Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

LOUIS: NOTHING GETS CLOSE TO A DERBY AGAINST KING’S LYNN

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By Mike Bacon

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches promoter Chris Louis says his riders know the importance of the big derby day clash with King’s Lynn Stars on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Witches and Lynn meet at Foxhall on Monday, 2.30pm start, for the first time this season, with the Suffolk side buoyed after toppling previously unbeaten Sheffield Tigers last week, as well as getting through to the Knockout Cup semi-finals, where they will race Peterborough Panthers.

However, it’s derby day this Bank Holiday and Louis can’t wait.

“For me, of course British Final days were big days, World Championships were big days, but in terms of league racing, nothing gets close to a derby against King’s Lynn,” Chris said.

“And now as a promoter, that feeling about wanting to beat them hasn’t changed.

“It’s not just me either. Ritchie Hawkins (team manager) is Ipswich through and through and he feels the same as I do, as does the skipper, Danny King.

“Those two have the same feelings as me towards derby meetings with Lynn. Obviously, I’m born and bred Ipswich – they can’t beat that – but Ritchie and Danny aren’t far behind. They might as well have been born in Ipswich because that’s what speedway is all about for them.

“As a team we’ve made a good start to the season, and we want to keep it going. The Lynn meeting is a big one for the club, the first derby of the season and we want to put down a marker. The riders know how important it is.”

The Witches have lost just once in their opening five meetings, including away wins at Peterborough and Leicester. Only Belle Vue have lowered their colours on a wet night at Foxhall three weeks ago.

“It’s a shame that big test against Belle Vue came as early as it did because I think this team is going to get better and better as the season goes on, especially at Foxhall,” Chris said.

“I thought we did well to beat Sheffield last week. Scott Nicholls had his best meeting at Foxhall I’ve seen from him in years, he was excellent. Already, they and Belle Vue appear to be the teams to beat.”

The long winter work by Chris to get Emil Sayfutdinov to the club is paying dividends already. Not only is the former world number three exciting the fans, banging in points and even breaking track records, as he did at Leicester. But he’s equally popular off track.

Chris couldn’t be more delighted.

“I had expected Emil to need, not long to be fair, but a few meetings to ride himself into just racing,” Chris said.

“He had a whole year out with no competitive racing, and he told me he’d been on the bike only six times since the end of the season before.

“So, I had expected him to take a bit of time to settle in, but he hasn’t needed it.”

The only concern in a buoyant Witches camp right now is the illness to Erik Riss. The popular German has gone down with an infection, one he is struggling to shrug off. He has missed the last three Witches meetings and it is not known yet when he’ll return.

“It’s obviously a concern,” Chris said.

“Erik was coming back from injury and started well for us, and it was a bit of a sigh of relief for all of us to be honest.

“So, to go down with this infection is a massive blow to him and us. It’s not like an injury where a doctor could look at an x-ray and say you will be back in three weeks, or whatever. We don’t know with this.

“It’s very frustrating for him and us. We’re monitoring the situation, almost daily.”

But back to derby day and the visit of Lynn. Chris knows the fans will turn out in force to support the team. He has seen that already so far this season.

“We’ve had great support from our first three meetings,” Chris said.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who supports us. I can’t complain at the levels of support we get. We’re lucky to have the fans we do.

“Throughout this week, the phones and emails have been red hot with people asking about us and our meetings, how to purchase tickets. Many new fans asking about the Bank Holiday meeting.

“I would like to tell people that while you can book tickets online, we take cash and card on the turnstiles on the night,” Chris added.

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 47-43 SHEFFIELD – PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

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By Mike Bacon

MEETING SPONSOR

Jim Buxton & Friends

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 13+1, Erik Riss R/R, Danny King © 9+1, Keynan Rew 4, Emil Sayfutdinov 11+2, Danyon Hume 8+1, Joe Thompson (RS) 2.  Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD 43: Jack Holder 4+2, Kyle Howarth © 6+1, Adam Ellis 7, David Bellego 1, Scott Nicholls (g) 11, Lewis Kerr 10+3, Dan Gilkes (RS) 4. Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: M. Bates

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Belle Vue56
Sheffield35
Ipswich34
Wolves23
Leicester23
King’s Lynn22
Peterborough30

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches inflicted on Sheffield Tigers’ their first Premiership defeat of the season in a thrilling meeting at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday.

The Witches and the Tigers went into the final race all level at 42-42 and when Sheffield guest for the night, the impressive Scott Nicholls, raced away after a tight first turn, it looked as though the tie was heading for a draw and a Super Heat, with Adam Ellis at the back for the visitors.

