Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY GUIDE | OXFORD (A)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Oxford to face the Spires at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium on Monday 7th July in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

OXFORD: 1. Maciej Janowski © 6.65 2. Rohan Tungate 5.51 3. Charles Wright 6.57 4. Kyle Howarth (G) 5.52 5. Richard Lawson (G) 6.44 6. Peter Kildemand 4.82 7. Luke Killeen (RS). Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.07 2. Danny King © 6.65 3. Adam Ellis 5.57 4. Tom Brennan 7.09 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.87 6. Dan Thompson 5.09 7. Vinnie Foord (G) (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield1324
Ipswich1323
Belle Vue1321
Leicester1318
King’s Lynn1512
Oxford138
Birmingham146

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase online in advance here.

LIVE COVERAGE

You can watch the meeting live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches are back on the road on Monday as they travel to Oxford in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich were at the National Speedway Stadium last Monday where they suffered a 14-point defeat to Belle Vue and lost Jordan Jenkins to injury. The Rising Star rider has damaged the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and is still being assessed to determine the extent of the injury and what treatment will be needed. Vinnie Foord has been declared in the team and rides at number seven on Monday.

The July averages see Jason Doyle return to the number one spot with Emil Sayfutdinov back at number five. The Suffolk side have won all three meetings at Oxford since the Spires’ return to the top-flight.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“We travel to Oxford needing to get back on track and start our run-in until the end of the season and the play-offs. This is where we need to start building now and Oxford is a place we have a great record at and they have struggled this season, it is somewhere we need to be winning because they have lost a lot of meetings this year. They have riders that are quite capable and certainly if they all have good days then they can be a very strong team, but we hope they don’t hit form against us. We need to show what we can do.

“Jason goes back to number one in the averages, with Jason and Emil it doesn’t make a great deal of difference which way round they are. Danny at number two seems to have worked very well with either of them so it doesn’t change the balance of the side much. Jason is still recovering from his injury and is building back into it, and it is good to see Emil kicking back into gear the last couple of weeks here and in Poland and that is really positive for us looking ahead to the end of the season when we will really need him.

“We are missing Jordan who damaged his knee at Belle Vue. I had a good chat with him and hopefully it is not too serious, but he needs more tests before he can know the full extent of the damage and then there will be a recovery process. It is a big loss because Rising Stars are really difficult to replace, and he is probably the best Rising Star.

“For Oxford we are going to give Vinnie a run, I know he is mega excited to do it, and he is an exciting rider. He was in the British Final and has really improved. Oxford is a track he has rode at and knows well and it will be interesting to see how he goes and going forward we will go meeting by meeting.”

OXFORD SPIRES

Oxford have endured a difficult campaign so far and barring a miraculous turnaround in results are all but out of the race for the play-offs. The Spires are sixth in the table, 10 points off the top four, and have already lost five times on home shale in the league. One of those defeats was against the Witches back in April.

Craig Cook has replaced Francis Gusts since that meeting, but he is not fit to ride on Monday and Kyle Howarth guests at number four for the home team. Captain Maciej Janowski is now at number one with Peter Kildemand at reserve. Richard Lawson guests in place of Erik Riss who is taking a break from racing to try and resolve some longstanding health issues.

LAST TIME OUT IN OXFORD

The Witches last travelled to Oxfordshire in April of 2025. The visitors came into the fixture at full strength whilst Oxford were without Peter Kildemand with rider replacement in operation at number four. The visitors edged ahead early on in the contest, but the score was level after eight races. However, in the second half of the meeting, Ipswich showed their strength to seal a six-point win to start the season. Jason Doyle top scored with an 11+1 paid maximum.  

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £23 with accompanied children under 16 going free if bought in advance. There is a £2 price increase for adult tickets purchased on the day. £2 parking will be available thanks to Unipart at their site just a short walk from the stadium (approx 800m) please remember to select this option if required when purchasing your tickets as this will be required when arriving at the car park. A free shuttle bus service will be provided to and from the stadium from the Unipart car park site. Unipart postcode is OX4 2PG. Limited disabled car parking is available at the stadium; these spaces are on a first come first served basis. For further information head here.

For more information about the club head to Oxford’s official website.

