The ‘Tru7.com’ Witches have announced their 2017 line-up for the SGB Championship campaign. Three of the 2016 team return for the new season with four new faces joining them.
2016 British champion Danny King will lead the side and he is joined by popular duo Nico Covatti and Danyon Hume. Two familiar faces will be back at Foxhall in the New Year as asset Cameron Heeps returns and he is joined by Connor Mountain who impressed the management during guest appearances last season before injury. There are two fresh faces joining the ranks as Rory Schlein and Kyle Newman have signed up as Witches. The Australian last rode for the Suffolk side back in 2008 whilst Poole asset Newman makes his bow in Witches kevlars.
Skipper King has become a Witches stalwart representing the club across eight seasons during his career and enjoyed the season of his life in 2016. The 30-year-old won the British title, a silver medal at the World Cup and also appeared at the Cardiff Grand Prix.
Covatti has fast become a favourite at Foxhall thanks to his old fashioned leg trailing style and stunning swoops around the outside. The Argentinean embarks on his third consecutive season with the club after taking a break from the Argentine Championship in his homeland this winter.
Hume enjoyed a successful 2016 and progressed faster than most anticipated. Signed as a club asset by Chris Louis at the start of the season, the plan was to see the youngster progress in the National League. However, with problems at reserve for the Witches, Hume’s fantastic form gave him his Premier League opportunity which he grasped with both hands to become a permanent member of the side.
Heeps is a familiar face at Foxhall and is another club asset. The Australian first represented the Witches back in 2012 and was a regular until the start of the 2016. The 21-year-old spent the previous season at Rye House but is back at Foxhall in 2017.
Mountain will make his Championship bow this season after impressing as a guest for the Witches last season before injury cut his season short. The 19-year-old has been a regular at National League level with Mildenhall catching the eye of many before a broken back cruelly ended his season. The King’s Lynn born rider is expected to be fully fit come the new season.
Schlein is somewhat of a marquee signing at Championship level. The Australian has been a regular heat leader at Elite League level with several clubs and has represented his country at the World Cup. The 32-year-old has suffered some nasty injuries over the past few seasons and has decided to double up in 2017 as he looks to race more meetings.
Newman is well known to most British speedway fans for his fantastic form as an Elite League draft rider for Poole over the past few seasons. The 24-year-old has undoubtedly been an English rider to benefit from the system and has established himself at the top level of the British racing pyramid, even taking the scalp of Tai Woffinden last season. Newman has also been a regular at Plymouth in the Premier League but now faces a new challenge in Suffolk.
Season tickets will be available to buy online very soon, we’ll advertise details in the coming days.
2017 Ipswich Witches:
Danny King
Nico Covatti
Rory Schlein
Kyle Newman
Cameron Heeps
Connor Mountain
Danyon Hume