring Premier League programme.
Comets take on Berwick at Shielfield tomorrow and then entertain them at Derwent Park on Monday (7pm).
The meetings are the opening salvos in the Premier Trophy competition in which, this month, Comets also race at Edinburgh next Friday, at home to Edinburgh the next day and at Glasgow the day after that.
Berwick may have been written-off before they turned a wheel but Comets expect no favours in their opening match tomorrow.
The Bandits have already ridden in four matches ahead of the Shielfield clash while the Comets are going into it cold after just one practice session.
Although Berwick have won only one of the four matches, they have scored over 40 points in each of them and have been competitive throughout.
At Glasgow on Sunday they almost pulled off a second away win. The Tigers trailed by six points with three heats to go, but turned it around for a 47-43 win, thanks in no small part to a stunning 5-1 from Australian youngsters Mitchell Davey and Josh Grajczonek in heat 14.
But it’s the Shielfield factor which the Comets are hoping to exploit and administer the Bandits’ third straight home defeat.
Skipper Kauko Nieminen says: “They have lost both their home meetings so we have got to go there and be positive. We haven’t a match under our belts but I think we will all soon be back in the groove.
“We have only just got together as a team but I think there is already a good spirit, which there has to be in any successful side.”
The Bandits also have injury problems and promoter Peter Waite still has to finalise his line-up.
He has been spitting blood at not being allowed a facility after new signing Manuel Hauzinger suffered a broken collarbone before actually making his debut for the club.
Workington have no such problems over team selection and the seven who practises at Derwent Park on Tuesday will line-up at Shielfield.
There will be Comets debuts for new number one Daniel Nermark and his race partner Scott Smith, while teenager Joe Haines who guested for Workington last season, is now a signed rider.
Team manager Ian Thomas said: “I’m happy with the way the guys performed at practice. We appear to have a very professional septet and like them I can’t wait to see them get into track action.
“It might be a bit of a disadvantage to us going to Berwick without a match, to take on a side with four meetings behind them, but I think we will soon have our racing heads on.”
The re-vamped Derwent Park raceway was given the seal of approval by the 2008 Comets team at Tuesday’s practice session.
All seven riders went round the up-graded track at the club’s press and practice session and expressed their support for the new circuit.
There’s a general belief that Simon Stead’s track record of 63.2, established in September 2006, could be under threat early in the season.
New owner Keith Denham said: “I would have liked another three weeks to get everything completed but the work put in since Bonfire Night has been phenomenal and I think the riders appreciated the quality of the circuit.
“We are in for some exciting racing this season and from what I saw at practice I think we have a team capable of providing plenty of entertainment.
“It would be nice to say that we will win something this season but the main aim will be to provide some entertaining speedway and we’ll see what happens from there.”
Carl Stonehewer, who was captain of the Comets at the re-launch season in 1999, thinks the new track is superb.
He said: “The work carried out on the track has been incredible and I’m looking forward to racing on it this year,” he said.
The new number one is Daniel Nermark, who has joined the Comets from King’s Lynn and the Swede said the track “was better than I remember it from last time.”
Workington captain Kauko Nieminen described it as “awesome” and the Finn looked particularly impressive at the practice.
There were a couple of minor spills for Charles Wright, caused by mechanical problems, while new second string Scott Smith had an expensive time of it as he blew an engine.
The Comets line-up for 2008 is: 1, Daniel Nermark; 2, Scott Smith; 3, Carl Stonehewer; 4, Charles Wright; 5, Kauko Nieminen; 6, Joe Haines; 7, John Branney.
Watching the practice with mixed emotions was Craig Branney, replaced by Smith after breaking his leg in a pile-up at the Telford ice spectacular.
Branney said: “I’m not a good spectator but I suppose I’m going to have to get used to it for a while.”