RACEDAY REPORT | BELLE VUE 52–38 IPSWICH

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Image courtesy of Ian Charles

By Rob Binns

SCORECARD

BELLE VUE 52: Dan Bewley 13+1, Norick Blödorn R/R, Jaimon Lidsey 10+1, Zach Cook 7, Brady Kurtz © 14+1 (Paid Maximum), Tate Zischke 4+1, Jake Mulford (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH 38: Emil Sayfutdinov 12, Danny King © 6+2, Adam Ellis 7+1, Tom Brennan 6+1, Jason Doyle 4, Dan Thompson 1+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 1+1 (Withdrawn). Team Manager: Chris Louis

REFEREE: C. Durno

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1323
Sheffield1222
Belle Vue1321
Leicester1216
King’s Lynn1412
Oxford138
Birmingham136

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches suffered a 52-38 defeat on the road against the Belle Vue Aces on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich started the fixture with a full 1-7 but later lost Jordan Jenkins to a knee injury. The visitors were also without team manager Ritchie Hawkins as promoter Chris Louis stepped in. Belle Vue were forced into a late change with rider replacement being operated at two in place of Norick Blödorn who picked up a knee injury. The Aces started strong and held a six-point lead after seven heats. The Witches fought hard to get back into the meeting but a string of 3-3s allowed the Aces to maintain their advantage before a late flurry of points sees them bring a 14-point lead to Foxhall next week in the battle for the aggregate bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 12.

The Witches took the lead in heat one with Sayfutdinov flying out of the gate and defending the challenge of Dan Bewley for the win with Danny King in third for a 2-4. The Aces responded with a maximum in heat two courtesy of Tate Zischke and Jake Mulford. Jaimon Lidsey took the chequered flag in heat three, but Adam Ellis superbly kept Zach Cook at bay to limit the damage to a heat advantage. Brady Kurtz set the pace in heat four with the two Ipswich riders splitting the Aces for a 3-3 making it 14-10 to the hosts.

Cook jumped the start in heat five, which saw him excluded for touching the tapes. Zischke came in as a reserve substitute in the re-run for his third ride of the meeting, but he finished at the back as Lidsey rode to victory for a shared heat. Jason Doyle split the Aces in heat six for a home 4-2. Kurtz cruised to victory in heat seven but Ellis and Tom Brennan both passed Zischke on the second bend for a 3-3 to take the score to 24-18.

Jordan Jenkins slid off in heat eight which saw him withdraw from the remainder of the meeting. The re-run initially saw King given a warning for not remaining stationary at the start, but he then exchanged passes with Cook in the opening two laps with the Witches skipper coming out on top to earn a 3-3. Stand-in team manager Louis brought in Sayfutdinov as a tactical substitute in heat nine who took the victory, but Lidsey passed Doyle on the final lap to earn a 3-3. Bewley won heat 10 with Ellis winning a tight battle at the back with Zischke to ensure the heat was shared. Sayfutdinov and Kurtz fought tightly at the front in heat 11 but it was the Aces skipper who took the chequered flag in a 3-3 to make his side’s lead 36-30.

Heat 12 was shared again as Ellis and Dan Thompson split the Aces. Kurtz and Bewley hit a maximum in heat 13 to secure the victory for Belle Vue. Reserve substitute Thompson was forced to retire from heat 14 with bike issues but Brennan produced a fantastic ride to take the victory and earn a share of the points. Bewley and Kurtz capped the meeting with another maximum in heat 15 to grow the Aces lead to 14 points in a 52-38 victory.

CHRIS LOUIS REACTION

Image courtesy of Ian Charles

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches promoter Chris Louis reflects on Monday’s defeat at Belle Vue.

“A 14-point deficit, in my opinion, didn’t really tell the story of the meeting; there was a lot of effort from the lads. We had too many problems from reserve, Dan Thompson had clutch issues all night and when he sorted things out, his seat broke and came off in his last ride. He just had one of those nights and Jordan obviously struggled in his first ride then made a few changes and looked a lot more competitive in his second one but then crashed in his third one which made life difficult for us.

“Issues at reserve certainly played a part in the size of the deficit but it wasn’t the difference between losing and winning. All in all, disappointing to lose by 14 but I believe if you look at previous history, we can still go into the home leg for the bonus point knowing that we can do it for sure. They’ve had some disastrous results away from home, so we need to capitalise on that and make sure we get the bonus point out of it.

“Jordan was withdrawn with a knee ligament injury by the looks of things. Hopefully it’s not too bad, he was able to walk on it when he got up to get back. He said it was uncomfortable and painful but it’s too early to say what the damage is.

“It was generally disappointing. It was a tough night for Jason as well. Again, there were a few miscalculations and bike issues. He’s coming back from that injury so he’s a little bit disjointed at the moment. I just feel it was one of those meetings where if you’re not 100% on the top of your game it’s always going to be tough at Belle Vue, so we look forward to the next one.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for top scorer Sayfutdinov who contributed 12 points including two race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich remain top of the table but the wait for a first league victory at the National Speedway Stadium goes on. Belle Vue stay third but cut the gap to the Sheffield Tigers down to a single point.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Oxford to take on the Spires on Monday 7th July in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | BELLE VUE (A)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Manchester to face the Belle Vue Aces at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 30th June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

BELLE VUE: 1. Dan Bewley 9.21 2. R/R for Norick Blödorn 5.45 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.14 4. Zach Cook 5.73 5. Brady Kurtz © 8.92 6. Tate Zischke 3.00 7. Jake Mulford (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.10 2. Danny King © 6.24 3. Adam Ellis 5.93 4. Tom Brennan 6.86 5. Jason Doyle 9.07 6. Dan Thompson 5.06 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Chris Louis

REFEREE: C. Durno

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1223
Sheffield1222
Belle Vue1219
Leicester1216
King’s Lynn1311
Oxford138
Birmingham124

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase online in advance here and on the gate.

