Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

2024 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

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Season Tickets for the 2024 season are now on sale as the Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches embark on another season of Sports Insure Premiership speedway.

You can buy your season ticket online, here. Alternatively, you can download a season ticket form here. Season tickets are available to buy until 1st March 2024 and are priced at £260 for Adults and £230 for Concessions, with Grandstand seats priced at £30.

There are three ways to pay. Online via the link provided above, you can visit the stadium on 9th December between 10am-1pm and pay in person or you can post your completed form with a cheque to: Mr M Styles, 7 Penhurst Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8QZ. Please make all cheques payable to: IPSWICH SPEEDWAY PROMOTIONS LTD.

Your season tickets will be issued at the first meeting of the 2024 season and will cover all 12 of our Sports Insure Premiership league fixtures and the first round of the Knockout Cup. This does not include any semi-finals or finals. However, you will still be able to purchase your tickets for these events at the season ticket gate.

Concession tickets are available to those who held a 2023 concession season ticket or those who are over the age of 65 on or before 15th March 2024. Student (21 & under) applications will require a valid student card and proof of age including passport, driving licence or birth certificate.

Proof of age is required for all first-time concession applicants, this can include a copy of your passport, driving licence or birth certificate. This can be provided when you collect your ticket.

Season tickets are transferable. ID and proof of age will be required for concession tickets not bearing the holder’s name and may not be used to discount an adult admission.

With your season ticket you can claim 10% discount on all Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches clothing at the Track Shop and 10% off your first appointment at Keep Well.

Season Tickets do not include a programme.

Admission prices for the 2024 season will be £23 for adults, £21 for concessions and students (21 & under), £1 for children aged 6-16, whilst children 5 and under go free.

2024 KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

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Sports Insure Premiership Knockout Cup holders Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches will launch their defence of the silverware with a quarter-final clash against Leicester.

The two sides met at the same stage of the competition this year with the Witches winning 48-42 on their home track and then completing the job with a 47-43 victory in the East Midlands, before going on to defeat Peterborough and Sheffield to lift the silverware.

The other quarter-final features a War of the Roses clash between old rivals Belle Vue and Sheffield.
With Oxford not competing in the Sports Insure Premiership Knockout Cup as they also race at Championship league level, Birmingham and King’s Lynn have received byes to the Knockout Cup semi-finals.

The Brummies will face the winners of the Ipswich/Leicester tie in the last four, with the Stars taking on the winners of the Belle Vue/Sheffield encounter.

PREMIERSHIP KNOCKOUT CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Belle Vue v Sheffield 
Ipswich v Leicester

PREMIERSHIP KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI-FINALS
Birmingham v Ipswich/Leicester
King’s Lynn v Belle Vue/Sheffield

2024 SIGNING: DAN THOMPSON

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches have signed Dan Thompson as their Rising Star for 2024.

Thompson’s season with Ipswich was ended early due to injury in 2023 but he is looking to build on his promising start to life in Suffolk next season. 

“The way I finished with Ipswich was disappointing as I couldn’t carry on due to my injury, but I was trying to be back for those last few play-off meetings, but it just wasn’t quite ready,” said Thompson. “I am over the moon to be back next year and feel I can definitely build on what I did this year.

“I don’t have a lot of experience of the Sports Insure Premiership tracks, so I came in and tried to learn Ipswich as fast as I could and dealt with the away tracks as they were coming. It was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am grateful for the opportunity to be back again next year.”

The 19-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder after a crash in August but made a return to racing at the end of October where he picked up the British Under-19 title.

“It was the worst time for it to happen as I was reaching really good form and was happy with all of my equipment and how I was riding, that wasn’t good. I’ve had two- and a-bit months off since my injury and I am feeling a lot better. I have been back in the gym and obviously did a few meetings at the end of October which went well. I’ll be looking to strengthen up and make sure I am in the best possible fitness for next year.

“The British Under-19 title was awesome, and it was a great way to come back having not really done much. It was a tough time on the sidelines and to come back and relight that spark was a great feeling.”

The Nuneaton-born rider enjoyed learning from some of the team’s more experienced riders last season with the focus now turning to 2024.

“It was amazing this year and they all give you help and support. Obviously, there is only so much they can tell you about bike setups, but they were all really helpful to me and I am grateful for that.