However, Witches No.1 Jason Doyle caught and then flew up the inside of Nicholls going into turn one on lap three to pass the Tigers man. Nicholls fell under the pressure as Emil Sayfutdinov nipped through into second place, and the Witches grabbed the 47-43 victory, much to the joy of the home crowd.

In a nip and tuck encounter, it was the Tigers who took an early lead after Lewis Kerr and Dan Gilkes made the most of Danyon Hume’s tapes exclusion in heat two. Danny King won the next, with Nicholls beginning his excellent night with a win over Sayfutdinov in heat four.

King and Doyle won again, before the Witches netted the first 5-1 of the evening via Sayfutdinov and the fast-starting Hume, to lead by six points after heat seven.

However, two 5-1 maximums from the visitors in heats eight and nine turned the meeting on its head, as Sheffield took a two-point lead at 26-28. But Ipswich hit straight back with another 5-1 as the meeting ebbed and flowed.

King fell in heat 12 and the Tigers regained the lead, before Nicholls showed all his class to hold off Ipswich’s top two, Doyle and Sayfutdinov in a ferocious heat 13 with Sheffield leading 38-40 with two to go.

Hume continued his fine evening with a tapes to flag victory in the penultimate race and with Keynan Rew picking up a vital third place, it was all square going into the last heat of the night, where Doyle and Sayfutdinov did it again for the Witches.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“I’m delighted to get the win against a very strong team. At this stage of the season any victory against strong teams like Sheffield are good ones. Missing Erik Riss is making it hard now, and I’d have taken a four-point win at the start of the night to be honest.

“Right now, we just need to win meetings and keep ourselves in the play-off race, so that when the boys get a bit more experience, we can step it up another level come the summer.

“Obviously there were some top performances again tonight from our heat leaders, but Danyon Hume was also very good for us. He’s gone up a level these last two meetings this week. That’s probably him having more time on the bike, as he’s coming back from injury from last season.

“His determination is so good. He doesn’t care who he’s racing against, beating Max Fricke and Dan Bewley the last two meetings before tonight. It’s such a massive bonus having him at reserve because he can beat anyone, as he’s proving.

“At the end of the meeting we had a little team talk out on the track. I just wanted to say well done to everyone, I was so pleased with their determination and getting the job done. We’ve got a week off now, but I wanted to emphasise to them the importance of our next meeting here, against King’s Lynn. We very much want to win that, and the riders know that.”

JIM BUXTON & FRIENDS RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Hume was the pick after scoring 8+1 from reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Witches bounce back from defeat last time out in the Premiership at Foxhall and move up the table with this win. This was Sheffield’s first league defeat of the season. In the night’s other meeting, Belle Vue and Leicester drew, with the Aces winning the Super Heat, to go top of the table.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 1st May in the Premiership. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD – PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

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By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership R1 fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 20th April in a Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Jim Buxton & Friends

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 10.32 2. R/R for Erik Riss 6.00 3. Danny King 6.41 © 4. Keynan Rew 5.00 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.00 6. Danyon Hume 3.07 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.47 2. Kyle Howarth 5.47 © 3. Adam Ellis 6.75 4. David Bellego 5.80 5. Scott Nicholls (g) 8.08 6. Lewis Kerr 4.88 7. Dan Gilkes (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: M. Bates

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield25
Belle Vue44
Wolverhampton23
Leicester12
Ipswich22
King’s Lynn22
Peterborough30

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 are back in Premiership action on Thursday as they host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall. The Witches will be looking to return to winning ways in the league after they were beaten last week on home shale by the Belle Vue Aces. The Suffolk side were in action on Monday in the Knockout Cup and progressed to the semi-final of the competition after an impressive win on the road at Leicester.

The hosts were hoping to welcome back Erik Riss to the side after he has missed the last two fixtures. The German has been being treated for a viral infection and was hopeful of being fit enough to return to action on Thursday however it has come too soon and rider replacement will be in operation again in his absence. Emil Sayfutdinov recorded a 12-point maximum at Leicester on Monday and he and Jason Doyle will be looking to carry on the powerful relationship they have formed together on track against the high-flying Tigers.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“It is certainly going to be another tough night for us at Foxhall and we will certainly need to perform better than we did last week. The morale is straight back up after our performance at Leicester and we have stepped it up a gear now. We need to make sure we are at that level again on Thursday if we want to win the meeting.

“We are monitoring the situation daily with Erik at the moment and were hopeful to have him back on Thursday, but it is a day-by-day thing. We don’t know how long he will take to recover but he has shown improvement and we are hopeful he will be back with us soon.

