Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: BELLE VUE 49-41 IPSWICH – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

Posted on 17th July, 202317th July, 2023,

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

BELLE VUE 49: Dan Bewley 9+1, Norick Blödorn 8+1, Jaimon Lidsey 5, Charles Wright 8, Brady Kurtz © 8+1, Tom Brennan 10+4, Connor Bailey (RS) 1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH 41: Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Keynan Rew 5, Danny King © 10, Erik Riss 1+1, Jason Doyle 5, Danyon Hume 3, Dan Thompson (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Chris Louis

REFEREE: S. Perkin

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	19	35
Leicester	13	25
Wolverhampton	15	24
Sheffield	13	20
Ipswich	16	15
King’s Lynn	14	7
Peterborough	14	3

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches fell to defeat at Belle Vue on Monday night in the Sports Insure Premiership despite a spirited display in Manchester.

The Witches went into the meeting two points down on aggregate having lost at Foxhall last week against the Aces and there was nothing to separate the two sides at the National Speedway Stadium after nine races with the scores level. However, the table-toppers finished strongly with three maximums in the last six races to secure the win and the bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 13+1.

Sayfutdinov won a shared heat one by some distance and it was another 3-3 in heat two as Tom Brennan took victory. Charles Wright won heat three as the points were shared again but the Aces edged in front in heat four with a 4-2 as Jason Doyle was forced to retire early on in the race with bike troubles, a result that put Belle Vue 13-11 up.

Keynan Rew took the chequered flag in heat five ahead of Jaimon Lidsey who managed to keep Sayfutdinov behind him, giving the Witches a heat advantage that levelled the score. Belle Vue restored their lead in heat six with a 4-2 before the Witches were on a 5-1 in heat seven with Danny King and Erik Riss at the front but both Brady Kurtz and Brennan passed the German to secure the 3-3. Norick Blödorn won heat eight as Rew went from last to second at the start of the second lap and Dan Thompson continued his good night with a third place for another shared heat that left the score finely poised at 25-23.

Doyle and Lidsey were battling at the front in heat nine, but the Belle Vue man suffered bike problems and retired at the end of the opening lap, leaving Doyle to race to a comfortable win as the visitors hit a heat advantage to level the score again. The Aces then went back in front in heat 10 with a 5-1 as both Dan Bewley and Blödorn passed early leader Riss. Sayfutdinov fired himself to victory with a stunning move on the opening lap of heat 11 as he dived under Kurtz at the end of the back straight as it ended in a 3-3. The home team extended their lead in heat 12 with another maximum as Lidsey raced to victory and Brennan won the battle to the line against King to give the league leaders a 40-32 lead.

Heat 13 was stopped with Sayfutdinov at the front as Doyle came under Bewley late on in the race to take second with the Belle Vue man hitting the deck. The referee decided that Doyle caused the fall, and he was excluded, with the race being awarded as a 3-3. Stand-in team manager Chris Louis put Sayfutdinov back out in heat 14 as a tactical substitute but he was ruthlessly taken to the fence by Wright in the first turn and did well to stay on the bike. However, he could not make up the ground as the Aces raced to a 5-1 to secure the win and the aggregate bonus point. Wright was then excluded from heat 15 for moving at the start having already been warned earlier in the meeting and was replaced by Brennan. Bewley packed up on the first turn of the re-run as King raced to victory and Sayfutdinov got the better of Brennan on the final turn for a Witches 1-5 to end the evening, but it was ultimately a fruitless trip to the National Speedway Stadium.

REACTION FROM THE PROMOTER

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis reflects on Monday’s defeat to Belle Vue.

“I felt for the lads a bit because they hung in until heat 12 and then it got away from us a little bit. We looked like we were bringing it back in heat 13 with Jason and Emil but the decision went against Jason. To be fair it was the decision I expected from the ref, that isn’t me saying it was the right decision, I thought Dan went down a bit softly and I feel Jason’s frustration. We have seen it so many times the other way round and he keeps getting excluded when he is taken off. I fully understand and appreciate why he was so frustrated after that.

“Emil wasn’t taken off in heat 14, it was a very hard move but that is speedway, when you need the result that is what you have got to do, so I didn’t have a problem with it. It was tough for Emil but overall, it was a better performance. I thought the lads tried very hard and it is a shame they didn’t get more for their efforts.