“So far, I am in the gym every day trying to strengthen my shoulder and my overall fitness and I will probably be working over the winter to keep myself busy and trying to get on the bike here and there but that is difficult with the weather. I want to make sure I am in a good position by the time March comes around.”

2024 SIGNING: JORDAN JENKINS

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches have signed Jordan Jenkins for the 2024 season.

Jenkins says it is a move that he has always wanted in his career and is thankful for the opportunity to ride in Ipswich colours.

“It is one of those moves you always want to happen, but you are not sure if it will because Ipswich is such a good team and what happened there this year was pretty cool,” said Jenkins. “I was straight on the phone to Ritchie (Hawkins) and Chris (Louis) as soon as the season finished really asking for a team spot and saying I was interested.

“I was uncertain at times with my Rising Star average going up and not being a Rising Star anymore. That is a big ask for someone to have faith in me and put me into a number six position, but I feel like I am going in the right direction and clearly Chris and Ritchie feel that way as well and I’m over the moon about it.”

The 22-year-old has raced plenty of laps at Foxhall over the years and is looking forward to making it his home track.

“When I was 12,13, 14 and even in my first year in the National League I was coming to Ipswich every week. I have done plenty of laps there and know plenty of people and I am looking forward to coming there and making it a home for 2024 and hopefully even longer. I have been a couple of times in the Sports Insure Premiership with Peterborough and have had some good races there and some not so good ones but I’m looking forward to getting on the track and cracking it.”

The East Anglian rider enjoyed a successful 2023 campaign and feels he is making good progress in the sport.

“2023 was way above my own expectations, I think. I had a fairly good 2022 and there was a lot going on in the winter prior to 2023. I was in the position where I wanted to make myself better and people believed I could do it, so I made a big move to go to Oxford from Redcar, so I did feel a little bit of pressure. It did come together and throughout all three leagues that I raced in in the UK, I feel like I did myself proud and scored plenty of points.

“I wasn’t in Peterborough’s one to seven in 2022, I got the call to be a number eight I think but was brought in halfway through the season and when I did come in, I was on the back foot and was struggling, there was no doubt about it. I worked hard and stayed committed and knew what I needed to do and towards the end of the season things started to fall into place.

“2023 from the start has been pretty good, every set of averages that have come out I have improved and coming towards the end of the season that showed with having a four-point average in the Sports Insure Premiership which is one of the highest for a Rising Star. I think that shows as I have moved out of the Rising Star position and I’m one of only two riders to have done that, so it has been a pretty good year in all of the leagues. To represent Team GB as well, it has been the most memorable season to date.”

The 2022 National League Riders champion is relishing the prospect of lining up next to Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov in the same team.

“It is going to be incredible; I am quite good mates with Jason at the minute and he doesn’t live too far away from me, and he has helped me quite a lot already in my career. From speaking to Ritchie, Jason was keen to help me personally as well and that is massive for me. To have someone like Jason in your corner is going to be vital as the season progresses. I am excited to get underway, Jason and Emil are probably the most formidable one and five in the Sports Insure Premiership and to be riding next to them in the same team is only going to bring me on as a rider.”

Jenkins will be working over the winter but already can’t wait for the turn of the year when the new season gets closer.

“I’m just working hard, rebuilding the bikes, and working for one of my sponsors out Bury/Newmarket way doing some commercial plumbing which is good and keeps me busy and gets me learning new things. I am training hard and building bikes and hopefully in the new year we can get on the bike as much as we can for plenty of practice and be raring to go when the season starts.”

2024 SIGNING: EMIL SAYFUTDINOV

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches are thrilled to welcome back former world number three Emil Sayfutdinov for the 2024 season.

The 34-year-old says it was an easy decision to stay in Suffolk for next season and is hoping to go one step further and lift the league title with the Witches.

“I’m really happy to be part of the team again and I really enjoyed this year. I hope next year will be even better and I have started to prepare for next season already. It was an easy decision; it was decided after the play-off final. I said I wanted to stay and get more experience next year.

“We will try to win the Knockout Cup again next year and we need to win the league, that is the goal for next year.”

The former European champion had a hugely successful return to British speedway last season with the Witches, ending the campaign as the top points scorer in the division and is enjoying being able to ride on these shores once again.

“For me, I got a lot of experience and enjoyed riding my bike and seeing a lot of people. I really liked it, and, in my opinion, it is a really good school for speedway, that is why I have signed again.

