The new Workington GT Tyres Comets captain and number one will be Troy Batchelor, as he returns to Northside in 2025.
Batchelor, 37, will rejoin his 2024 team-mates Tate Zischke and Antti Vuolas next season as well as linkup with Vinnie Foord, Jye Etheridge and Fraser Bowes to take over the role as club captain next season.
Before the start of last season question marks very much raised on the Comets side but Troy, despite those criticisms probably turned out to be one of the signings of the season in the Championship.
His remarkable consistency throughout the season home and away undoubtedly was the key factor in the Comets reaching the playoffs. That consistency saw Troy increase his starting average by nearly 1.5 come the end of the season and also saw him win 2024 Rider of the Year voted by our fans.
Two notable performances may come to mind from last season, with the first being at Redcar when the Comets were down on man-power – Troy reeled off an 18 point score which over the two legs home & away meant Redcar weren’t able to clinch the aggregate bonus point and make the play-offs.
Then there was Berwick when the Comets were in a one-on-one battle with Glasgow for the last remaining play-off spot, Batchelor reeled off a unbelievable 14+1 paid maximum which put one foot in the door to reach the play-offs.
The Workington Speedway promotion therefore thought it was a no-brainer to bring Troy back for 2025.
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Promoter Andrew Bain said:
“I think all our fans will be delighted with this news. Batch was unbelievable for us last season – it was his performances, consistency and constant presence in the team that secured us the playoffs. So with that it was an obvious decision to bring him back – he loves it here!”
“It was an easy decision for Troy we think as well. Despite the long drive he says it’s worth it when you get to ride a track like Northside every week. He is probably one of the most intelligent riders I’ve seen ride Northside, he seems to be one lap ahead of everyone else. Sometimes he might not be the quickest rider on track – but he is definitely the smartest.”
“But what people don’t see with Troy is that he is fantastic in the pits as well, last season obviously Tate and Antti were figuring things out in the UK but Batch was great with them and all the riders to be honest – so again it was no-brainer to make him the captain next season.”
New skipper, Troy returns to Northside in 2025 with a starting average of 8.46.
Words and Image by Workington Speedway