“Dan was excellent, I was toying with whether it should be Erik or Dan in heat 14 and we had to make a change in that race obviously, but it wasn’t an easy decision who should be replaced.

“With the position we are in, it wasn’t enough, that is the bottom line. We won’t throw the towel in whilst it is mathematically possible. In theory we have a few easier meetings, and we will see what we can do and all we can do is try to win.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov was once again the leading light for Ipswich, but special mention must go to Thompson who picked up paid six from three rides at reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

Belle Vue further strengthen their position at the top of the table after adding three points to their tally. Ipswich stay fifth after failing to pick up any points.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Peterborough Panthers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 20^th July in the Sports Insure Premiership. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.

2024 WITCHES CALENDAR

Posted on 15th July, 202315th July, 2023,

The 2024 calendar is now available to purchase online for £8.50 including UK postage and is available on racedays for £6. Click on the yellow “Buy now” button on this link.

Cheques should be payable to ‘Save Our Speedway’ and sent to ISSC, 7 Penshurst Road, Ipswich, IP3 8QZ.

2023 END OF SEASON AWARDS NIGHT

Posted on 15th July, 202315th July, 2023,

The End of Season Awards Night will take place on Friday 3rd November at Venue 16, Ipswich.

Please call into the Supporters Club hut on the second bend to book. The cost is £40.00 for ISSC members and £45.00 non-members. A £10.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.

Full address: Venue 16, 312 Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, IP4 3QJ.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BELLE VUE – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

Posted on 15th July, 202315th July, 2023,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Sports Insure Premiership R2 fixture with Belle Vue.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Manchester to face Belle Vue at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 17^th July in a Sports Insure Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

BELLE VUE: 1. Dan Bewley 8.28 2. Norick Blödorn 5.69 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.25 4. Charles Wright 6.67 5. Brady Kurtz 8.28 © 6. Tom Brennan 5.66 7. Connor Bailey (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.80 2. Keynan Rew 4.00 3. Danny King 6.73 © 4. Erik Riss 5.93 5. Jason Doyle 9.66 6. Danyon Hume 3.92 7. Dan Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Chris Louis

REFEREE: S. Perkin

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	18	32
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	14	22
Sheffield	13	20
Ipswich	15	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased on the gate and online in advance here.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches are back in Sports Insure Premiership action again on Monday as they head to Manchester to take on the Belle Vue Aces. The Witches were beaten by the Aces at Foxhall on Thursday, a result that leaves them needing a mountain to climb to make the top four. A trip to the National Speedway Stadium is a daunting one for most with the Manchester side flying high at the top of the table but Ipswich know they must produce a result on the road urgently to keep any outside play-off ambitions alive.

The Witches were beaten by 20 points on their last visit to Belle Vue earlier in the season with only Emil Sayfutdinov hitting double figures. The away team are at full strength and field the same riding order as on Thursday. Promoter Chris Louis will be team manager for the night with Ritchie Hawkins unavailable due to work commitments.

FROM THE PROMOTER

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis gives us his pre-match thoughts…

“We have got to go there and ask the riders as individuals to give 100% and look for solutions to their own problems. We have got to work with what we have got and get the best out of what we have got. I do feel for Jason and Emil, it’s not just the fact that they are scoring big points, it is the effort they are putting in, it is huge, and they just want to win. It is very disappointing for them when we are not winning, and I would like to see us put in a team performance. Realistically we can’t expect to win at Belle Vue, but I want us to put in a decent performance.

“For this country it is a one-off track, it is more like a continental track, it is more like being in Poland or Sweden and I think the home riders are all riders that know and enjoy the track and conditions. They are dialled into it; they’ve got good engines and plenty of speed and they know exactly what to do. It is a difficult track to go to for all teams but then you get teams like Wolverhampton who go there and always put in a decent performance and they have been beaten at home, they are not invincible by any means. For us right now of course it is a tough place to go to, they are flying high at the top of the table.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue have all but confirmed their place in the play-offs already as they look to retain their title. The Aces hold a 10-point lead at the top of the table although they have raced more fixtures than their nearest rivals. Mark Lemon’s side will be full of confidence after victory in Suffolk and will be hoping to add another three points to their tally having put themselves in pole position for the aggregate bonus point.