“Sheffield have put together another very good team, like they have done the past two seasons in the Premiership. They will be one of the favourites for the title again alongside Belle Vue probably and it will be a tough test for us. They will come full of confidence having started the season brilliantly and will come to our place going all out to get the win so we will have to be on top form if we want to win the meeting.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield narrowly missed out on Premiership glory in 2022 after they were defeated in the play-off final. Once again, the Tigers have assembled a side fancied by many to compete at the top end of the table with the bulk of last year’s side staying in South Yorkshire. Simon Stead’s men have made a strong start to the campaign with home and away wins over Belle Vue to start the league season.

Grand Prix rider Jack Holder is at number one for the visitors with Adam Ellis and Tobiasz Musielak forming a familiar top three at Owlerton. However, Musielak will miss this fixture after breaking his collarbone with Scott Nicholls guesting in his absence. David Bellego was a new winter signing and will ride at number four with Kyle Howarth captaining the side at number two. Lewis Kerr is one of the strongest reserves in the league and Dan Gilkes is their ‘Rising Star’.

REW: I FEEL I’M GETTING THERE, GETTING BETTER EVERY WEEK

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By Mike Bacon

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches’ young Aussie ace, Keynan Rew, is on a steep learning curve. But he feels he’s getting there.

Rew, 20, lines up for the Foxhall side against Sheffield on Thursday night, 7.30pm start, in another cracking-looking Premiership clash.

It’s been a tough start for the amiable Aussie U21 champion, as he gets to know the rigours of British speedway. But glimpses of his quality have already shone through – and he’s now hoping to kick on.

“It’s been a big learning curve so far, of course. It’s all new to me, the aspect of the British speedway scene,” Rew said.

“I’m learning a lot and trying to improve week in, week out. My results haven’t been as good as I would like, but I feel I’ve learned a lot the last few weeks and I’ll take this forward throughout the season.

“I’m trying to pick up things fast. I want to be scoring points faster, that’s my aim. But there’s a lot to learn, so of course I’m trying to take in as much as I can as fast as I can. I feel like I’m getting there and getting better every week.”

While his scores haven’t been hitting the heights he has wanted, Rew has produced a couple of terrific races so far, showing flashes of his quality.

At Peterborough three weeks ago, he passed the flying Ben Basso from the back in heat 14, while on Monday night at Leicester, where the Witches beat the Lions in a Knockout Cup clash, Rew crashed heavily in heat 14, before picking himself up and winning the nominated riders heat 15.

Witches team boss Ritchie Hawkins admitted to being happy with Rew’s performances.

“Keynan rode well right from the first race at Leicester on Monday, and got better as the night went on,” Hawkins said.

“He was unlucky to end his programmed rides with two points, he rode far better than that and he managed to put it together in heat 15. As a team we are delighted for him.”

Rew knows he is fortunate to have the experience of Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov and Danny King in his side of the Ipswich pits to give him guidance. It’s something he acknowledges.

“They’re all a big help to me,” he said.

“They try to point me in the right direction. All speedway riders do things a little bit different but it’s great for me to have them there.

“It’s so helpful when track conditions are tough or I’m a little bit lost or don’t know what to do.”

Aside from his teammates, Rew is proving popular with Ipswich fans, who can see his potential, as well as enjoying his off-track laid-back and friendly nature.

“They are a great group of fans, they’re really cool,” he said. “They get behind us and that’s really appreciated by me and the whole team, I know that.”

Rew and the Witches entertain Sheffield this Thursday night in what is sure to be a tough Premiership clash, as Aussie champion Jack Holder leads the Tigers and will renew his rivalry with Doyle, who he pipped to that Aussie title, Down Under, in January.

“The teams this year are all tough in the Premiership, Sheffield will be no different,” Rew said.

“It’s a very even league and all home and away meetings are tough. You can’t count any teams out.”

RACEDAY REPORT: LEICESTER (85) 43–47 (95) IPSWICH – KNOCKOUT CUP QUARTER-FINAL SECOND LEG (A)

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Picture courtesy of Phil McGlynn

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

LEICESTER 43: Max Fricke 5+1, Justin Sedgmen 7, Richard Lawson 10+1, Chris Harris © 8+2, Nick Morris 5+1, Jake Allen 4+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 12+2, Erik Riss R/R, Danny King © 11, Keynan Rew 5, Emil Sayfutdinov 12 (Maximum), Danyon Hume 5, Joe Thompson (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

Wolverhampton 46-20 Belle Vue – First Leg

First Leg: Ipswich 48-42 Leicester. Second Leg: Leicester 43-47 Ipswich

Sheffield 58-32 King’s Lynn – First Leg

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches progressed to the semi-final of the Knockout Cup after beating Leicester away from home on Monday night in the second leg.

The visitors took a six-point lead into the decisive leg but were once again without Erik Riss with the German being treated for a viral infection and rider replacement being used in his absence. The two sides exchanged heat advantages early on, but it was Ipswich who provided every race winner from heat four until heat 12, keeping the Lions at arm’s length. Maximums in heats 13 and 15 from Ipswich booked their spot in the last four on what was an impressive performance on the road. Jason Doyle top scored with 12+2 whilst Emil Sayfutdinov hit a 12-point maximum.

Max Fricke got the better of Doyle in heat one as the hosts recorded a 4-2 but the Witches responded immediately in heat two as Danyon Hume and Joe Thompson raced to a maximum. The Lions then went back in front in heat three with a 5-1 of their own. Sayfutdinov set a new track record in heat four on his first visit to the circuit as he took the chequered flag ahead of Nick Morris and Hume picked up third place to level the score at 12-12 on the night, keeping the Witches six points ahead on aggregate after the opening exchanges.

Doyle got his first win of the night in a shared heat five and Sayfutdinov was a winner again in heat six as Hume finished third ahead of Fricke to edge the visitors ahead on the night. Skipper Danny King won heat seven, but Keynan Rew was beaten on the run to the line by Jake Allen for a point, meaning a 3-3. King was back out in heat eight for a rider replacement ride and duly won again as the points were shared, leaving the away side two points up on the night and eight points ahead on aggregate.

The run of Witches winners kept on coming as Sayfutdinov passed Harris to win heat nine with Richard Lawson beating Hume to a point on the final lap. It was another Ipswich victory in heat 10 as King won another shared heat and then Doyle carried on the run in heat 11, putting another three points on the board. Leicester finally recorded another race win in heat 12 as Lawson held off King for the victory and Allen took third for a 4-2 to the home team which levelled the score at 36-36 on the night, the Witches maintaining their six-point lead on aggregate with three races to go.

Sayfutdinov and Doyle once again proved too strong in heat 13 as the powerful duo raced to a 1-5, meaning the Suffolk side needed just a point from the final two races to secure their progress into the semi-final. Heat 14 was stopped after some first bend bunching and in the re-run the Lions hit a 5-1 to level the meeting score but with their exit from the cup was confirmed. Rew and Doyle finished the night in style as they raced to a maximum to complete a fine night’s work by the Witches.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“It was definitely our best performance of the season. I am delighted with the boys and how they bounced back from the disappointment of last Thursday. To come here with six men and ride like that was terrific. I am delighted with all six of them.

“Emil has never been here and to be fair we felt it would take him a couple of rides to get his head around the place. Emil being Emil showed his class again and broke the track record in his first ride and was on it. It was a terrific maximum, and he was superb. Keynan rode well right from the first race, and he gained experience and got better as the night went on through knowing the track a bit better, but he was very unlucky to finish his programmed heats with two points. I thought he rode far better than that and managed to put it together in that extra race in heat 15, so as a team we were delighted for him, and he rode really well.

“We talk about the top end but every rider in the team has got a win or a paid win, we were quite solid tonight with a very strong top end. Danny winning three heats certainly helps but I think it was a great all-round team performance really.

“We spoke before the meeting and told the boys we have got three trophies to win this year and we certainly don’t want to lose the opportunity to win one of them in April. The boys want to win and progress, and you could see their determination tonight from the word go and as a team we stepped it up a level tonight.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

It was a real team performance but on his first visit to Leicester, Sayfutdinov hit an impeccable 12-point maximum, showing he needed no time to get to grips with the track.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich progress to the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup whilst Leicester bow out at the first hurdle.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 20th April in the Premiership. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: LEICESTER – KNOCKOUT CUP QUARTER-FINAL SECOND LEG (A)

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By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Knockout Cup quarter-final second leg fixture with Leicester.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Leicester to face the Lions at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena on Monday 17th April in a Knockout Cup quarter-final second leg fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke 8.55 2. Justin Sedgmen 4.44 3. Richard Lawson 7.71 4. Chris Harris 7.40 © 5. Nick Morris 6.48 6. Jake Allen 4.00 7. Dan Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 10.32 2. R/R for Erik Riss 6.00 3. Danny King 6.41 © 4. Keynan Rew 5.00 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.00 6. Danyon Hume 3.07 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

Wolverhampton 46-20 Belle Vue – First Leg

Ipswich 48-42 Leicester – First Leg

Sheffield 58-32 King’s Lynn – First Leg

TICKETS

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

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Leicester on Monday to take on the Lions in the second leg of their Knockout Cup quarter-final tie. The Witches take a six-point lead to the East Midlands having won the first leg 48-42 at Foxhall thanks to two late maximums courtesy of Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins admitted he would have liked a bigger lead to take into the second leg and the Suffolk side will need a solid team performance throughout if they are to progress to the semi-finals.

The visitors are still without Erik Riss for this fixture as he continues to recover from illness. The German missed last Thursday’s Premiership defeat to Belle Vue at Foxhall and rider replacement remains in operation at number two on Monday. Joe Thompson returns to a place he knows very well; the Rising Star having represented Leicester throughout his career at Championship and National League level. In fact, the Witches side is packed full of experience at Leicester with Doyle, King and Hume all having spent time at the club in their careers.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We head to Leicester with a six-point lead, we are not going there to defend it, we are going there to win the meeting. We have got a team capable of doing that and we need to get our heads around the track quickly and be on it from the off.

“I would be surprised if we see Erik back on Monday so we will be running rider replacement again. It puts the emphasis on other members of the team to perform.

“A lot of our riders have ridden the Leicester track before even though they are new to the league. I would expect Emil to adapt quickly but obviously it is going to be a new experience for Keynan. I think he has shown already that he has got massive potential and I’m sure the more experienced boys will help him. Hopefully he will take to the Leicester circuit even though it is quite a unique one.”

THE LIONS

Leicester made their return to top-flight racing at Foxhall earlier this month for the first leg fixture of this tie and went away pleased with their showing in Suffolk. The Lions matched the Witches throughout the contest as they limited the hosts to just a six-point win. Stewart Dickson’s side will feel confident on home shale that they can overturn the deficit to progress into the last four of the competition.

The Lions were in action last Thursday against Peterborough in the Premiership and got their league campaign off to a positive start with a 47-42 victory over the Panthers.

Justin Sedgmen has made an impressive start to the season, scoring 8+1 in the Lions’ defeat to Ipswich before backing that up with 10+1 against the Panthers and he could be vital in the middle-order. Dan Thompson is their ‘Rising Star’ and will once again come up against his twin brother Joe in this fixture, with the pair providing some entertaining battles at Foxhall.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £21, concessions £19, children (6-17) £1 and children aged 5 and under go free. There will be 235 free car park spaces available at the stadium with further free car parking facilities on the Beaumont Shopping Complex (maximum time of 4 hours). Three Coach/Mini Bus spaces, 15 Disabled spaces available, 15 Motorcycle spaces, Taxi drop-off point. For travel information head here.

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

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 41–49 BELLE VUE – PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

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By Dave Rowe

MEETING SPONSORS

Suffolk Floor Restore – Suffolk Floor Restore is a family run business that provide a professional stone and tile cleaning. 

Farnham Leisure Ltd – Catering to all of your caravan servicing, accessory fitting and repair requirements. They are a Bailey of Bristol main solus dealer for new Bailey touring caravans, while they also offer a vast selection of used caravans. They also have a camping and leisure shop which boasts a wonderful selection of products.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 41: Jason Doyle 13+1, Erik Riss R/R, Danny King © 7+1, Keynan Rew 3, Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1, Danyon Hume 6+1, Joe Thompson (RS) 0.  Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE 49: Dan Bewley 8, Norick Blödorn 5+2, Tom Brennan 6+2, Charles Wright 9+1, Brady Kurtz © 9, Jaimon Lidsey 9+1, Anders Rowe (G) (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: S.H. Kennett

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield25
Wolverhampton23
Leicester12
Belle Vue32
Ipswich22
King’s Lynn22
Peterborough20

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches suffered their first defeat of the season as reigning champions Belle Vue raced to an impressive 41-49 win at Foxhall on Thursday.

In a weather-affected meeting, the Witches dropped eight points down after five races, and every time they made a significant move to narrow the gap, the Aces hit back immediately in a powerful all-round team performance.

The visitors took the lead with a 2-4 in heat two when former Ipswich rider Anders Rowe got the better of Joe Thompson for third place, and a further 2-4 followed in heat four as Aces skipper Brady Kurtz held off the hard-charging Emil Sayfutdinov.

Jason Doyle and Danny King were early race winners for the Witches, but Belle Vue struck a major blow in heat five when King fell on the third bend as Dan Bewley and Norick Blödorn completed the first 1-5 of the night to put their side 11-19 up.

Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins immediately deployed Sayfutdinov as a tactical substitute in heat six and he quickly made it through from the back to join Doyle and record the pair’s fifth successive 5-1 together this season.

But Charles Wright defeated Sayfutdinov in tricky conditions in heat seven to rebuild a six-point lead for the Aces, and it was a margin they held through the mid-stages of the meeting despite further race wins for King in heat eight and Doyle in heat 10.

A superb heat 11 saw the Witches back in contention with Danyon Hume superbly holding British champion Bewley at bay for a 5-1 with Sayfutdinov to leave the scores at 32-34 with four races remaining.

But again, Belle Vue responded, this time with a 1-5 of their own from Jaimon Lidsey and Tom Brennan in heat 12, and that left the Witches’ top two needing to perform a major rescue act in the closing stages.

However, on this occasion there was no way back as the run of Doyle/Sayfutdinov 5-1s was ended by Kurtz taking the win in heat 13, holding off Doyle up front whilst Bewley took third place over Sayfutdinov to leave the Witches needing two 5-1s to set up a Super Heat decider.

Briefly it looked possible in heat 14, but Wright made it past Hume and Keynan Rew, with the latter falling to enable Lidsey to take second place and confirm an Aces victory. Sayfutdinov and Doyle did team up again for a heat 15 5-1, but on this occasion, it was mere consolation.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s home defeat against Belle Vue.

“We were beaten by the better team on the night, and congratulations to Belle Vue. They turned their early season form around and looked like the champions they are. I think for us, you could really see the inexperience we have in the side, that certainly showed today, and the wet conditions really made it even more evident.

“It’s a team of seven, so you can’t rely on two riders, you can’t expect two riders to carry you through, that’s not going to happen. But you could use Emil as an example of a rider who had a couple of tough rides tonight where he was trying to figure out his set-up on a track he hasn’t ridden much on, and by heat 15 he’d got it sorted and was probably the quickest rider by that stage. If that takes him a bit of time, then for less experienced guys like Keynan and Joe, it’s understandable that it’s hard for them to get set up.

“The latest on Erik is that as things stand, I’d be surprised if he’s back on Monday. We’re waiting on more information from the doctor but he’s still not feeling great. Obviously, we want him to recover as quickly as possible both for him and the team.”

SUFFOLK FLOOR RESTORE & FARNHAM LEISURE LTD RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

Farnham Leisure Ltd chose number one Doyle after he top scored with 13+1.

Suffolk Floor Restore picked Hume for his efforts at reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Witches are placed fifth in the early Premiership table, one of four clubs on two points. Belle Vue’s first points of the season take them into fourth place. Sheffield remain top with a maximum five points from two matches.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Leicester on Monday 17th April to take on the Lions at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena in the second leg of their Knockout Cup tie. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here and on the gate.

KING: I’M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING DOYLE AND SAYFUTDINOV

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By Mike Bacon

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches skipper Danny King says he still feels the pressure, despite having big hitters Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov smashing in the points for the Suffolk club.

King, who leads the Witches into Thursday night’s big Premiership clash with champions Belle Vue at Foxhall Stadium (7.30pm), has often had to carry the burden of last-heat deciders over his many years with Ipswich.

And while so far this season he has been able to sit back and watch Doyle and Sayfutdinov take up that mantle in the last heat, he says he’s determined to push them all the way.

“On paper, having Jason and Emil in the side does take a lot of pressure off me, of course, even though I feel I’m capable of taking that No.5 spot,” King said.

“There was pressure on me last year and things weren’t going my way but that’s the way it is.

“But nothing changes with me. I put pressure on myself, whether I’m No.1 or whatever number. That’s just my make-up. I want to win races, full stop.

“I’m not going to lie. I’m going to keep pushing those boys all season and keep them on their toes and it gives me something to chase as well.”

King has made a good start to 2023 with two impressive Witches performances, and he hopes that continues with the visit of the Aces on Thursday. Not that his current form is a surprise to him.

“I’ve made a good start and I feel great,” he said.

“I finished last year strong after finding out what was wrong with the motors. I’ve hit the ground running this year, as I expected to be honest, knowing we had got to the bottom of it.”

Belle Vue will offer another stiff test for the Witches in a Premiership league that looks very open. The Manchester side are the current champions after beating Sheffield in last year’s Grand Final and head to Foxhall led by Grand Prix star and exciting young British rider, Dan Bewley.

“Belle Vue are a strong side and we will need to be on top of our game,” King added.

“Dan Bewley may not have had the greatest start in Britain so far this year. But he’s too good, he’s going to come so good and we need to believe we’re going to get the best Dan Bewley at Foxhall on Thursday, and prepare for that.

“When Dan and the rest of that Belle Vue team are on fire, they’re good.”

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches head into Thursday’s clash looking to make it three wins out of three after a Premiership victory over Peterborough and Knockout Cup first leg win over Leicester.

“It would be nice to make it three out of three, of course,” King said.

“It’s so far been two very tight meetings and we’ve relied on Jason and Emil in heats 13 and 15 in both.

“I think that’s the nature of the way our team is built. But it would be nice to get meetings over the line, so these boys didn’t have to go into heat 15 with the pressure.”

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BELLE VUE – PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

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By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership R1 fixture with Belle Vue.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 13th April in a Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Suffolk Floor Restore – Suffolk Floor Restore is a family run business that provide a professional stone and tile cleaning. 

Farnham Leisure Ltd – Catering to all of your caravan servicing, accessory fitting and repair requirements. They are a Bailey of Bristol main solus dealer for new Bailey touring caravans, while they also offer a vast selection of used caravans. They also have a camping and leisure shop which boasts a wonderful selection of products.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 10.32 2. R/R for Erik Riss 6.00 3. Danny King 6.41 © 4. Keynan Rew 5.00 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.00 6. Danyon Hume 3.07 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE: 1. Dan Bewley 8.95 2. Norick Blödorn 5.33 3. Tom Brennan 5.74 4. Charles Wright 6.55 5. Brady Kurtz 8.22 © 6. Jaimon Lidsey 5.16 7. Anders Rowe (G) (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: S.H. Kennett

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield25
Wolverhampton12
Ipswich12
Leicester00
Peterborough10
Belle Vue20
King’s Lynn10

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 return to Premiership action on Thursday as they take on reigning champions Belle Vue at Foxhall. The Suffolk side won their first league fixture of the season away at Peterborough last month before they began their Knockout Cup campaign at Foxhall last week with a win over Leicester in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

The hosts will be without Erik Riss for this fixture with the German serving his mandatory seven-day suspension for missing last Friday’s meeting for Redcar, his Championship club, due to illness. Riss was struggling in last Thursday’s win over Leicester but is hopeful of a return to action for the second leg in the East Midlands on Monday. Rider replacement will be in operation at number two against the Aces.

Jason Doyle is unbeaten by an opponent so far at Foxhall this season after his paid maximum in the win over Leicester and will look to carry on that form against the Aces, but it will take a team effort on Thursday to get the victory and build a lead that puts them in a good position to take the aggregate bonus point.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“A tough ask becomes harder for us missing Erik. He is a vital part at the top end of our team, so it puts more emphasis on the bottom end to score points.

“Belle Vue had a couple of tough results against Sheffield, but I really wouldn’t read a lot into that. They are the reigning champions and are one of the favourites to win again this season. I think they bring a very strong side and pose a dangerous threat to us. We will need to carry on from where we left off last week.

“This year we have got the bonus point back and I think an accumulation of bonus points in the final league table will certainly help in the play-off race. At this stage for us and the stage we are at with our team in the season, it is all about just winning meetings. If we can just keep winning and making sure we are winning our home meetings and are there or thereabouts come mid-season, then we can put more focus in the second set of fixtures on getting the bonus points when I feel we will be at our strongest and clicking into form. The younger riders will have more experience, at the moment it is all about winning meetings until we get a bit more experience in the side, we will focus more on bonus points when we need to in the second half of the year.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue enjoyed a dream 2022 season as they lifted the Premiership title. Success in speedway more often than not means team changes the following season and whilst they have tried to keep the core of the title-winning side together there are three fresh faces in the side.

The headline signing of the winter was the capture of world number six Dan Bewley as the British champion returns to British speedway in 2023 as the Aces’ number one. Former world under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey also returns to British speedway for the first time since 2019 with the Aces and Jake Mulford is their ‘Rising Star’ this season. However, Mulford is out of this fixture as he is serving the mandatory rest period after suffering a concussion, with Anders Rowe guesting in his place.

Four of the title-winning side return as Brady Kurtz captains the team and he is joined by Charles Wright, Norick Blödorn and Tom Brennan who makes the move up from the ‘Rising Star’ position this campaign. The Manchester side will be looking to get their first points on the board at Foxhall after losing home and away to Sheffield in their opening two fixtures.

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 48–42 LEICESTER – KNOCKOUT CUP QUARTER-FINAL FIRST LEG (H)

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By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSOR

Keep Well – At Keep Well, they believe that good health and wellbeing comes from looking after both the body and mind.  Using a combination of manual therapy, Pilates and Neuro Linguistic Programming, they want to help you to meet your personal goals.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 48: Jason Doyle 14+1 (Paid Maximum), Keynan Rew 4, Danny King © 10, Erik Riss 2+2, Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1, Danyon Hume 4, Joe Thompson (RS) 2+2 Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER 42: Max Fricke 9+1, Justin Sedgmen 8+1, Richard Lawson 5+1, Chris Harris © 8+1, Nick Morris 7, Jake Allen 4+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 1+1. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

REFEREE: P. Carrington

KNOCKOUT CUP DRAW

QUARTER-FINALS

Wolverhampton v Belle Vue

Ipswich 48-42 Leicester – First Leg

Sheffield 58-32 King’s Lynn – First Leg

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches recorded a narrow victory over Leicester on Thursday night at Foxhall in their Knockout Cup quarter-final first leg tie.

It was the hosts’ first fixture on home shale in 2023 and they were pushed all the way by the top-flight newcomers with no more than two points separating the teams all evening. That was until a 5-1 to the Witches in the final heat gave them a six-point advantage to take to the East Midlands for the second leg. Jason Doyle was unbeaten by an opponent all evening, scoring a paid maximum of 14+1.

A smart first turn by Doyle saw him hit the front to win the opening race of the night which ended in a 3-3. Lions reserve Jake Allen won heat two ahead of Danyon Hume, but all the action was at the back as Ipswich’s Joe Thompson battled against his twin brother Dan for an all-important point. The pair exchanged passes throughout the race before the Witches ‘Rising Star’ made a move stick to ensure a share of the points. Skipper Danny King won a shared heat three before Emil Sayfutdinov cruised to victory in heat four on his Foxhall debut for the club, leaving the scores all square at 12-12.

Max Fricke won the opening lap battle against King to win heat five as the visitors edged in front with a heat advantage. It was soon level again though as Doyle won heat six and Keynan Rew capitalised on an error to nip into third. Sayfutdinov was a comfortable winner again in heat seven and the two sides could not be separated in heat eight as Justin Sedgmen took the chequered flag meaning the contest was level at 24-24.

Nick Morris won heat nine in another 3-3 before the hosts went in front for the first time on the night in heat 10 with Doyle picking up another three points ahead of Chris Harris in second and Rew in third for an Ipswich 4-2. However, Leicester then sprung a surprise in heat 11 and picked up a maximum as Sedgmen and Fricke managed to keep Sayfutdinov behind them for a 1-5. King won again in heat 12 but with Hume at the back, the Lions went into the final three races 35-37 up.

Doyle and Sayfutdinov turned the tie back in Ipswich’s favour with a vital 5-1 in heat 13 before an action-packed heat 14. Harris was a clear winner and looked like he would be followed home by partner Allen, but first Hume got past the Australian into second and Erik Riss produced a great last lap to go under Allen into third, a result that kept the Suffolk side two points to the good going into the final race. Sayfutdinov and Doyle then recorded another 5-1 in the final race to seal the win on the night and give Ipswich a six-point lead heading into the second leg of the contest.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“In a Knockout Cup tie, you would obviously like to get more than a six-point lead from your home leg, but it was opening night against a strong team, and we had three debutants around Ipswich, so I’m happy we got the win because I thought we were in a position that could have ended in defeat. A couple of points picked up in certain rides by the less experienced riders made the difference.

“I was very impressed with Keynan; he improved every race. He has not got a lot of experience to relate to this track and I think you could see enough from him tonight to see that he has a lot of potential to be a very good rider. I would give it until the summer and then we will see the best of Keynan and I was pleased with certain things he picked up on and how he improved.

“I was very happy with Joe and have been in both meetings. I think he has done very well, and provided a lot of excitement, some great racing with his brother. That is only his second meeting here and when he gets more confident and comfortable on this track, I think we have seen enough of him to know he can improve a lot. It was harsh on him that he only got three rides because he rode better than that and did well.

“Emil looked like he had been riding this place for ten years week in, week out. He has ridden this track twice and looked like a track expert, he was so quick. He is brilliant to have in the pits and what an addition to the team.

“Doyley was superb again and showed why he is number one and the best rider in the league, class really. You kind of expect it with him being so good last year but he was terrific again. We are led by a great top two, and they are proving to be a great pairing together. I don’t suppose there will be many riders fancying turning up here and facing them both.

“It is good that there is not a long gap before we go to Leicester, it is a tricky, technical track. That will be tough for Keynan on his first visit there. From early showings, you would expect Emil to pick it up well, but it is not the easiest place to learn. It is going to be tough for us, but I feel we have a team capable of doing well there.

“Erik was under the weather tonight and that showed, he has started the season brilliantly and that was his first duff meeting, he wasn’t himself tonight. Danny has started the season superbly, so we will go there confident in our side that we can put in a good showing and get a good result. We will do that going to every track in the country and are focused on getting through to the next round.”

KEEP WELL RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov was the Keep Well choice after scoring 12+1 on his Foxhall debut for the club.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich take a six-point lead into the second leg at Leicester which takes place on Monday 17th April.

UP NEXT

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