LIVE COVERAGE

You can watch the meeting live on British Speedway Network here.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches are on their travels on Monday in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership as they take on the Belle Vue Aces.

Ipswich sit top of the table after a convincing win over Leicester last time out where they were able to track a full one to seven for the first time in over month. The visitors will be at full strength again although they will be without their team manager Ritchie Hawkins who is unavailable with promoter Chris Louis standing in.

The Suffolk side head north looking for their first league win at the National Speedway Stadium after they picked up a first ever win there in the Knockout Cup earlier this season.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“We now start the second half of the season, and we had a great meeting there on opening night. We broke our duck and ended that run of defeats at the National Speedway Stadium and we can take great confidence from that. We got back to winning ways last time out with an all-round solid performance but just because we got the victory it hasn’t made all the injury problems go away. We are still well short of being anywhere near a fully fit side and Belle Vue has always been a tough place for us to go. With the position we are in, we have nothing to lose, and the boys will be focused on getting another victory there in the league this time.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend due to work commitments so Chris will be stepping in. I don’t think it is a bad thing for Chris to step in every now and then and give his take on things to the boys. His knowledge and experience is up there with the best in the world and it will be great for the boys to have another take on things as well which can only benefit them.”

BELLE VUE ACES

The Aces look set for the play-offs again sitting third in the table and as has been the case in previous seasons they have been formidable at home. Six wins from six in the league have been the foundation for success in 2025 with their only defeat on home shale coming against the Witches in the Knockout Cup.

The home team have two of the world’s best riders in their ranks with current world number two Brady Kurtz captaining the side and current world number four Dan Bewley riding at number one. Rider replacement will be in operation at two to cover the injured Norick Blödorn.

LAST TIME OUT AT THE NATIONAL SPEEDWAY STADIUM

The Witches last travelled to Manchester back in March in the first leg of the Knockout Cup quarter-final. Ipswich stormed to an impressive 10-point victory, and it was a solid team performance that saw the Suffolk side celebrating their first ever victory at the National Speedway Stadium, with every rider enjoying at least a paid win.  Jason Doyle top scored with 9+1.

AWAY DAYS

Ticket prices can be found here and official programmes cost £3.50. For more information about your visit to the National Speedway Stadium, head here.

For more information about the club head to Belle Vue’s official website.

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 54–36 LEICESTER

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MEETING SPONSOR

Doug Wade Insurance

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 54: Emil Sayfutdinov 9+2, Danny King © 10+1, Adam Ellis 7, Tom Brennan 11+1, Jason Doyle 8+1, Dan Thompson 5+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER 36: Max Fricke © 16+1, Luke Becker R/R, Ryan Douglas 9+1, Kyle Howarth 4+1, Sam Masters 3, Drew Kemp 3+1, Joe Thompson (RS) 1. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

REFEREE: W. Jarvis

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1223
Sheffield1222
Belle Vue1219
Leicester1216
King’s Lynn1311
Oxford126
Birmingham114

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches registered a dominant win over the Leicester Lions on Monday night at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

For the first time in over a month the hosts had all seven riders available to them whilst the Lions were operating rider replacement for the injured Luke Becker. The home team raced into a big lead early on in the tie and never looked back as they returned to the top of the table in front of their supporters and the TNT Sports cameras. Tom Brennan top scored with 11+1.

Emil Sayfutdinov and Danny King flew from the start in heat one and rode to a maximum and that was followed in heat two by another courtesy of the returning Dan Thompson and Jordan Jenkins. Adam Ellis won heat three and he was joined at the front by partner Brennan who forced his way past Ryan Douglas at the end of the first lap for another 5-1. Jason Doyle was also making his return to Foxhall, and he picked up three points in heat four as Ipswich rode to a 4-2 to put them in a commanding 19-5 lead.

Brennan swooped around the first bend to lead and take the chequered flag in heat five with Ellis riding smartly to work his way into third for a fifth heat advantage to the hosts. Another 5-1 followed in heat six as the Lions had no answer to King and Sayfutdinov. Doyle won heat seven comfortably in the first 3-3 of the evening and Max Fricke got the first race win of the night for the visitors in heat eight but both King and Jenkins passed Joe Thompson to prevent a heat advantage making it 34-14.

Fricke was back out in heat nine as a tactical substitute and duly won but a great move at the end of the first lap from Ellis saw him squeeze past Sam Masters into second to limit the visitors to a 2-4 as Brennan slid off at the back. King raced to victory in heat 10 but the action was all behind him with Sayfutdinov left at the back. However, the Witches number remained patient to first come under Douglas before blasting around Kyle Howarth on the last bend of the race to secure a 5-1. Leicester responded with their first maximum of the night in heat 11 and another followed in heat 12 to leave the score 43-29.

Fricke won a shared heat 13 but in heat 14 Brennan and Dan Thompson teamed up for a 5-1. Brennan rode excellently to muscle his way to the front and stay there to win a shared heat 15 as Ipswich went back to the summit of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with an impressive display.  

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“I am absolutely delighted to get the win in the fashion we did. I have to admit I was surprised we won so comfortably considering half of the boys are riding injured. That leaves you with doubts in your mind over how they are going to perform but having that one to seven back together certainly gave the boys a spark and they seemed to gel. There is something special about them when they are all together even under the circumstances where in reality they are nowhere near 100% fit and could be doing with more time off.

“We looked a different outfit to the last month and were straight back at it with a big, fast start. We needed it because we knew that the boys would struggle later on to deal with the injuries against a very good Leicester side who do very well at Foxhall. The strong start was extra important and made a massive difference.

“We have spoken a lot about Jason and know the injury he has but the Grand Prix at the weekend gave him a boost. We didn’t know how he would go on a tighter circuit like Ipswich, and he was clearly in pain and not fully fit but with him at the top and Danny as our captain riding injured, the younger guys like Dan and Jordan follow that and want to be like them and part of the team. They put everything into it. Jason will get fitter as time goes on and he has a week off now to recover more and that will do him the world of good.

“Danny has the sort of injury where if he knocks it, it flares up and will settle down after a few days. Hitting it on Saturday, he could have done with another day or two before returning to racing, but he is experienced around Ipswich and to only drop one point was superb and made the world of difference to the result.

“Both reserves did well and were riding through the pain barrier. Dan has had a lot of time off the bike and isn’t race-fit or 100% with his hand but I thought he rode really well. Jordan needs some recovery after his crashes and if we could have found a suitable guest, he would have taken a week off to recover but knowing we couldn’t spurred him on to race and he did a superb job.

“A lot of the boys have got a quiet week which is great for us as a team before Belle Vue next Monday. We know how good we can be if we can keep everyone fit and avoid any more injuries and tonight looked bright for the future.

“It would be great to finish top of the table although you don’t gain anything from it which is something that needs to be looked at and changed. We want to be the best team all season and to get to the halfway point with the injury troubles is very promising and pleasing. We are in a good place where I can see the progression and I would have taken this at the start of the season, without the injuries. Where I think we are at as a side I think we can grow going into the play-offs.”

DOUG WADE INSURANCE RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov won the award, dropping just one point to an opponent and producing the ride of the night in heat 10.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich add two points to their tally and move back to the top of the table whilst Leicester stay fourth.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to the National Speedway Stadium to take on the Belle Vue Aces on Monday 30th June in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | LEICESTER (H)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 23rd June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSOR

Doug Wade Insurance

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.10 2. Danny King © 6.24 3. Adam Ellis 5.93 4. Tom Brennan 6.86 5. Jason Doyle 9.07 6. Dan Thompson 5.06 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke © 8.73 2. R/R for Luke Becker 7.60 3. Ryan Douglas 7.01 4. Kyle Howarth 5.32 5. Sam Masters 7.51 6. Drew Kemp 4.05 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

REFEREE: W. Jarvis

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield1222
Ipswich1121
Belle Vue1117
Leicester1116
King’s Lynn1211
Oxford126
Birmingham114

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase in advance here and on the gate and are priced at £24 for adults and £22 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches face the Leicester Lions in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership on Monday night at Foxhall.

Ipswich were beaten last time out at King’s Lynn and know the threat that the Lions bring to Suffolk having been beaten by them at home last month. The hosts are looking to track a full team for the first time in over a month with Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson hoping to make their returns to the side.

Doyle returned at King’s Lynn but withdrew after two rides having aggravated his hip injury but after another week of rest is looking to compete in the Gorzow Grand Prix this weekend and take his place at number five for Ipswich on Monday. Thompson returns after breaking his scaphoid and is set to return at reserve should he come through a practice session and a meeting this weekend.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“It is probably our toughest test around Foxhall of any team we have faced this year. They are a side that go very well, and we are hoping to be back at full strength. There are question marks over that, but fingers crossed that Jason and Dan can come through their injury troubles and run outs before Monday night and are fit and ready to compete. As a side it is obvious we need them back, but we need them back fit. Even though the meeting is being shown on TV, we have had some brilliant racing and some great atmospheres at Foxhall this season and the boys need everyone behind them so please come and support them and we will do everything we can to put on a show like we did against Sheffield which was a superb meeting.