Captain Brady Kurtz secured their victory in heat 15 at Foxhall and he and Dan Bewley will be hard men to pass in Manchester if they hit the front. Tom Brennan is a powerful reserve and showed that at Foxhall, hitting 11+2 from number six.

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.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 44–46 BELLE VUE – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

Posted on 13th July, 202313th July, 2023,

By Henry Chard

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.

George Baker Shipping –The George Baker Group is widely acknowledged as the UK’s customs specialists and has been providing comprehensive customs clearance services since 1982. Having successfully diversified into new markets and industry sectors, they are renowned for delivering market leading logistic services and can provide you with a one-stop-shop solution for all your trading requirements.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 44: Emil Sayfutdinov 12+2, Keynan Rew 5+1, Danny King © 6, Erik Riss 1+1, Jason Doyle 14, Danyon Hume 3, Dan Thompson (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE 46: Dan Bewley 4, Norick Blödorn 6+2, Jaimon Lidsey 6+3, Charles Wright 8+1, Brady Kurtz © 9, Tom Brennan 11+2, Connor Bailey (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: C. Turnbull

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	18	32
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	14	22
Sheffield	13	20
Ipswich	15	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches fell to a narrow defeat at home to Belle Vue on Thursday night in the Sports Insure Premiership.

The league leaders started well and took a two-point lead after five races before the rain arrived in Suffolk and caused a delay to the meeting. When the racing did resume it was the hosts who initially took to track conditions better, but the Aces got to grips with conditions soon after as the two sides traded maximums to set up a last-heat decider with the visitors two up. It was the Manchester side who came out top in the final race of the night to extend their lead at the top and leave Ipswich’s play-off hopes hanging by a thread. Jason Doyle top scored with 14.

Emil Sayfutdinov won a shared heat one from the gate before the Aces went in front with a 2-4 in heat two as Tom Brennan got the better of Danyon Hume on the opening lap. Danny King won heat three, but Erik Riss couldn’t find a way past Charles Wright at the back. Doyle stormed under Brady Kurtz going into the third turn of the opening lap to win but despite his best-efforts Danyon Hume couldn’t get amongst the points meaning another 3-3 which left the visitors 11-13 up.

Dan Bewley made the start in heat five but lost control and fell midway through the first and second turns and was subsequently excluded. However, the hosts couldn’t capitalise as Norick Blödorn held off King to win the re-run. There was then a delay to proceedings as a rain shower hit Foxhall and track work was carried out to enable the racing to continue. When the action did resume Sayfutdinov won heat six and he was joined at the front by Keynan Rew who rounded Kurtz for a 5-1 that put the Witches ahead. Doyle won a shared heat seven by a country mile and then Ipswich extended their lead in heat eight as Rew won and Dan Thompson did excellently to pass Blödorn to join his teammate at the front for a maximum that gave the hosts a 27-21 lead.

The visitors hit back in heat nine with a maximum of their own as Sayfutdinov won a shared heat 10. Doyle raced to another victory in heat 11 in a 3-3 but then the away side went in front with a 1-5 to make it 35-37 going into the final stages.

The Witches quickly regained the lead in heat 13 as the dependable duo of Doyle and Sayfutdinov hit a 5-1. However, the lead changed again in heat 14 as the Aces recorded another maximum to give them the lead heading into the final race of the night. Kurtz secured victory for his side in heat 15 as he took the chequered flag, a result that leaves the Witches with a mountain to climb in their bid for the top four.

REACTION FROM THE PROMOTER

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis reflects on Thursday’s defeat to Belle Vue.

“First things first I want to thank the fans for being patient on the terraces whilst we did our best to rectify the damage from the rain, so I appreciate that. It was very unfortunate that we couldn’t get the result they deserved because they are sticking by us, and I am very thankful for that. It is obvious we have got holes in the team which we have been aware of for weeks, but it is very difficult to find solutions right now out there, there is a lack of options.