“It is a little bit different since 2011 but most of the tracks and riders are the same and I really enjoyed it. Before, the reason I was not riding in the UK was because I did not have time and was in the Grand Prix.”

The multiple Grand Prix winner formed a strong partnership with Jason Doyle in 2023 and is hoping the pair of them can perform even better next season.

“Doyley is a legend; he is riding really well in England and Poland, and he is a world champion and I enjoy riding with him. Some heats this year have been strong from us, and I hope we can do even better next year together. When we are riding together, sometimes he waits for me and helps me on the track, so it is really nice.”

The Speedway of Nations winner was a popular figure wherever he went in the Sports Insure Premiership and is just enjoying being able to put on a show for the fans again.

“It was a pleasure for me to be in England, there are a lot of fans when I come to different tracks. In Poland, it is a little bit different but since I started riding again this year, I have been really happy, and people have been happy because I have been able to do my work as I did before, and the fans give me a lot of power in the stadium.”

Sayfutdinov is now enjoying some down time in the off-season but admits he likes keeping busy with the focus never far away from 2024.

“When the season is over, I keep training all the time and I sign contracts with sponsors. It is a little bit busy, but I like to be busy and keep training, this is my system. Now, I’m going on holiday, but I will be training there too, I like it like this, that is how my holiday looks.”

2024 SIGNING: DANNY KING

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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.”

2024 SIGNING: ADAM ELLIS

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches are pleased to welcome Adam Ellis to the club for the 2024 season.

Ellis spent time at Foxhall in 2013 and 2014 at the start of his career when he rode with current team manager Ritchie Hawkins, and he says he is pleased to be back in Suffolk.

“I spoke with Ritchie a few weeks before the season ended, and I didn’t really speak to him again until a few weeks after,” said Ellis. “I had a few options, but I am looking forward to going back to Ipswich and I said to most of the guys if I was going to ride in England, I probably wanted to race in Ipswich because I know how Ritchie and Chris (Louis) work. The track can suit me pretty good, and I am looking forward to it.”

The 27-year-old endured a difficult 2023 campaign but is looking forward to working with a management team he knows well at Ipswich.  

“2023 wasn’t very good! It was tough in England, but it has been and gone now and there is not a lot I can do about that, so I am just putting it behind me.

“It was important knowing that Ritchie and Chris are two guys that are good to work with. I get on well with them and they tell you what they think, they don’t beat around the bush, but they are not rude about it. I know what I am stepping into and that helps a lot. Some of the guys racing there this year told me it was the best run club they have been involved with over the last few years, so it wasn’t a difficult decision.”

The 2021 British champion has been taking a break from speedway since the season finished but is looking forward to a fresh start next year.

“Over the next month or so I will start to set targets, but the season only finished a few weeks ago and I have been doing everything but think about speedway! I want to improve on the continent and in England from where I was in 2022. There will be a lot going on, but I am looking forward to starting afresh.”

Ellis will be travelling to Australia this winter before returning to France for more time on the bike ahead of the new campaign.

“I’m still doing a bit of riding until the end of November, and I have been in Spain doing a bit of motocross. I will try and do some at home as well and then I am going away on holiday for about a month and then I will go to Australia to do a few meetings and then it is back to France.

“It all kicks off in France at the beginning of February, we practice and there will be some French league meetings, there is not really a lot of time off the bike. Last winter made a big difference, I felt a lot better this year than previous years when you don’t ride for six months, especially at the start of the season. I’m trying to mix some pleasure in with riding.”

2024 SIGNING: KEYNAN REW

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches welcome back young Australian Keynan Rew to the club for the 2024 season.

The Queenslander made his debut in British racing last season with Ipswich and admits it was a big learning curve for him.

“It was always the plan to be back at Ipswich next season,” said Rew. “I really enjoyed my first year there and couldn’t have started at a better place in England. Chris (Louis) and Ritchie (Hawkins) were awesome to work with in my first year and very helpful so I’m very grateful to be back next season.

“It was definitely a learning curve for me. There were ups and downs as there always are, it was my first season here so there was a lot to learn, and I think I learned a lot. Hopefully I can take that forward and from a team perspective it was awesome to win the Knockout Cup, we just missed out on the league which was a bummer but there is always next year.”

The 20-year-old enjoyed the team atmosphere built at Foxhall and is hoping to push for the Sports Insure Premiership title next season having lifted the Knockout Cup in 2023.

