Workington Comets
Encyclopedia
Workington Comets is a speedway
club based in Workington
, Cumbria
. Their track is at Derwent Park Stadium
, which they share with Workington Town
Rugby League
Football Club.
They compete in the Premier League
. The most notable rider is Carl Stonehewer
(Stoney), who also holds the records for the Comets most appearances and remains the only Premier League
rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix
.
The Comets have won the Premier League Four-Team Championship
four times, in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008. The club also won the Young Shield in 2008. The Derwent Park track record is 62.0 seconds, set by Jason Lyons on 3 July 2010
Adam Roynan (Injured)
Luke Priest (Released)
Charles Wright (Out For 28 Or More Days)
businessman Keith Denham. Some of the rider assets have not been purchased and have been transferred to the Birmingham Brummies
retained list. Riders who were not included in the sale were James Wright
, Rusty Harrison
, Mattia Carpanese
, Lee Derbyshire, Charlie Venegas
, Charlie Ermolenko and James Mann, the latter six riders having all retired from British speedway at that time.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
club based in Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. Their track is at Derwent Park Stadium
Derwent Park
Derwent Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Workington, England situated beside the Cumbrian River Derwent. It is used mostly for rugby league matches and is the home stadium of Workington Town who play in Championship 1, the third tier domestic competition in the United Kingdom...
, which they share with Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
Football Club.
They compete in the Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
. The most notable rider is Carl Stonehewer
Carl Stonehewer
Carl Bryan 'Stoney' Stonehewer is a former motorcycle speedway rider.-Speedway Grand Prix:* The first UK Premier League rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix.**Grand Prix Series Rider 2000, 2001, 2002...
(Stoney), who also holds the records for the Comets most appearances and remains the only Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix
Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...
.
The Comets have won the Premier League Four-Team Championship
Speedway Premier League Four-Team Championship
The Premier League Four-Team Championship is a contest between teams competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. Eight teams are grouped into fours, with one rider from each team in each race...
four times, in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008. The club also won the Young Shield in 2008. The Derwent Park track record is 62.0 seconds, set by Jason Lyons on 3 July 2010
2009 Team
Also Rode:Adam Roynan (Injured)
Luke Priest (Released)
Charles Wright (Out For 28 Or More Days)
Change of Ownership Following 2007 Season
At the end of the 2007 season, the club was sold by founding promoter Tony Mole to local WorkingtonWorkington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
businessman Keith Denham. Some of the rider assets have not been purchased and have been transferred to the Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies
Birmingham Brummies are a British speedway team, who were reformed in 2006 and then accepted into the Premier League in 2007. The club race at Perry Barr Stadium ....
retained list. Riders who were not included in the sale were James Wright
James Wright (speedway rider)
James Wright , is a speedway rider in the United Kingdom, riding with the Belle Vue Aces in the Elite League. James is also a squad member for Unia Tarnow in Liga I in Poland along with his Belle Vue Aces team mates Steve Boxall and Patrick Hougaard.His Grandfather, Jim Yacoby rode for the Belle...
, Rusty Harrison
Rusty Harrison
Russell Wade "Rusty" Harrison is a speedway rider who rides for the Workington Comets in the British Premier League.-Career summary:...
, Mattia Carpanese
Mattia Carpanese
Mattia Carpanese born is a speedway rider who, in 2007, rode in the UK for the Workington Comets who compete in the Premier League, and for the Birmingham Brummies in 2008....
, Lee Derbyshire, Charlie Venegas
Charlie Venegas
Charlie Venegas is a professional speedway rider in the USA. He represented the USA in the 2007 Speedway World Cup....
, Charlie Ermolenko and James Mann, the latter six riders having all retired from British speedway at that time.
Premier League Pairs Championship
- 1999 Carl StonehewerCarl StonehewerCarl Bryan 'Stoney' Stonehewer is a former motorcycle speedway rider.-Speedway Grand Prix:* The first UK Premier League rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix.**Grand Prix Series Rider 2000, 2001, 2002...
with Brent WernerBrent WernerBrent Werner is an American motorcycle speedway rider who was a member of United States team at Speedway World Cups.He has signed to ride for Plymouth Devils in the 2012 Premier League season.- Career details :... - 2000 Carl StonehewerCarl StonehewerCarl Bryan 'Stoney' Stonehewer is a former motorcycle speedway rider.-Speedway Grand Prix:* The first UK Premier League rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix.**Grand Prix Series Rider 2000, 2001, 2002...
with Mick Powell - 2001 Carl StonehewerCarl StonehewerCarl Bryan 'Stoney' Stonehewer is a former motorcycle speedway rider.-Speedway Grand Prix:* The first UK Premier League rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix.**Grand Prix Series Rider 2000, 2001, 2002...
with Peter I. Karlsson - 2003 Carl StonehewerCarl StonehewerCarl Bryan 'Stoney' Stonehewer is a former motorcycle speedway rider.-Speedway Grand Prix:* The first UK Premier League rider to qualify for the Speedway Grand Prix.**Grand Prix Series Rider 2000, 2001, 2002...
with Simon SteadSimon SteadSimon Stead is an international Speedway rider. Simon currently rides for the Swindon Robins in the British Elite League, Masarna in the Swedish League and for Intar Ostrów in the Polish League.-Career Summary:... - 2008 Kauko NieminenKauko NieminenKauko Armas Nieminen is a Finnish self-taught physicist. His work is pseudoscience.Although Nieminen is most known for his works in physics, he does not have any academic training or degree in physics, but is entirely self-taught...
with Daniel NermarkDaniel NermarkDaniel Nermark is a Swedish international motorcycle speedway rider.-Career summary:Nermark first rode in the UK in 2001 when he signed for the Wolverhampton Wolves. In his second season Wolves won the Elite League. In 2005 dropped down to the Premier League with the Edinburgh Monarchs and has...