“Conditions were not conducive to racing the way those guys (Doyle & Sayfutdinov) race and put everything on the line, it was very difficult to do that, and he (Kurtz) made the start in heat 15 and that was all he needed to do to get them the result. Emil and Jason have done everything for the team all year, they are completely faultless and have been all year. It is a shame because they have kind of been a bit let down by the team we have got, but we have got to continue to bang in the points. We understand now that we need someone to slip-up really badly which is unlikely to happen, but we can’t throw the towel in, and we need to keep looking for results.

“Erik has declared himself fit and has had the opportunity and it is not happening for him, I don’t know why, it is difficult to say.

“We can’t take notice of the criticism; at the end of the day, we have been very lucky to have the fanbase we have got, and they come to be entertained. Ok, that is generally done by Emil and Jason and a few other races but all we can respond with is to ask them as individuals to give 100%. They are in general, capable riders. As a unit, we are not good enough, we know that, but our options have been extremely limited. It is easy to say, ‘this rider is no good, that rider is no good, you’ve got to change him’ but you have got to come up with those solutions and we can’t find them at the moment.”

RN EUSTON & GEORGE BAKER SHIPPING RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

RN Euston chose Sayfutdinov after he scored 12+2.

George Baker Shipping went for Doyle who top scored with 14.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich stay fifth, five points adrift of the top four whilst the Belle Vue Aces strengthen their position at the top of the table and take a lead into the return fixture on Monday at the National Speedway Stadium where the aggregate bonus point will be decided.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Manchester on Monday 17^th July to take on the Belle Vue Aces at the National Speedway Stadium in the Sports Insure Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

KING: WHAT DO WE DO, GIVE UP? NO WAY

Posted on 11th July, 202311th July, 2023,

By Mike Bacon

Danny King has told Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches fans he and his side will fight for every point until the season’s end.

The Suffolk side entertain reigning Sports Insure Premiership champions, Belle Vue, at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday night, 7.30pm start, in what should be another tasty clash on the Heath.

The Witches come into the meeting on the back of a poor result at Sheffield on Monday night, where not only did they lose the meeting, but also a 12-point bonus point lead they were defending.

It has left the team with a mountain to climb to reach the play-offs and King is not hiding that fact. However, he says giving up is no option for any of the Witches.

“Everyone is disappointed after Sheffield,” the Witches skipper said.

“We’re aware of the situation, we know now it’s going to be tough to make the play-offs. But what do we do, give up? No way, that’s not what this club is about, or any of us.

“It’s mathematically still possible to reach the play-offs and as long as it is, we keep fighting.

“Unfortunately, we know we’ve made it hard for ourselves, but we can only attack one meeting at a time now. That’s it. But we aren’t giving up, that is 100% for sure.”

King knows 2023 is turning into a frustrating one for Ipswich fans, made even more so by the fact owner Chris Louis managed to attract the strongest top-two in the Sports Insure Premiership to Foxhall this summer, in Emil Sayfutdinov and Jason Doyle.

“The fans are rightly frustrated, I understand that. They’ve waited way too long for some silverware,” King said.

“And it’s even more frustrating because our fans are some of the very best in the country, we’re lucky to have them, we know that.

“I’m so frustrated, we all are. I don’t think we’ve ever recovered from Erik’s (Riss) situation. He’s such a key rider and losing him for the time we have has been massive for us – as well of course Jack (Thomas) before he even rode for us.

“It’s not excuses, just facts how much stronger we could have been this year.”

Belle Vue head to Foxhall on Thursday leading the way in the Sports Insure Premiership but having thrown away a six-point lead at Wolverhampton on Monday night, as they went down to defeat in the West Midlands.

“Belle Vue are a team of racers and hard riders,” King said.

“But it’s our track and we’re going well at home lately, so there’s no reason we can’t beat them. We must beat them quite honestly.

“We must be positive; I know it’s not easy coming into Thursday after the Sheffield defeat, but I say again, what do we do? We’re not giving in. We’ll fight to the end and always will do.”