“It was an awesome feeling to win the Knockout Cup at home in Ipswich in the second leg. I feel like it was a present for Chris and for all of the hard work the boys put in this season. We all got along great, and it was a great bunch of guys and there was a good atmosphere. Of course, it was a bummer to lose out in the play-off final, but it is what it is.

“Everyone sets themselves goals for their season and I have many that I would like to achieve. I would like to come back and finish what we started; it would be cool to push for that league title.”

The 2022 Australian Under-21 champion finished fourth in the 2023 SGP2 series and is hoping to be part of it again next season as he targets a gold medal at that level.  

“It was my first year in the SGP2, so it was good to qualify for that. I came up a little bit short in the end with the goals I would have liked to achieve. It made me strive for bigger things next year so hopefully I can push on next year. I’ve got to do the qualifiers again to qualify but hopefully I can get through that, and the goal is to be an Under-21 champion, that is the main goal. I will work my hardest and hopefully we can get there.”

Rew has headed back to his homeland for the winter where he will remain busy on the bike before returning to Europe ahead of the new season.

“I’m back in Australia now which is nice and warm, and it is nice to be back home in the summer. I have got some racing to do which takes up some time and I will be in the gym a little bit working hard on my fitness to be ready for next season. I will be keeping busy on the bike and when I get back to Europe, I will get the rest of the small things organised and then I’ll be ready to go.”

2024 SIGNING: JASON DOYLE

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By Henry Chard

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches are thrilled to announce the first member of their 2024 team with the return of Grand Prix star Jason Doyle for the new season.

The Australian former world champion says he feels part of something special at Ipswich and that it was a no-brainer to sign up for another year at Foxhall.

“Since I first signed at Ipswich, a lot of things and people at the club have been so perfect, I don’t have a bad word to say, everything has gone so easily,” said Doyle. “It was a no-brainer to ask to come back to Ipswich next year.

“I think it is the way we get treated by the team, by Chris (Louis) and the Ipswich team, it is more of a family. You feel like you are part of something special and with how they put the team together, we always have a good bunch of boys and there is never a drama in the pits, and it has been like that the last two seasons and hopefully it can be the same next year.”

The world number eight played a key role in Ipswich winning the Knockout Cup and reaching the Sports Insure Premiership play-off final in 2023 but admits he was not totally satisfied with how things went as he searches for more titles with the club.

“2022 was good, 2023 I don’t think was as good. It was ok but there were a lot of times where I didn’t feel fast enough, so I am going to be working very hard over the next year to get better and master the Ipswich track even more and we need to be lifting some more titles. The main one is still not in the cabinet yet, so hopefully I can stay there until we do get it.”

The 2017 world champion revealed that tiredness took its toll last season and is hoping that a reduced schedule in the new year means he is fresher for meetings.

“I definitely had a sit down and think about the good and the bad last season. Racing in too many leagues played a big part in me being tired and not feeling like I want to be riding. It took the fun out of it sometimes where I had turned up to meetings being that tired where I wasn’t that bothered about racing that night.

“I have knocked Sweden on the head, but I have picked up Denmark which I have allocated only six meetings to throughout the season, so that will give me enough time if I do need to be racing, I can just do those meetings, it isn’t like I am going to be booked in for a whole season in one league. Poland, Denmark and England will be where I am racing and hopefully the points will follow.”

Doyle is briefly heading back to his homeland this winter to ride before attentions turn to 2024.

“I’m going to go back to Australia for nine days to ride in the Australian Speedway Centenary in Brisbane and see family. Then it is straight back to England to spend time with Emily before the start of the season to get ready for another big season.”

FANS’ VOICE REPRESENTATIVE ROLE FOR 2024

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Supporters of all seven Sports Insure Premiership clubs are being given the opportunity to have a say in the league’s future.

As part of a league-wide initiative launched by Premiership CEO Phil Morris, each club will be appointing a Fans’ Voice representative.

The Fans’ Voice representative will have the chance to join Zoom meetings hosted by Morris to discuss the status of the league as a whole with their fellow club representatives, and specifically ways in which the race-night experience for supporters can be enhanced.

If you are interested in this position, you are asked to contact the club in the first instance at enquiries@ipswichwitches.co & hchard@ipswichwitches.co.

Potential Fans’ Voice representatives should briefly explain why you feel you would be suitable for the position, and give an example of an idea/change to the sport which you would like to see implemented in the future.

All applications should be made by 5pm on Friday December 1st.