By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches retain club captain Danny King for the 2024 season.

King has been at Ipswich for the past eight seasons and next year will be his fifteenth at Foxhall, so it will come as no surprise that the skipper wanted to remain in Suffolk.

“I think it is pretty obvious I don’t want to be anywhere else,” said King. “Ipswich is my club and my home club and although I am not from Ipswich, I look at it as home. They have been so good to me, and they brought me up, they raised me as a rider, and I feel like I owe everything to them, and I am over the moon to be back.”

The skipper improved his average in the top-flight of British Speedway in 2023 and was pleased to find his form after some machinery changes midway through the campaign.

“I think looking back I had a good season. At times I felt frustrated, and I felt I should be doing a bit more but when all is said and done, I put my average up in both leagues, so it has been a successful year, it is just a shame how it finished.

“I was quite happy with my engines at the end of last year and I made some changes to the bike in the off-season and mid-season I changed back to the bikes I normally use and that was is, I was back sailing again. It was one of those things, but I was pleased to get my form back to where it should be.”

The 37-year-old fulfilled his dream of lifting a title with Ipswich with the club winning the Knockout Cup last season.

“It was unbelievable, it really was. I have waited a long time to do that, and I actually felt quite nervous going up those steps to collect the trophy. It is hard to build yourself up to how you are going to feel, and it was such a strange feeling, but it was a mixture of excitement and nervousness, but I got caught in the moment. I was so excited, and the boys were so happy, I am proud of everyone and the reception we got from the crowd was unreal. It was an honour to stand on that podium and lift that trophy in front of them all.”

The 2016 British champion says that defeat in the Sports Insure Premiership play-off final still hurts but has made him more determined to win the league title in 2024.

“It almost feels like the one that got away, and it is still hard to take now. I really feel we should have been able to maintain that lead, but it is what it is and that is the sport and unfortunately, we were not good enough on the day. We want to retain the Knockout Cup but even more so, we want that league title and that is what we will be going for again.”

King suffered a hand injury in the final meeting of the year after a heavy fall but whilst that is healing the preparation doesn’t stop for next year.

“The left hand isn’t 100% yet, it is a niggling injury it seems but there is nothing broken. There is some sort of damage there so I am getting it checked out and getting some physio and hopefully in the next month or so it will be back to 100%. Other than that, it will be spending time with family and some light training this side of Christmas to keep active and getting the bike stripped and parts ordered to rebuild in the new year.”