IPSWICH WITCHES versus BELLE VUE ACES, Thursday, July 13, Foxhall Stadium, 7.30pm.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BELLE VUE – PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

Posted on 11th July, 20235th August, 2023,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership R2 fixture with Belle Vue.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 13^th July in a Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.80 2. Keynan Rew 4.00 3. Danny King 6.73 © 4. Erik Riss 5.93 5. Jason Doyle 9.66 6. Danyon Hume 3.92 7. Dan Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE: 1. Dan Bewley 8.28 2. Norick Blödorn 5.69 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.25 4. Charles Wright 6.67 5. Brady Kurtz 8.28 © 6. Tom Brennan 5.66 7. Connor Bailey (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: C. Turnbull

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	17	30
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	14	22
Sheffield	13	20
Ipswich	14	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £22 for adults and £20 for concessions (65+). Children 16 and under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3 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 STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces on Thursday in the Sports Insure Premiership. The Witches were racing at Sheffield on Monday and suffered a hugely disappointing night as they fell away at the end of the meeting and missed out on the aggregate bonus point after a Super Heat. That result has left Ipswich five points adrift of the top four and with much work to do in the final 10 fixtures of the campaign if they are to reach the play-offs. The Suffolk side have lost their last two home meetings against the Aces, in the 2022 play-offs and early on this season and know it is a stern test ahead of them on Thursday.

The home side are at full strength with the same riding order as Monday. Despite the disappointment at Owlerton, Emil Sayfutdinov will hope to continue his impressive form after he raced to 16+1 in South Yorkshire.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We welcome Belle Vue on Thursday, and we know it will be another tough test. We are looking to win the meeting and we need to. Yes, it is a tough test, but we need to show our fighting spirit to bounce back from Monday.

“We need to go into every meeting now desperate for every point. The first priority is to win the meeting, but we need to put ourselves in a good position going to Belle Vue to try and gain the bonus point.

“I hope everyone sticks by us, it has been quite tough, but we appreciate everyone coming out to back us and I’m sure everyone will again on Thursday.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue are the reigning champions and are enjoying another successful campaign so far in 2023. They sit top of the Sports Insure Premiership with a healthy lead although they have raced more fixtures than their rivals. The Aces have already picked up an impressive five wins on the road this season including one at Foxhall and will not fear a trip to Suffolk.

The Manchester side lost their Rising Star Jake Mulford to injury recently but have moved quickly to replace him with Connor Bailey. The visitors have a strong top end with recent Sports Insure Premiership Pairs winners Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz spearheading their side.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: SHEFFIELD 51-39 IPSWICH – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

Posted on 10th July, 202311th July, 2023,

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

SHEFFIELD 51: Jack Holder 11+1, Lewis Kerr 0 (Withdrawn), Adam Ellis 6, Josh Pickering 7, Tobiasz Musielak 11+1, Kyle Howarth © 12+3, Dan Gilkes (RS) 4. Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH 39: Emil Sayfutdinov 16+1, Keynan Rew 5+1, Danny King © 7, Erik Riss 1, Jason Doyle 6, Danyon Hume 3, Dan Thompson (RS) 1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	17	30
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	14	22
Sheffield	13	20
Ipswich	14	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches endured a frustrating evening on Monday in the Sports Insure Premiership as they came away empty-handed from Sheffield.

The Suffolk side took a 12-point lead to South Yorkshire having recorded victory at Foxhall last month but started slowly at Owlerton as the Tigers built up an early six-point lead. The away side hit back to level the score quickly before the hosts edged ahead to take a four-point lead with just four to race. Sheffield then finished strongly to secure the victory on the night and with the aggregate score level after 30 races it went to a Super Heat to decide who took the bonus point. Emil Sayfutdinov won the Super Heat but with the Sheffield duo in second and third it was the Tigers who claimed the extra point on a pretty miserable evening for Witches fans. Sayfutdinov top scored with 16+1.

Heat one was stopped with Jack Holder leading but his partner Lewis Kerr fell whilst at the back and was excluded. Holder won the re-run for a 3-3 whilst Kerr was immediately withdrawn from the rest of the meeting following his crash. The Tigers went ahead in heat two with a 4-2 before Adam Ellis got the better of Danny King on the opening lap of heat three as the hosts recorded another heat advantage. It looked like being a 5-1 in heat four to Sheffield with Tobiasz Musielak and Kyle Howarth at the front, but Jason Doyle worked overtime to hunt down Howarth and squeeze around the outside of the Tigers skipper on the last lap to deny the maximum, but it had been a solid start by Sheffield who led 15-9.