“It will be a massive boost if we have Dan back at reserve. We have struggled to cover him sufficiently in his absence and it is unenviable task for anyone coming in because he was in superb form. He has had a long time off the bike so it is unrealistic to be straight on it as he was but has shown in his time with us his mental strength and determination and I know Dan will be delighted to be back if that is the case and we will be even more delighted to have him back with us.

“Jason is planning to ride in the GP at the weekend so is another one we are hoping comes through well. He pulled out of the meeting at King’s Lynn and struggled with the grippy conditions on the day, but he has had another week of rest and recovery, and Jason knows his body and knows what he can do. I will fully support his decisions in racing and when he feels he should be back, and it is a massive boost to have him in the side.”

LEICESTER LIONS

The Lions sit fourth in the table occupying the last play-off position after up and down first half of the season. They have been beaten on home shale twice already but have picked up three victories on the road, including one at Ipswich in May. In their last outing they hammered Belle Vue 60-30 at the Hydroscand Arena.

Luke Becker is set for a long spell on the sidelines after suffering multiple back injuries and rider replacement will be in operation at two.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich last welcomed Leicester to Foxhall just a month ago. The home team were without the key injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson with rider replacement being used at number one and Danyon Hume guesting at number six. Ipswich raced into a six-point lead early on but were pegged back by heat seven and the Lions edged ahead in heat nine. Another 2-4 in heat 13 gave Leicester a four-point lead and they held on for the away victory as Ipswich took the aggregate bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 12+1.

RACEDAY REPORT | KING’S LYNN 51-39 IPSWICH

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Image courtesy of Ian Burt

SCORECARD

KING’S LYNN 51: Richard Lawson 9+1, Ben Cook R/R, Nicolai Klindt © 7+1, Chris Harris 12+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 2, Jan Kvěch 18+2, Jody Scott (G) (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Rob Lyon

IPSWICH 39: Emil Sayfutdinov 9+1, Danny King © 8+2, Adam Ellis 4, Tom Brennan 6+1, Jason Doyle 5 (Withdrawn), Connor Mountain (G) 1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 6+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1121
Sheffield1120
Belle Vue1017
Leicester1014
King’s Lynn1111
Oxford126
Birmingham114

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches were beaten at King’s Lynn on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The visitors welcomed back Jason Doyle to the side after his hip injury with Connor Mountain guesting for the injured Dan Thompson at reserve. The Stars were using rider replacement for Ben Cook with Jody Scott coming in for Ashton Boughen. The two teams traded heat advantages in the opening eight races with the Suffolk side four up. However, Ipswich lost Doyle who withdrew ahead of heat nine after aggravating his injury and King’s Lynn took advantage to race to victory in the closing stages with Ipswich picking up the aggregate bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 9+1.

Sayfutdinov got his side off to a good start by winning heat one and Danny King worked his way into third for a heat advantage. King’s Lynn recorded a 5-1 in heat two before Tom Brennan won a shared heat three. Doyle returned to action with a win in heat four in a 2-4 to level the score at 12-12.

Sayfutdinov made it two wins from two in heat five as King once again picked up a point to edge the away side in front. It was all square again after heat six as King’s Lynn raced to a 4-2 and a 3-3 followed in heat seven. The Witches went ahead in heat eight thanks to a maximum from Jordan Jenkins and King to make it 22-26.

Doyle was withdrawn from the meeting ahead of heat nine with injury rider replacement in use for his remaining rides, but King’s Lynn hit a 5-1 in his absence to make it level again. The home team followed that up with another maximum in heat 10 to go in front and it was a 3-3 in heat 11. The points were shared again in heat 12 leaving King’s Lynn 38-34 to the good.

There was another 3-3 in heat 13 and the win was sealed in heat 14 thanks to a maximum from Chris Harris and Jan Kvěch. The hosts ended with another 5-1 as Ipswich had to settle for the bonus point.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat at King’s Lynn…

“After being up halfway through to go down to a defeat is really disappointing. I thought the boys gave it everything, but we haven’t quite got the consistency from some of them and are not firing as a whole at the moment. I felt everything else was there and I know if they keep working hard as they are things will soon turn back round.

“We lost Jason, he aggravated his injury in the grippy conditions and couldn’t carry on. He was in a lot of discomfort, and it was definitely for the best to withdraw from the meeting. I don’t think that was the reason we ended up losing the meeting, we can’t use that at all. The difference was that we didn’t up our performance and it probably dropped a bit whereas a couple of their guys really stepped up and won it for them.

“We are missing Dan obviously because he was riding like a heat-leader rather than a reserve which is rare. A side like King’s Lynn will always have a very strong number six, Jan was superb and has hit a great run of form and is doing very well and is making the most of being down there. That is how they are built but we should be good enough in the other positions to account for that but tonight we weren’t, and they were the better team on the night.

“It is a little bit of a tough period for us, but it is not a disastrous time to be having a few issues. I can see what the boys are doing and how hard they are working. Inevitably they will get the rewards for that, and it is not as disastrous as could be seen. Maybe it seems more of a tough period because we have set such high standards and expectations are so high of us. That exaggerates everything into thinking things are worse than they really are whereas in reality we are top of the league in a very strong position and are still in the cup as well.

“We will get through this period stronger and should improve. We have got time on our side to get that right for when we really need to be firing and can’t have any mishaps which is later on in the season. Saying that, we have a very big meeting on Monday. Leicester turned us over the other week, and we don’t want that to be happening again.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for Sayfutdinov who top scored with 9+1 from four rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

King’s Lynn add two points to their total and stay fifth in table. Ipswich collect the aggregate bonus point after their 16-point win at Foxhall over the Stars which keeps them top of the pile.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall on Monday 23rd June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | KING’S LYNN (A)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to King’s Lynn to face the Stars at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday 16th June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

KING’S LYNN: 1. Richard Lawson 6.74 2. R/R for Ben Cook 6.13 3. Nicolai Klindt © 6.37 4. Chris Harris 6.50 5. Niels-Kristian Iversen 6.72 6. Jan Kvěch 6.10 7. Jody Scott (G) (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.10 2. Danny King © 6.24 3. Adam Ellis 5.93 4. Tom Brennan 6.86 5. Jason Doyle 9.07 6. Connor Mountain (G) 5.06 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1020
Sheffield1017
Belle Vue1017
Leicester1014
King’s Lynn109
Oxford126
Birmingham104

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches make the short trip to King’s Lynn to take on the Stars on Monday evening in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich were back on track on Thursday at Foxhall as they overcame second-placed Sheffield in a last-heat decider to go three points clear at the top, having also collected the aggregate bonus point after a super heat.

Jason Doyle is making his return from a dislocated hip at this weekend’s British Grand Prix double-header and should he come through both meetings will be back in the Ipswich side on Monday at number five. Dan Thompson is nearing a return to action and is hoping to be back in the next two weeks as Connor Mountain guests in his place again on Monday.

An aggregate bonus point is up for grabs on Monday and the Suffolk side have a commanding 16-point lead after a big win at Foxhall last month.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“We were there not long ago so that is good, and we had a good meeting although we came away disappointed not to win but we are coming with confidence that we can win this time. We haven’t lost in the league to them in a long time, so we need to keep that record going. Hopefully we will have Jason back should he get through this weekend successfully which would be great, if not we will be R/R again. Connor comes in for Dan and of course Simon (Lambert) guested last time at Lynn and did well. I thought Connor did well on Thursday but didn’t get quite get as many points as he could have done. He goes well at Lynn and hopefully he can chip in with a few as well.

“If we do get Doyley back that is a massive boost to everyone, he is a leader in the team and someone everyone looks up to. He has been to a few meetings with us but when he is riding in the team, we are a slightly different animal so hopefully he will be back, but the main thing is that he is fit.

“Jan is going well at reserve and flew last time but the nature of their team is that they are all of a similar standard and are all on that sort of average because they are not consistently flying otherwise, they would be all eight-nine-point men. You never know who will have a good night or a bad night and we need to be there to make sure there is more of them having bad nights than good.  

“Jordan rode really well and improved throughout the meeting last time we were there and was on the pace. Both of our reserves are capable of scoring points and stirring a few of their boys up. It would be great if we could score more points at reserve as it would help us massively in the overall result.”

KING’S LYNN STARS

As we approach the halfway mark of the league season, the Stars know they need a much-improved second half of the campaign if they are to make the play-offs. King’s Lynn sit fifth with a five-point gap to fourth-placed Leicester. The Norfolk side have been beaten twice at the Adrian Flux Arena but come into the fixture off the back of their first away win in the league at Oxford on Thursday.

Peter Kildemand was due to guest again in place of Ben Cook but picked up an injury over the weekend and rider replacement will now be in operation at two. Jody Scott guests at reserve in place of Ashton Boughen. Grand Prix rider Jan Kvěch will be hoping to be a trump card at reserve again for the home team having scored 16+2 last time against Ipswich.

LAST TIME OUT AT THE ADRIAN FLUX ARENA

The Witches last travelled to Norfolk just two weeks ago in the first leg of the Knockout Cup semi-final. Ipswich arrived in Norfolk without two key riders with Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson absent through injury with rider replacement in operation for Doyle and Simon Lambert in as a guest for Thompson. The hosts were without Ben Cook with Peter Kildemand guesting in his place. Despite the injury woes the Suffolk side battled hard and there was nothing between the two teams after 11 races, but King’s Lynn finished strongly to build a six-point lead ahead of the second leg at Foxhall. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11+1.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £24, concessions (disabled, 66 and over, students) £22, children (12-15 accompanied by adult) £5 and children under 12 go free. Official programmes cost £3.50. Facilities include free floodlit parking, seated grandstand, covered standing grandstand, restaurant, fully stocked bar and function room, four licenced bar outlets, merchandise stands, toilets and a first aid room. For travel information head here.

For more information about the club head to King’s Lynn’s official website.

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 46–44 SHEFFIELD

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MEETING SPONSORS

RN Euston – RN Euston Limited has supplied steel framed buildings in East Anglia for over 40 years.  Established by Ray Euston the business has grown steadily over the years and now Ray works in partnership with his son Mark.  The company is based in Suffolk and work all over East Anglia where they have gained a reliable reputation.

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 46: Emil Sayfutdinov 10, Danny King © 7, Adam Ellis 8, Tom Brennan 10, Sam Masters (G) 8, Connor Mountain (G) 1+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD 44: Jack Holder 10, Anders Rowe R/R, Josh Pickering © 7+2, Lewis Kerr 9+1, Chris Holder 7, Justin Sedgmen 1+1, Leon Flint (RS) 10+3. Team Manager: Simon Stead

SUPER HEAT FOR AGGREGATE BONUS POINT: Jack Holder, Brennan, Sayfutdinov, Pickering – Ipswich win 5-4.

REFEREE: G. Hunter

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1020
Sheffield1017
Belle Vue1017
Leicester1014
King’s Lynn109
Oxford126
Birmingham104

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches returned to winning ways on Thursday night with a dramatic win over Sheffield at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The hosts booked Sam Masters and Connor Mountain to guest in place for the injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson whilst the visitors were using rider replacement at number two for Anders Rowe. Neither side could pull away from each other all night meaning it went down to heat 15 with Ipswich coming out on top in the decider. With Sheffield having won by the same scoreline at Owlerton earlier in the season there was a super heat for the aggregate bonus point which Ipswich also collected in front of a delighted home crowd. Emil Sayfutdinov and Tom Brennan both top scored with 10 points.

Skipper Danny King got proceedings underway with a win in heat one as Jack Holder won the battle for second against Sayfutdinov, resulting in a 4-2 to the home team. The points were shared in heat two as Leon Flint took victory and the away side went ahead in heat three thanks to a maximum. Masters won heat four, but Jordan Jenkins couldn’t hold on for third meaning a 3-3 that left the Tigers 11-13 to the good.

Heat five was stopped with Jack Holder excluded having hit the deck. In the re-run Ellis made the gate and sailed off in the distance to win ahead of Flint to level the score. Sayfutdinov recorded his first win of the night in a shared heat six as Masters followed suit in heat seven. King won his second race of the night in heat eight with a 3-3 awarded after Jenkins fell meaning it was 24-24 overall.

Brennan picked up a race win in heat nine and with Ellis third it edged Ipswich ahead. Sayfutdinov couldn’t be caught in heat 10 as the Witches raced to another 4-2 with King relegating Josh Pickering to the back. Sheffield pulled two points back in heat 11 as Jack Holder won and Lewis Kerr kept Mountain at the back. Ellis won a shared heat 12 which left the tie finely poised at 37-35 with three heats to go.

The scores were level after heat 13 as Jack Holder finished at the front with brother Chris in third for a point. Brennan rode his socks off to get past Kerr to win heat 14 but with Mountain at the back it took it to a last-heat decider. Brennan was back out in heat 15 and produced the goods again to hold off Jack Holder and win with Sayfutdinov third to secure the two league points, much to the delight of the Foxhall faithful. With the aggregate score level there was a super heat for the bonus point which Jack Holder won ahead of Brennan, but Sayfutdinov rode superbly to pass Pickering for third to ensure it was Ipswich who took all three points on offer on a fabulous night in Suffolk.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“It was a really tight, close meeting and both teams will feel they could have done better. We won a lot of races but ran a lot of lasts which has been the opposite of how we have been this year, we haven’t run many last places. We made a lot of mistakes, but they will probably feel the same, so it was a pretty even contest. I’m delighted to be on the right end of the result including the bonus point, but we had the home advantage for the bonus point and if the second leg was at Sheffield, they’d probably have won it, so I don’t take that much pleasure in that. We need to improve, and we are a bit lacklustre at the moment and we need to get the buzz back we had before the injuries.

“The injuries have been a bit of a knock when everything was flying along but those boys will be back soon and we will be back together soon and buzzing again, I’m sure.

“I’m really pleased with Tom; he started off struggling and changed bikes and then flew! It shows great mental strength, so I am delighted with him. Emil in those last few heats was looking back to his old, determined self and he can take great confidence from those rides. He wasn’t making the starts tonight but was working hard to get his points.

“Dan had a bit of good news from the hospital today that everything is healing well, so that is great. We will see how he gets on when he comes back, and Doyley is doing the GPs this weekend so we will see how he gets through that, and we will see pretty quickly whether he is fit or not.”

RN EUSTON RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Brennan and Sayfutdinov shared the award after their heat 15 and super heat heroics!

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up two points and the aggregate bonus point to go three points clear at the top of the table. Sheffield go away empty-handed and remain second.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to King’s Lynn to take on the Stars on Monday 16th June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

RACEDAY GUIDE | SHEFFIELD (H)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 12th June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

RN Euston – RN Euston Limited has supplied steel framed buildings in East Anglia for over 40 years.  Established by Ray Euston the business has grown steadily over the years and now Ray works in partnership with his son Mark.  The company is based in Suffolk and work all over East Anglia where they have gained a reliable reputation.

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.10 2. Danny King 6.24 © 3. Adam Ellis 5.93 4. Tom Brennan 6.86 5. Sam Masters (G) 9.07 6. Connor Mountain (G) 5.06 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.92 2. R/R for Anders Rowe 5.86 3. Josh Pickering © 7.84 4. Lewis Kerr 5.40 5. Chris Holder 8.12 6. Justin Sedgmen 4.38 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich917
Sheffield917
Belle Vue1017
Leicester1014
King’s Lynn96
Oxford116
Birmingham104

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase in advance here and on the gate and are priced at £24 for adults and £22 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches are back in ROWE Motor Oil Premiership action at Foxhall on Thursday as they entertain the Sheffield Tigers.

Following last week’s Knockout Cup postponement, Ipswich haven’t raced at home since the 22nd of May when a depleted side fell to their first defeat of the year at home against Leicester. The Suffolk side are still without the injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson with Sam Masters stepping in as a guest for Doyle and Connor Mountain replacing Thompson at reserve.

It promises to be another stern test for Ritchie Hawkins’ side but a win by more than two points would see them also collect the aggregate bonus point following the 46-44 defeat at Owlerton last month.

MANAGER’S NOTES

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“We have got Sam coming in for Jason and we know him very well, he has done a brilliant job every time he has guested for us before. He loves Foxhall so I’m sure he will do a great job again and he is always good to have in the team as he fits in well. Connor will do a couple of meetings guesting for Dan. I have tried a few times to get him in but unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do it due to other commitments he has had. It will be good to have him back in the side and he has been doing really well the last couple of years and often gets overlooked for a ride in the Premiership, so it will be an opportunity he will want to take and do well in and I’m glad to be able to give him that chance.

“Every meeting against Sheffield is tough and we had a great battle up there a few weeks ago and hopefully that will be replicated again on Thursday for the fans. We are keen to come away with three points and they will see it as an opportunity to get a win at Ipswich and we need to get the ball back rolling after a few tough meetings recently.

“I know Jason is keen to do the Grand Prix this weekend, so hopefully he makes it back and is fit enough for that and comes through unscathed so he can get back racing for us very soon, but we will just have to wait and see. Dan is recovering and the bone will fix when it fixes, there is no real update on his situation.”

SHEFFIELD TIGERS

Sheffield currently sit second in the table, level on points with the Witches and Belle Vue after a strong start to the campaign. The Tigers boast a 100% record at home with five wins from five and they have picked up two wins on the road but come into the fixture off the back of a heavy defeat away at Leicester on Monday.

The away side are led by Jack Holder who is currently third in the Grand Prix standings. Rider replacement is in operation for Anders Rowe at number two.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich last welcomed Sheffield to Foxhall in September of 2024 for the second leg of the Knockout Cup final. A depleted Ipswich went into the fixture as big underdogs having lost 55-35 in the first leg and they had to make up the 20-point deficit without the injured trio of Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov and Jordan Jenkins. Rider replacement was in operation at one with Tom Brennan and James Pearson coming in as guests. The visitors were using rider replacement for Tai Woffinden. The Witches started strongly and pulled 10 points back after six races, but the Tigers steadied themselves and had enough to see the job through and lift the Knockout Cup. Keynan Rew top scored with 14 points.

JULY FIXTURE UPDATES

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Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group‘ Witches supporters should note the following fixture amendments in July.

Our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture away at Oxford will now take place on 7th July, moving from the 17th July and will be shown live on TNT Sports.

Our Knockout Cup semi-final second leg fixture at home to King’s Lynn will now take place on 17th July, having been postponed on 5th June.