SCORECARD

LEICESTER 41: Max Fricke © 6+3, Luke Becker 12, Ryan Douglas 5, Kyle Howarth 5+2, Sam Masters 10+1, Drew Kemp 3, Sam Hagon (RS) 0. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH 49: Jason Doyle 9, Danny King © 6+2, Adam Ellis 5+1, Tom Brennan 8, Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Dan Thompson 5+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 5+3. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	4	9
Belle Vue	4	7
Sheffield	2	4
Leicester	3	2
King’s Lynn	4	2
Birmingham	2	0
Oxford	3	0

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches continued their sensational start to 2025 as they raced to another victory away at Leicester on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Both sides were at full strength for a repeat of last year’s play-off semi-final with the visitors boasting a 100% record going into the fixture. It was the away side who built an early six-point lead in the tie, but the hosts fought back to level things after 10 races. However, the Suffolk side hit back with three maximums of their own in the last five races to secure another win on the road to preserve their unbeaten start to the campaign. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11.

Jason Doyle and Danny King kicked proceedings off with a maximum in heat one and the points were shared in heat two as Drew Kemp won ahead of Dan Thompson and Jordan Jenkins rounded Sam Hagon for a point. Tom Brennan took the chequered flag in heat three, but it ended in a 3-3 after Adam Ellis crashed on the final turn whilst in third as he tried to go round Ryan Douglas for second, having worked hard to get the better of Kyle Howarth at the back. The Witches did get a heat advantage in heat four as Sayfutdinov picked up three points with Jenkins third to make it 9-15 after the early exchanges.

Doyle was the winner of a shared heat five as he squeezed past Douglas on the back straight of the opening lap. The Lions hit a 5-1 in heat six to put themselves just two points behind which was followed up with a 3-3 in heat seven. The points were shared again in heat eight leaving things finely poised at 23-25.

Sayfutdinov was a winner again in heat nine and with Thompson third it was a 2-4 to the away team. The score was level though after heat 10 as Luke Becker and Max Fricke raced to a 5-1. Parity was short-lived for the Lions though as the Witches struck back immediately in heat 11 thanks to a maximum from Doyle and King. Heat 12 was a cracker as Ellis took victory, but it was the battle behind him for second that made it the race of the night. Thompson held second but Douglas came steaming under him to split the Ipswich pair. However, Thompson was having none of it and re-passed the Australian in fine style to join his teammate at the front for a crucial 1-5 that put Ipswich 32-40 up.

Leciester kept their hopes of a result alive in heat 13 with a 5-1 but it was all over for the hosts in heat 14 as Brennan and Jenkins secured the result with another maximum. An intelligent first and second turn from Sayfutdinov saw him blast past the Lions pair down the back straight of heat 15 to win a shared heat, making the final score 41-49 to Ipswich as Ritchie Hawkins’ side continued their perfect start to the campaign.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s win at Leicester…

“I think that was our best performance since Belle Vue and it was a real team performance again. Leicester are a good, solid side and everyone needed to perform and they did. Everyone will go away with positives and I am really happy.

“The reserves won us the meeting with their rides in heat 12 and heat 14. Every rider had a win or a paid win again which is happening regularly which shows how solid we are, and they are bouncing back from tough rides in their next one which is good to see. They are very determined and confident, and everything is going well at the minute.

“Gates one and three were by far the better two to have. Jordan is riding well and has started the season well and before heat 12 he and Dan were pretty even. Dan then had a superb ride in heat 12 and we are at the stage of the season where we don’t need to stress to much and there wasn’t too much to gain long-term by taking Jordan out of a ride. I have full belief in him and that is why he is here, and he paid that back with a superb ride in heat 14. He is getting overlooked a little bit because Dan is scoring big points, but it was another great meeting for Jordan.

“There is more to come from the boys which is great to see and there will be ups and downs. We can’t expect all the boys to be 100% in every meeting, it is unrealistic. There is more to come from the heat leaders and the top five, that is the most positive thing about it all. We have a couple of home meetings now which will be nice because we have been away from home a lot so far before a tough test away at Sheffield.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for Sayfutdinov as the rider of the night after he top scored with 11 which included three race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich add two points to their total, consolidating their position at the top of the early table. Leicester stay fourth with two points from three fixtures.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 24^th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.