The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Leicester to face the Lions at the Hydroscand Arena on Monday 18th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
LINE-UPS
LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke © 9.64 2. Luke Becker 7.51 3. Ryan Douglas 7.03 4. Kyle Howarth 5.39 5. Sam Masters 7.04 6. Drew Kemp 4.10 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson
IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 8.42 2. Adam Ellis 5.88 3. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.38 4. Danny King © 6.64 5. Tom Brennan 7.09 6. Dan Thompson 5.42 7. Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
REFEREE: W. Dishington
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 20 | 39 |
| Sheffield | 19 | 34 |
| Leicester | 19 | 32 |
| Belle Vue | 21 | 32 |
| King’s Lynn | 19 | 19 |
| Oxford | 21 | 11 |
| Birmingham | 21 | 6 |
TICKET NEWS
Tickets are available to purchase online in advance here and on the gate.
THE PREVIEW
The Witches make the trip to Leicester on Monday night in ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Ipswich are in pole position to finish top of the table ahead of the play-offs with a five-point lead at the top after beating Belle Vue at Foxhall last Thursday. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has made a switch in the riding order for this fixture with Emil Sayfutdinov moving to number three, Danny King to number four and Tom Brennan to number five.
The visitors are heavy favourites to at least pick up the aggregate bonus point on Monday after a 54-36 win at Foxhall over the Lions in June and it is a venue they have already won at in 2025, racing to a 49-41 victory at the Hydroscand Arena back in April.
MANAGER’S NOTES
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“Leicester are the in-form team in the league and it will give us a great gauge on where we are before the play-offs start. We have done very well at Leicester in the last few years, and it is a track we enjoy going to, but they are full of riders who are in great form, and they are buzzing from winning the cup and their recent performances. It looks like it will be a cracking meeting and it is one I am looking forward to.
“We go into every meeting looking to win, we don’t look at the bonus point in that sense. If we perform to our highest ability, then we can win at any track so that is what we are focused on doing. The minimum we want is the bonus point, but we want to win the meeting.
“I have switched the riding order around because we are in such a good position to be able to do that. I wanted to just pair Emil and Danny together because they could well be paired together for the play-offs, it’s an option. I like to see Tom doing plenty of meetings at number five. That will be the next step up for him in his career, being a five or a one. He did it plenty last year and I don’t want him to have a whole year without riding that position because he is going to be there in the near future. It is just getting the boys all used to riding different positions.
“It’s great to see Luke Becker back riding after his injury, no one wants to see an injury like that, and it is great to see he has recovered and is back racing again.”
LEICESTER LIONS
Leicester are close challengers for top spot, sitting third in the table and in really good form. After a slowish start to 2025 the Lions are finding their rhythm at the right time, in similar fashion to last season where they reached the play-off final. The club have already won the Knockout Cup this season and are looking to pick up two trophies and make it a campaign to remember.
Luke Becker makes his return from injury on Monday after suffering multiple back injuries back in June and takes his place in the side at number two.
LAST TIME OUT IN LEICESTER
The Witches last travelled to Leicester in April of this year. 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.
AWAY DAYS
An adult ticket costs £23, concessions £21, children (6-17) £1 and children aged 5 and under go free. There will be 235 free car park spaces available at the stadium with further free car parking facilities on the Beaumont Shopping Complex (maximum time of 4 hours). Three Coach/Mini Bus spaces, 15 Disabled spaces available, 15 Motorcycle spaces, Taxi drop-off point. For travel information head here.
For more information about the club head to Leicester’s official website.
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway