Parr: Let’s keep the ball rolling!
REDCAR boss Gavin Parr has urged his side to “keep the ball rolling” as Redcar travel west to take on a revitalised Workington at the GT Tyres Arena. The Cab Direct Championship clash will get underway at 6pm with the Bears searching for vital league points.
Parr, who managed the Bears to a convincing 36-54 BSN Series success at Workington earlier in the campaign, knows his side will be in for a much tougher test today.
Parr said, ” We just need to keep the ball rolling but the Comets will be a tough proposition. Workington are in good form but we have a good couple of guests and we will be going there to get the two league points.”
The enthusiastic Bears supremo believes riders building confidence is partly the reason the Comets have had such a resurgence with today’s hosts recording big home wins over Poole and Scunthorpe whilst also picking up the aggregate bonus point over the Pirates.
Parr said, “Tate (Zischke) has guested for us and he is getting his confidence back after his crash in 2024, and Fraser Bowes is now adapting to the UK tracks and he has clicked. When a couple of riders start winning races, it breeds confidence across the side and I’m really happy for them. Apart from today, I want them to succeed as they are a great bunch.”
Parr was also quick to lavish praise on Ace Pijper who struck a vital paid 10 in last night’s win over Poole.
Parr said, “Ace (Pijper) has been superb recently, we are building his confidence bit by bit and he was a major reason why we beat Poole. I don’t know what happened with Ace at Glasgow but we have had to build his confidence bit by bit, a little like a Lego set but he had confidence in himself last night and as each week passes, the bad meetings become less and less.”
2025 has seen the Bears push teams on the road, but with the side yet to win on away shale, the Bears boss is keen to change that. Parr said, ” There’s no reason why this team can’t win meetings away from home, we don’t want to rely on taking bonus points at home as the ECCO Arena is such a fair track so we want to win meetings away from Redcar.”
Redcar have brought in Edinburgh’s Paco Castagna and Jonatan Grahn to cover for Riss and Mulford with Castagna hitting 11 at Northside in 2024 whilst Grahn has struck paid 21 from two meetings in Cumbria this season.
The hosts have been boosted by the news that both Tate Zischke and Vinnie Foord have declared themselves fit. Zischke suffered a foot injury in Poland whilst Foord is set to ride despite having a hole in his tongue after a nasty spill at Poole on Wednesday.
Any fans who are unable to make the trip to the GT Tyres Arena are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed at https://www.workingtoncomets.tv/
Workington Comets
1. Troy Batchelor (C) 7.92
2. Fraser Bowes 5.76
3. Tate Zischke 6.41
4. Jye Etheridge -5.01
5. Antti Vuolas 6.68
6. Jacob Hook 4.38
7. Vinnie Foord 3.71
™: James Denham
1. Charles Wright (C) 8.96
2. Jonatan Grahn (G) 4.47
3. Jason Edwards 6.55
4. Paco Castagna (G) 7.12
5. Danny King 8.27
6. Jody Scott 2.00
7. Ace Pijper 3.05
™: Gavin Parr