Heat five was stopped as Sayfutdinov came under Ellis at the front with the Sheffield man hitting the air fence before being excluded by the referee. Sayfutdinov won the re-run and Keynan Rew saw off an early challenge from Josh Pickering to secure a maximum for the Witches. Doyle won heat six despite a last corner divebomb from Holder and at the back Danyon Hume got past Dan Gilkes on the final lap to secure a heat advantage to the visitors which levelled the score. Sheffield went back in front in heat seven with a 4-2 and they extended their lead with a 5-1 in heat eight to give them a 27-21 advantage.

Ipswich team manager Ritchie Hawkins brought in Sayfutdinov as a tactical substitute in heat nine and he won the race by some distance ahead of Pickering with Doyle in third for a 2-4. Holder won heat 10 as King produced an impressive swoop around Howarth to split the home pairing and limit them to a 4-2. Sayfutdinov held off the opening lap charge from Musielak to win heat 11 and Rew picked up a point for a heat advantage to Ipswich. The home team took a big step towards victory in heat 12 with a 5-1 putting them 40-32 up with just three to race.

Sayfutdinov took the chequered flag again in heat 13 but Doyle was relegated to the back, meaning a 3-3. Erik Riss was the early leader in heat 14 but he was passed by both Tigers as they secured the two league points and levelled the aggregate score with one to race. Doyle then touched the tapes in heat 15 and was forced to go off 15 metres in the re-run. Sayfutdinov held his nerve and held off Holder to win the re-run and take it to a Super Heat to decide who picked up the aggregate bonus point. Sayfutdinov was once again untouchable in the Super Heat, racing to another win but with Holder and Musielak in second and third it made it a 5-4 to Simon Stead’s men which secured them all three points on a night Witches fans will want to forget in a hurry.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat to Sheffield.

“I am extremely disappointed; we were in the meeting longer than we were last time we were here, but we dropped away again at the end. To even lose the bonus point is dreadful and obviously it really hurts our chances of making the top four.

“It was clear Erik really struggled tonight and that is as disappointing for him as it is for everyone. Doyley had a rare off night but the margins between the top boys around here are very minimal, and he wasn’t far off but he wasn’t quite his sublime self that he has been pretty much week in week out for the last 18 months.

“Emil was superb again as he was last time he was here, and he has been like that pretty much everywhere we have been. He was brilliant and a joy to watch around there.

“It really hurts our play-off chances, and everyone is leaving here very disappointed, but we go again on Thursday. We have got to pick ourselves up for that and keep fighting. We owe it to everyone and ourselves to keep fighting for the rest of the season and that is what we will do.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Similarly to his last performance at Sheffield, Sayfutdinov was sublime as he racked up 16+1 and won the Super Heat but his efforts were not enough for his side to claim any league points.

WHAT IT MEANS

Sheffield add three points to their tally after claiming the win and bonus point which cements their spot in fourth and puts them five points ahead of Ipswich with a meeting in hand in the race for the top four.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 13^th July in the Sports Insure Premiership. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

Posted on 7th July, 20237th July, 2023,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Sports Insure Premiership R2 fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Monday 10^th July in a Sports Insure Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.58 2. Lewis Kerr 5.70 3. Adam Ellis 6.09 4. Josh Pickering 5.79 5. Tobiasz Musielak 8.17 6. Kyle Howarth 5.50 © 7. Dan Gilkes (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.80 2. Keynan Rew 4.00 3. Danny King 6.73 © 4. Erik Riss 5.93 5. Jason Doyle 9.66 6. Danyon Hume 3.92 7. Dan Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	16	29
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	13	20
Sheffield	12	17
Ipswich	13	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

TICKETS

Tickets are available on the gate.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches make the trip to Sheffield on Monday in the Sports Insure Premiership. The Witches were in action at Foxhall on Thursday beating Wolverhampton after a last-heat decider. The Suffolk side take a 12-point lead to Owlerton and so will be optimistic of at least claiming the aggregate bonus point.

There is a tweak to the riding order with Keynan Rew moving to number two and Erik Riss now at number four. Ipswich went down to a 39-51 defeat on their last visit to South Yorkshire, but Emil Sayfutdinov raced to a sublime five-ride paid maximum whilst Jason Doyle hit 13+1 and if the top two can be backed up on this occasion, the away side could be looking for more than just the bonus point, knowing that a win would be a huge boost to their play-off hopes.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are in a position where we need to win the meeting. We need to go fully focused on winning as we are playing catch up. They are the nearest team to us in the league table at the moment, so it would be a massive win if we could get one there. We need to believe in ourselves enough to do it and I think with our full one to seven we are capable of doing it. We are going to need to perform better than we have done all season as a unit, it is a massive meeting.

“They have been beaten and we know they can be beaten at home, but we should take positives from the first half of our last meeting there where we put ourselves in a good position. We fell away on that occasion and this time we need to step it up when we get in that position. We have got that gear, but we just need to find it on Monday.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield no longer have a 100% home record at Owlerton, having been beaten by Leicester last month. That defeat put a spanner in the works, but they have bounced back well beating bottom of the table Peterborough at home before hammering struggling King’s Lynn on the road. The currently occupy fourth spot, two points ahead of Ipswich with a meeting in hand.

The hosts have made a change to their line-up since our last fixture against them with Josh Pickering coming into replace the struggling David Bellego. Captain Kyle Howarth is at reserve and scored an impressive 10+4 in their win over Ipswich on home shale last time.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £22, concessions £20 and children (aged 17 and under) £1. Official programmes cost £3. All the stadium is open except the back straight which remains closed for safety reasons. There is seating in the Panorama Room, which also boasts a restaurant and bar overlooking the track. There is a fast-food bar, and the Panorama Room Restaurant also offers a ‘Speedway Special’ carvery with a choice of meats. The Panorama Room Restaurant has large bar with ideal viewing facilities in addition to the carvery. Reserve your table now by calling Owlerton Stadium on 01142 343074. For travel information head here.

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

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 47–43 WOLVERHAMPTON – SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

Posted on 6th July, 202325th August, 2024,

By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSORS

The Fat Cat Ipswich – They are a small, friendly Free House where you can enjoy a wide selection of up to twenty real ales served straight from the cask from our temperature-controlled tap room. Also, on offer are up to seven real ciders as well as a selection of gins, whiskies, rums, wines and Belgian beers. They are a pub about the beer and the people so whether it is lively debate you’re after or a quiet pint in the greenery filled garden, you can find it there!

The Fat Cat Colchester – Fat Cat Colchester is a well-established free house serving a great selection of ales, wines, spirits and food. You’ll be warmly greeted by their friendly atmosphere, the oak bar with a row of hand pumps advertising a selection of real ales. Above the bar, a blackboard details the wide range of beers sourced locally, nationally and from abroad.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 47: Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Erik Riss 2, Danny King © 11, Keynan Rew 3+1, Jason Doyle 13+1, Danyon Hume 5+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 0. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

WOLVERHAMPTON 43: Sam Masters © 9, Steve Worrall 5, Scott Nicholls (G) 9+1, Ryan Douglas 7+2, Rory Schlein 5, Zach Cook 4+1, Leon Flint (RS) 4+1. Team Manager: Peter Adams

REFEREE: S.H. Kennett

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	16	29
Leicester	12	22
Wolverhampton	13	20
Sheffield	12	17
Ipswich	13	15
King’s Lynn	13	7
Peterborough	13	2

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches beat the Wolverhampton Wolves after a last-heat decider at Foxhall on Thursday in the Sports Insure Premiership.

The hosts were returning to action after a two-week break and were at full strength for the clash with Wolves drafting in Scott Nicholls for the injured Luke Becker as both sides started the second half of their league campaign. There was little to separate the two sides throughout although it could have been a more comfortable night for the home team with several crashes proving costly. Things were all level going into heat 15 as Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov secured the victory with a maximum, both riders top scoring with 13+1.

Wolves went in front in heat one as Sam Masters held Sayfutdinov at bay to win with Steve Worrall in third for a 2-4. The visitors doubled their lead in heat two as Zach Cook took victory ahead of Danyon Hume and Dan Thompson fell on the final lap coming out of the second turn whilst in third, resulting in the heat advantage to Wolves. Danny King produced a fine first and second turn to win heat three as the points were shared. There was action at the front and back in heat four as firstly Hume nipped up the inside of Leon Flint to take third and at the front Doyle stalked leader Rory Schlein before diving under the Wolves man late on in the race to hit the front. That meant a 4-2 to Ipswich but they found themselves 11-13 down after the opening heats.

King won heat five comfortably and Keynan Rew worked hard to get past Worrall for a point to level the overall score. The Witches looked set for a 5-1 in heat six with Sayfutdinov and Erik Riss at the front, but Riss hit the air fence on the final lap after getting out of shape on the second turn, resulting in a 3-3. Doyle won a shared heat seven before Wolverhampton edged back in front in heat eight as Worrall passed Riss to win, giving his side a 2-4 to put them 23-25 in front.

Ipswich then went in front in heat nine as King and Rew roared to a 5-1 and Sayfutdinov picked up three points in heat 10 in a 3-3. Heat 11 was awarded with Masters leading Doyle as Thompson fell at the end of the second lap whilst in third. That handed the away side a 2-4, a decision met with boos from the home crowd. Wolves guest Nicholls won heat 12 as the points were shared, leaving it level at 36-36 with three to race.

Sayfutdinov and Doyle put the Suffolk side in the driving seat with a big 5-1 in heat 13 but it was cancelled out in heat 14 as the away side hit back with a maximum despite Hume’s best efforts to split the Wolves pair. With everything riding on heat 15, it was Doyle and Sayfutdinov who once again produced the goods, racing to a maximum that handed Ipswich an important win on home shale in their quest for the play-offs.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s win over Wolverhampton.

“We got the win in the end, we needed to get the two points on the board. I am disappointed we didn’t win by more, I felt we should have won by more than that, but we put ourselves in a position where we could have lost again. We are in July now and really; we need to do better but we got away with one tonight. We are not going to keep getting away with them, we have been punished before.

“In fairness it was tricky for the boys tonight, the track produced a lot more dirt than it has done for a couple of seasons. That takes a bit of getting used to for everyone and that should in theory create some home track advantage. I think you saw with Danny; he is used to riding the track when it is like that as he has been here many years and it was more like the track it was a few years ago. The other boys who haven’t ridden it like that before struggled.

“It wasn’t purposely made to be difficult to ride. We walked the track, and I thought it was going to be great. From my experience of seeing many tracks at Ipswich over the last 10 years, I thought it would ride really well. Early on it was difficult for the boys but it was a great meeting. There was lots of excitement and close racing. In that sense it produced a good meeting, but it was tricky for both teams.

“Erik crashed and hurt his wrist so we will wait and see how he is tomorrow and over the weekend. I don’t think it is anything serious, but you never know, so fingers crossed he will be ok with a few days of rest. It was a big shame because I thought he was going really well, especially in that race we were on a 5-1 until his crash. We all know he is a vital part of the team.

“Dan took a couple of falls, but I would be surprised if he has ridden a track with that much dirt on in his young career. I felt he did well, and it was a great experience for him, I am very happy with Dan since he has come into the team. You certainly can’t label any criticism at him because every race he got stuck in and he was in there fighting. He should have had a couple of points but was caught out by the track and he had a machinery issue in his last race which caused him to crash, so that was out of his hands. It was one of those nights for Dan but for a young rider coming through, it wasn’t that bad.

“It is clear we won the meeting because our three heat leaders dropped one point each. We had a lot of race winners, but we didn’t manage to back them up to get a bigger win. Going into heat 15 knowing you have got the two best riders in the league makes you feel confident, but it would be a lot more pleasurable going into heat 15 knowing you don’t need to win it to get two points.”

FAT CAT RIDER OF THE NIGHT

The Fat Cat chose King after he dropped just a point from his programmed rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich stay fifth but keep pace with Sheffield in fourth whilst Wolverhampton drop to third after defeat. The Witches take a four-point lead to the West Midlands in August when the aggregate bonus point will be decided.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to South Yorkshire on Monday 10^th July to take on the Sheffield Tigers at Owlerton in the Sports Insure Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway