Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY GUIDE | KING’S LYNN (H)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 5th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture. Parade: 2.15pm, first race: 2:30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Tru7 Group – Tru7 Group is a diversified supplier to the construction, demolition and agriculture industries. Their premium fleet has state-of-the-art safety technology, and they make sure you have the right vehicle or operator for the job, saving time, fuel and emissions. With service and sustainability core to their business, their fast-growing portfolio offers van, truck and plant rental and sales, demolition and remediation, earthworks, asbestos removal, concrete and aggregates.

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

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.17 2. Danny King © 6.15 3. Adam Ellis 5.68 4. Tom Brennan 6.60 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.93 6. Dan Thompson 4.66 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN: 1. Chris Harris 6.87 2. R/R for Ben Cook 6.13 3. Jan Kvěch 6.32 4. Richard Lawson 6.74 5. Niels Kristian Iversen 6.64 6. Nicolai Klindt © 6.13 7. Ashton Boughen (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich512
Belle Vue47
Sheffield36
Leicester56
King’s Lynn54
Birmingham40
Oxford60

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase in advance here and on the gate and are priced at £24 for adults and £22 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 1.00pm.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches host the first East Anglian derby of the season on Monday afternoon as they take on the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich go into the fixture in perfect form having won all seven fixtures raced in 2025, a run that sees them top of the early league table. The Suffolk side have hit at least 60 points in all three home fixtures so far this season, but their local rivals will be determined to put a stop to that run on derby day.

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is very much the mantra from team manager Ritchie Hawkins at the moment and the riding order stays the same for an eighth fixture in a row. The bank holiday derbies are the most highly anticipated on the fixture list for many supporters and it promises to be a big crowd at Foxhall on Monday afternoon with the Witches looking to get one over on their Norfolk rivals and continue their fine start to the campaign.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“Back together after 10 days off and the season has gone perfectly so far so we can’t wait to get back on track. Bank holiday meetings at Ipswich are always a great atmosphere with a big crowd and the weather looks brilliant. It’s a local derby and the atmosphere is always brilliant in these meetings and I’m sure everyone involved in the club is really looking forward to this one.

“Bar Tom who is new to the side this year, everyone in the team already knows how important these meetings are to everyone. These boys have got an outstanding record in recent years against King’s Lynn and the way things are going we will be looking to carry that on this year.

“We have got seven riders who love being part of the club and they are all in on our values. Everyone in the pits is working together to achieve our goals. That in itself is enough and breeds the loyalty and commitment we want, and I don’t think anyone can question that we have had that over the last few seasons.

“We say every year that the daytime bank holiday meetings are tricky for us and that is mainly down to it being different preparing the track for an evening meeting, to a hot bank holiday day meeting. Track conditions are normally slightly different which can catch us out and maybe even things up a bit and take a bit of that home advantage away. I know in our last meeting here on a bank holiday we dealt with that superbly well and with the experience we have I would like to think it won’t be too much of a factor and it will be something we handle well.”

KING’S LYNN STARS

The Stars have found life tough in the top-flight in recent years and haven’t made the play-offs since 2018. The new campaign started brightly with home and away success against Oxford in the Knockout Cup to set up a semi-final clash against the Witches later in the season. However, their start to the league season has been somewhat trickier with three defeats from five outings so far including two heavy defeats on the road.

There are some fresh faces in the King’s Lynn side for 2025 with Chris Harris, Richard Lawson, Ben Cook and Ashton Boughen replacing Ben Basso, Patryk Wojdylo, Lewis Kerr and Anders Rowe. Harris has been piling up the points from reserve so far this year but now finds himself at number one in the new set of averages with captain Nicolai Klindt dropping to reserve. Rider replacement is in operation at number two for Ben Cook who has a broken radius and scaphoid.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich last welcomed King’s Lynn to Foxhall in August of 2024 and it was a thumping 57-33 victory for the home side. The visitors were without three of their regular side whilst the Witches had Scott Nicholls guesting for Jason Doyle. The Norfolk strugglers took a shock early lead and were level after six heats, but it was one way traffic from there as Ipswich eased to yet another win against their local rivals, picking up the aggregate bonus point in the process. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with a faultless 12-point maximum.

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 60–30 BIRMINGHAM

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By Rob Binns

MEETING SPONSOR

Scott Properties – Scott Properties is a Land Promoter operating throughout the East of England, East Midlands and the South East. Working closely with Landowners and Local Authorities, they manage the land promotion and planning process from initial site identification through to the sale of consented development sites.

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 60: Jason Doyle 11+1, Danny King © 10+1, Adam Ellis 8+2, Tom Brennan 10, Emil Sayfutdinov 8+1, Dan Thompson 7+2, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 6. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BIRMINGHAM 30: Tobiasz Musielak © 3+1, Jonas Jeppesen 5+1, Danyon Hume (G) 3, Keynan Rew 4, Michael Jepsen Jensen 11, Antti Vuolas 2+1, Jason Edwards (RS) 2. Team Manager: Chris Adams

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich512
Belle Vue47
Sheffield36
Leicester44
King’s Lynn42
Birmingham30
Oxford50

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches earned another dominant home victory, beating Birmingham Brummies 60-30 on Thursday night at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich came into the meeting at full strength while Birmingham were without Matej Zagar due to visa issues, former Witch Danyon Hume guested in his place at number three. The Witches also picked up the aggregate bonus point following a 47-43 victory at Perry Barr earlier this month. Jason Doyle top scored with 11+1.

The meeting got off to a flyer for the Witches in heat one with Danny King cruising to victory and Doyle passing both Brummies on the second bend for a maximum. Jordan Jenkins and Dan Thompson followed suit in heat two as they gated on a maximum and faced minimal challenge. The 100% start for the Witches continued in heat three as Tom Brennan took the chequered flag with Adam Ellis having the pace on the back straight to get into second on lap one for another 5-1. Birmingham hit back in heat four with Michael Jepsen Jensen storming to victory and Jason Edwards holding off the challenge of Emil Sayfutdinov at the back for a heat advantage to make the score 17-7 to Ipswich.

Heat five saw Brennan and Ellis cruise to another maximum as Tobiasz Musielak hit the deck on the fourth bend but he was quickly up to avoid a re-run. Heat six was re-run after Doyle lost control on the second bend and crashed heavily into the air fence, which saw him excluded. The re-run saw King split the two Brummies in a 2-4. Sayfutdinov won his first race of the night in heat seven with Thompson producing a superb ride to get the better of Hume for a 5-1 to increase the lead to 29-13.

Heat eight was initially stopped as Jenkins was given a warning for not remaining stationary at the start. The second time round saw King romp to victory and Jenkins in a great battle for second with Jonas Jeppesen with the Birmingham number two eventually getting the better on the home straight in a photo finish to limit the damage to a heat advantage. Heat nine saw Musielak come in as a tactical substitute for Antti Vuolas but he finished at the back as Brennan held off Jepsen Jensen for the win with Ellis in third for another 4-2. Heat 10 saw Sayfutdinov take the chequered flag in the first share of the points. Doyle bounced back from his earlier crash to win heat 11 with King close behind for the sixth Ipswich maximum of the meeting, making it 45-21.

Jenkins hit the deck in the second lap of heat 12 but quickly remounted to still finish the heat while Ellis took the win in a 3-3. Doyle and Sayfutdinov earned another maximum in heat 13 with the Witches number five holding off the challenge of Jepsen Jensen. Thompson raced to victory in heat 14 with Keynan Rew squeezing out Brennan’s attempt to pass him on the back straight to keep it to a heat advantage. Ritchie Hawkins selected Doyle and Brennan for heat 15 with the Australian getting his third win of the meeting in a 3-3 to make the final score 60-30 to the Witches, who also took the aggregate bonus point with a score of 107-73.

BILLY SANDERS CHAMPION OF THE EVENING

A three-heat second half followed the fixture in memory of former Witch Billy Sanders who passed away 40 years ago on 23rd April. The four top scorers (including bonus points) after their programmed rides from both teams were due to feature which saw King (10+1), Brennan (10), Ellis (8+2) and Thompson (7+2) qualify for Ipswich. Sayfutdinov was level on 8+1 but was suffering with bike issues on the night, whilst Doyle on 8+1 was put out in heat 15 instead, meaning Thompson got the nod. With Rew and Jeppesen suffering from illness and Jepsen Jensen absent, Birmingham put out Hume (3), Vuolas (2+1), Musielak (2) and Edwards (2).

The first semi-final was contested by Thompson, King, Hume and Vuolas. It was the two Witches who progressed to the final with Thompson taking the chequered flag. The second semi-final was contested by Musielak, Ellis, Edwards and Brennan. The Brummies number one took the chequered flag with Ellis joining him in the final. Musielak retired on lap one of the final, leaving the three Witches to battle it out for the title which was won by Thompson to conclude another fantastic evening for the Ipswich reserve.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“All seven riders have won a race again and lots of 5-1s! Another very solid team performance and the pleasing thing is we know we can still go better. We’re enjoying it while we can but there is going to be tougher tests to come. We had a couple of falls but nothing that should be lasting. A couple of sore bodies in the morning but I’m sure the boys will be back in no time from them.

“We have everybody contributing and scoring, that’s dreamland for us! No one has had any massive issues as well. Birmingham tonight had a lot of illness in their side and obviously missing Matej [Zagar] which weakened them, but we can only beat what’s in front of us. We’re delighted with how the season has gone so far and we’ll look ahead now to a big meeting on Bank Holiday Monday here against King’s Lynn.

“[On Dan Thompson winning Billy Sanders Champion of the Evening] It’s another string to his bow to go out there and win that. It’s only going to fill him with more confidence, and it is great to see the boys perform so well. The final was a good race with our three boys, and it was a great way to honour Billy. He [Thompson] is going superbly and hopefully he can keep progressing throughout the season. He’s on a crest of a wave at the moment and he’s got to keep pushing on and enjoy it.”

SCOTT PROPERTIES RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Brennan won the award from the sponsors after he raced to 10 points on the night which included three heat wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich maintain their 100% record and move up to 12 points. Birmingham have to wait for their first points of the season.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 5th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | BIRMINGHAM (H)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 24th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSOR

Scott Properties – Scott Properties is a Land Promoter operating throughout the East of England, East Midlands and the South East. Working closely with Landowners and Local Authorities, they manage the land promotion and planning process from initial site identification through to the sale of consented development sites.

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Danny King © 6.14 3. Adam Ellis 5.47 4. Tom Brennan 6.52 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.12 6. Dan Thompson 3.11 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BIRMINGHAM: 1. Tobiasz Musielak © 8.21 2. Jonas Jeppesen 4.50 3. Danyon Hume (G) 7.20 4. Keynan Rew 5.67 5. Michael Jepsen Jensen 7.50 6. Antti Vuolas 4.13 7. Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Chris Adams

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich49
Belle Vue47
Sheffield24
Leicester32
King’s Lynn42
Birmingham20
Oxford30

TICKET NEWS

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

THE PREVIEW

The Witches are back in action at Foxhall as they host the Birmingham Brummies on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich have made a perfect start to their season with a 100% record still intact after six fixtures in all competitions. Four of those wins have been in the league including three away from home, a start that has seen them become the early pacesetters in the division. Ritchie Hawkins’ outfit will be looking forward to getting back on home shale where they have raced just twice with both occasions resulting in landslide wins for the Witches in front of their own fans.

The aggregate bonus point is also up for grabs in this one, with Ipswich holding a four-point lead after beating Birmingham 47-43 at Perry Barr earlier this month.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“We have had two home meetings so far and they have both been big victories in front of big crowds and the boys are putting on a show. I think Birmingham can put up a tougher test than last time out and we can’t relax off, we need to be on top of our game. There are a few riders in the Birmingham team that either haven’t seen Ipswich before or for a little while so that will be interesting. We have got to make sure we are fully focused and keep this run going.

“It is not easy as much as we have been brilliant so far, we can’t take teams lightly. I think Birmingham if they can click are a dangerous side. Last year they were struggling but did very well at our place and had a great record against us so we can’t let off, otherwise it will happen again.”

BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES

There was a renewed energy around Birmingham coming into the 2025 season after a disappointing year in 2024. Having finished bottom of the pile last year, seven new riders represent the Brummies this campaign, but they are yet to get a win on the board so far this season, with four defeats from four in all competitions.

Keynan Rew makes his return to Suffolk having spent the last two seasons with Ipswich and rides at number four whilst Jonas Jeppesen is also a former Witch having spent time with the club in 2018. Former Witch Danyon Hume now guests for Matej Zagar, who is still awaiting his permanent Visa to come through.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich last welcomed Birmingham to Foxhall in August of 2024 as the Brummies pulled off a shock 44-46 win against an injury-hit Witches side. The away side had availability issues of their own and the meeting was tight throughout with the Witches holding a narrow lead for most of the contest until Birmingham hit the front in heat 13.  The Witches responded with a 5-1 in heat 14 to retake the lead but the Brummies hit a maximum in heat 15 to give them their first away win of the season. Ipswich guest Troy Batchelor top scored with 9+2.

BILLY SANDERS CHAMPION OF THE EVENING

Image courtesy of Dave Kindred

Following the fixture there will be a three-heat second half sponsored by Tru7 Group, remembering Billy Sanders 40 years on. The 23rd of April marks 40 years since his tragic death when he took his own life. Billy also had a spell with the Brummies at the end of the 1970s, so to mark the occasion, there will be a ‘Champion of the Evening’ second half featuring the top scorers from both teams.

There will be Billy Sanders memorabilia on display on the terraces courtesy of Nigel Gabbitas which includes Billy’s 1979 World Final Weslake when he finished fifth. The Samaritans will also be in attendance on the evening at Foxhall.

The format of the second half will be as per the below.

Heat 1

RED Ipswich Highest Scorer

BLUE Birmingham Third Highest Scorer

WHITE Ipswich Fourth Highest Scorer

YELLOW Birmingham Second Highest Scorer

Heat 2

RED Birmingham Highest Scorer

BLUE Ipswich Third Highest Scorer

WHITE Birmingham Fourth Highest Scorer

YELLOW Ipswich Second Highest Scorer

Final

RED

BLUE

WHITE

YELLOW

Gate positions drawn.

RACEDAY REPORT | LEICESTER 41-49 IPSWICH

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Image courtesy of Steve Dixon

SCORECARD

LEICESTER 41: Max Fricke © 6+3, Luke Becker 12, Ryan Douglas 5, Kyle Howarth 5+2, Sam Masters 10+1, Drew Kemp 3, Sam Hagon (RS) 0. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH 49: Jason Doyle 9, Danny King © 6+2, Adam Ellis 5+1, Tom Brennan 8, Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Dan Thompson 5+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 5+3. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich49
Belle Vue47
Sheffield24
Leicester32
King’s Lynn42
Birmingham20
Oxford30

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches continued their sensational start to 2025 as they raced to another victory away at Leicester on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Both sides were at full strength for a repeat of last year’s play-off semi-final with the visitors boasting a 100% record going into the fixture. It was the away side who built an early six-point lead in the tie, but the hosts fought back to level things after 10 races. However, the Suffolk side hit back with three maximums of their own in the last five races to secure another win on the road to preserve their unbeaten start to the campaign. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11.

Jason Doyle and Danny King kicked proceedings off with a maximum in heat one and the points were shared in heat two as Drew Kemp won ahead of Dan Thompson and Jordan Jenkins rounded Sam Hagon for a point. Tom Brennan took the chequered flag in heat three, but it ended in a 3-3 after Adam Ellis crashed on the final turn whilst in third as he tried to go round Ryan Douglas for second, having worked hard to get the better of Kyle Howarth at the back. The Witches did get a heat advantage in heat four as Sayfutdinov picked up three points with Jenkins third to make it 9-15 after the early exchanges.

Doyle was the winner of a shared heat five as he squeezed past Douglas on the back straight of the opening lap. The Lions hit a 5-1 in heat six to put themselves just two points behind which was followed up with a 3-3 in heat seven. The points were shared again in heat eight leaving things finely poised at 23-25.

Sayfutdinov was a winner again in heat nine and with Thompson third it was a 2-4 to the away team. The score was level though after heat 10 as Luke Becker and Max Fricke raced to a 5-1. Parity was short-lived for the Lions though as the Witches struck back immediately in heat 11 thanks to a maximum from Doyle and King. Heat 12 was a cracker as Ellis took victory, but it was the battle behind him for second that made it the race of the night. Thompson held second but Douglas came steaming under him to split the Ipswich pair. However, Thompson was having none of it and re-passed the Australian in fine style to join his teammate at the front for a crucial 1-5 that put Ipswich 32-40 up.

Leciester kept their hopes of a result alive in heat 13 with a 5-1 but it was all over for the hosts in heat 14 as Brennan and Jenkins secured the result with another maximum. An intelligent first and second turn from Sayfutdinov saw him blast past the Lions pair down the back straight of heat 15 to win a shared heat, making the final score 41-49 to Ipswich as Ritchie Hawkins’ side continued their perfect start to the campaign.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“I think that was our best performance since Belle Vue and it was a real team performance again. Leicester are a good, solid side and everyone needed to perform and they did. Everyone will go away with positives and I am really happy.

“The reserves won us the meeting with their rides in heat 12 and heat 14. Every rider had a win or a paid win again which is happening regularly which shows how solid we are, and they are bouncing back from tough rides in their next one which is good to see. They are very determined and confident, and everything is going well at the minute.

“Gates one and three were by far the better two to have. Jordan is riding well and has started the season well and before heat 12 he and Dan were pretty even. Dan then had a superb ride in heat 12 and we are at the stage of the season where we don’t need to stress to much and there wasn’t too much to gain long-term by taking Jordan out of a ride. I have full belief in him and that is why he is here, and he paid that back with a superb ride in heat 14. He is getting overlooked a little bit because Dan is scoring big points, but it was another great meeting for Jordan.

“There is more to come from the boys which is great to see and there will be ups and downs. We can’t expect all the boys to be 100% in every meeting, it is unrealistic. There is more to come from the heat leaders and the top five, that is the most positive thing about it all. We have a couple of home meetings now which will be nice because we have been away from home a lot so far before a tough test away at Sheffield.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for Sayfutdinov as the rider of the night after he top scored with 11 which included three race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich add two points to their total, consolidating their position at the top of the early table. Leicester stay fourth with two points from three fixtures.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 24th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | LEICESTER (A)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Leicester to face the Lions at the Hydroscand Arena on Thursday 17th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke © 9.14 2. Luke Becker 6.57 3. Ryan Douglas 7.30 4. Kyle Howarth 5.05 5. Sam Masters 7.32 6. Drew Kemp 3.95 7. Sam Hagon (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Danny King © 6.14 3. Adam Ellis 5.47 4. Tom Brennan 6.52 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.12 6. Dan Thompson 3.11 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich37
Belle Vue47
Sheffield24
Leicester22
King’s Lynn42
Birmingham20
Oxford30

TICKET NEWS

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

THE PREVIEW

The Witches travel to Leicester on Thursday night looking to continue their 100% start to the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership season.

Ipswich have begun 2025 in fine fashion, winning all five fixtures in all competitions so far this year which sees them top of the very early table. Victories in the league have included two on the road already at Oxford and Birmingham accompanied by a huge win at Foxhall over the Spires last time out.

There are no changes to the line-up for the trip to the Hydroscand Arena as the Suffolk side head to a venue where they enjoyed two wins in 2024.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“We are really looking forward to Thursday. We have had a superb start to the season which has been talked about. It is a place we enjoy riding individually and collectively. All the boys will be excited to get back together and get racing and keep the ball rolling.

“It is a place we have had a lot of success at in the past couple of years. Obviously, it is a new season, and past results don’t necessarily come into play but when we are in the pits, we have those winning memories in our minds. The team is already full of confidence, but it is another positive in that respect.

“Leicester have also had a good start to the season, and they had a great finish to last year to get to the play-off final. They are a strong, solid outfit again and they are a team that we know will have great ambitions to not just make the play-offs but to win them. It will be a very tough challenge between two of the top teams in the league and I’m sure it will be a close, hard-fought battle and it is one we relish and can’t wait to get stuck into.”

LEICESTER LIONS

Leicester finished as runners-up in 2024, their most successful campaign in the top-flight since their return to this level in 2023. Up until Monday evening, they boasted a 100% record in 2025 after winning home and away against Birmingham in the Knockout Cup quarter-final and beating Belle Vue in their league opener last week. However, the Lions suffered their first loss of the season at King’s Lynn, falling to a 46-44 defeat at the Adrian Flux Arena. The hosts know they will need to be at their best on Thursday night against a side they have lost to four times on home shale since 2023.

There was no need for wholesale changes in the winter at Leicester and they made just one change with Kyle Howarth replacing Richard Lawson. However, they were forced into another change on the eve of the new season with Drew Kemp replacing Craig Cook, who informed the club he was unavailable to race.  

LAST TIME OUT IN LEICESTER

The Witches last travelled to Leicester in September of 2024 in what turned out to be a nail-biting play-off semi-final second leg. A depleted Witches side had built up an eight-point lead at Foxhall in the first leg and defied the odds and some questionable refereeing decisions to take it to a last-heat decider in the second leg before the Lions secured a maximum giving them a 51-39 win to progress on aggregate to the final. Brennan, a guest for the Witches back then, top scored with 11+1.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £23, concessions £21, children (6-17) £1 and children aged 5 and under go free. There will be 235 free car park spaces available at the stadium with further free car parking facilities on the Beaumont Shopping Complex (maximum time of 4 hours). Three Coach/Mini Bus spaces, 15 Disabled spaces available, 15 Motorcycle spaces, Taxi drop-off point. For travel information head here.

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

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 65–25 OXFORD

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By Steve Waller

MEETING SPONSOR – The Thursday Night Club

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 65: Jason Doyle 9+3 (Paid Maximum), Danny King © 14+1 (Paid Maximum), Adam Ellis 10, Tom Brennan 11+3, Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Dan Thompson 6+3, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 4. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

OXFORD 25: Rohan Tungate 3, Justin Sedgmen (G) 1, Charles Wright 9, Peter Kildemand R/R , Maciej Janowski © 4, Francis Gusts 6, Luke Killeen (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

REFEREE: S.H. Kennett

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich37
Belle Vue35
Sheffield24
Leicester12
Birmingham20
Oxford20
King’s Lynn30

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches demolished the Oxford Spires at Foxhall on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

With Jason Doyle and Danny King unbeaten by an opponent and Tom Brennan and Emil Sayfutdinov narrowly missing out on paid maximums, the visitors had no answer.

It was a real demolition job, with every home rider enjoying being involved in maximum heats, as the Witches continued their unbeaten start to the year.

With Justin Sedgmen guesting for the injured Erik Riss and rider replacement in operation for the also injured Peter Kildemand, the visitors arrived on the back foot, but they will still be disappointed by the performances of some of their star riders, who offered little resistance.

King and Doyle led the way with a Witches with a 5-1 in the opening head and this was followed in the reserves race by another maximum, with Jordan Jenkins and Dan Thompson taking the honours over Francis Gusts. 

Adam Ellis, minus his steel shoe for the majority of the race, and Brennan made it three 5-1s ones on the trot, with another in the third heat and then Oxford pulled a couple of points back in the fourth with Gusts just holding off Sayfutdinov’s late challenge, as they headed to the line. 

Heat five saw Brennan hold off former Witch Rohan Tungate, with Ellis finishing third, in a 4-2 for the Witches and then King and Doyle flew to a 5-1 over Maciej Janowski in the sixth. 

Sayfutdinov won the seventh, from Charles Wright and Thompson, before Jenkins was excluded following a fall on the first bend of heat eight.

It looked a tight first turn with Jenkins hitting the track, but he found himself thrown out of the race with King taking the honours in the re-run, from Gusts and Luke Killeen, in a share of the spoils.

Janowski then fell on the first bend of heat nine and also found himself excluded. Ellis and Brennan made no mistake in the re-run with another 5-1 to the home side.

Two more maximums followed, Doyle and King, over Janowski in the 10th and then Sayfutdinov and Thompson were untroubled by Spires guest Sedgmen in the 11th with Tungate pulling up when well adrift of the Witches pair.

Drama followed in heat 12 with Wright squaring up to Ellis after the race had finished. The pair had started the race rubbing elbows at the start, with Wright looking to get the better initially, although it was Ellis who took the lead going down the back straight. On the slow-down lap Wright confronted Ellis on the back straight and again when the pair got back to the pits. It livened up the terraces.

Sayfutdinov and Doyle made no mistake in the 13th, in another home 5-1 and then Wright, defeated both Witches, in the 14th, much to the annoyance of the home fans who made their feelings known.

More boos greeted Wright’s nomination for heat 15, alongside Spires teammate Janowski, but it was King who completed his paid maximum in style, taking a final heat maximum with Brennan to round off a fine night for the Suffolk side.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“Everyone was getting 5-1s and winning races whilst having fun and working together as a team. It was another superb night for the boys and a brilliant result, I hope everyone has gone home happy with another win.

“It is great to start so strongly at home and it is a massive boost going into the season. Tougher tests will come, and teams will improve and I’m sure when Oxford come again, they will be a lot better than they were tonight, and the same goes for Belle Vue. At the moment, we haven’t been tested at home, but we will be, and it will get a lot harder as the year progresses and riders get into form. We can’t be getting carried away, but the early signs are good, and confidence should be up.

“Danny was superb and got a well-deserved maximum. Everyone at the club knows how much work he has been putting in the last few years and he has had various issues with his hand last year. That is the fastest he has looked for a couple of years and it is pleasing for him to happen at this stage of the season because he can build on this now going forward.

“I know it is another big home win and expectations on us are very high which is testament to how well the boys have started the season. We need to enjoy it; every season has ups and downs and at the moment we are on the up and are looking good. There will be times when it gets tough and our last two away meetings have shown that. We have to keep realistic and keep supporting the boys through everything. It is a long season, and it is a hard game, and nothing is won at this time of the year. We need to remember that and keep our feet on the ground.

“It was great to see another healthy crowd in, thank you for coming and supporting the boys, they deserve it. They are a superb team, and they are doing the town and club justice, they are a side to be proud of. I look forward to seeing a lot of you at Leicester next week.”

THE THURSDAY NIGHT CLUB RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Captain King won the award after racing to a paid maximum from five rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up two points for the win and the aggregate bonus point after that victory at Oxford earlier in the month. The three-point haul sends the Witches top of the early table whilst Oxford remain pointless.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Leicester to take on the Lions on Thursday 17th April in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

KING’S IPSWICH DREAM

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By Rob Binns

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches captain Danny King is back fit and ready to challenge for the 2025 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership title.

King, who is returning for his 16th year with the Witches, fractured his hand in two places last April and had an operation to insert two plates which caused him discomfort on the bike for the remainder of the season, but he is much improved now.

He said: “Always excited to be back at Ipswich! A very frustrating year last year for me and the team but on a personal note it was hard work. I’ve been very fortunate with injuries throughout my career and unfortunately, last year wasn’t one of those.

“I managed to get in early with the surgery, we got it done before Christmas which was always the goal. It gave me plenty of time to recover and it’s feeling good I must admit, it’s certainly feeling a lot better than last year. I’ve been out on the bike a few times now and I feel really comfortable. It’s a big weight off my mind moving forward.”

King is one of six returning riders from last season and feels maintaining a similar team is important. He is also looking forward to riding with Tom Brennan who comes into the middle of the Ipswich order alongside the skipper and Adam Ellis in the only change from 2024.

He said: “I think the team we had last year was good, we were top of the league most of the year before unfortunately the injuries got the better of us towards the end and we really struggled. For the majority of the season, we managed to still keep our noses at the top of the league and perform on track which is always difficult when you’re having all the riders out injured at some point.

“I think it’s important that we kept the nucleus of that team which we have, and I’m really pleased with Tom coming in. I’m a big fan of Tom and I think he’s going to be a great asset to the club. We get on really well me, Tom and Adam, I’m not sure which formation the team will be in but I’m happy to ride with either of them guys. We all get on well and we’ve got good chemistry which makes a big difference when you’re riding together on track.”

The captain is desperate to win Ipswich’s first league title since 1998 and spoke of how he believes the team is ready to finally get over the line.

He said: “I think we are! I’ll be honest I think we were ready last year, but injury was the issue. This year, if we avoid that, we’re going to be there at the end and we’re going to have a good chance.

“It’s my dream [to captain a league-winning Ipswich team]. It’s my dream to do before I retire! We were close two years ago, I thought last year was going to be the year but hopefully, the third time is the charm.”

On a personal note, King insists despite his injury struggles last year he feels no different to any other season and doesn’t need to change anything.

“I was happy with the way the 2023 season ended, and I was happy with the way the 2024 season started. Unfortunately, that early injury to my hand really set me back and obviously never really fully recovered. It was frustrating but in terms of equipment I’m happy with what I’ve got and where I’m at and it’s down to me now to hit the ground running.”

RACEDAY GUIDE | OXFORD (H)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Oxford Spires at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 10th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSOR – The Thursday Night Club

LINE-UPS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Danny King © 6.14 3. Adam Ellis 5.47 4. Tom Brennan 6.52 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.12 6. Dan Thompson 3.11 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

OXFORD: 1. Rohan Tungate 7.71 2. Justin Sedgmen (G) 5.55 3. Charles Wright 6.32 4. R/R for Peter Kildemand 6.00 5. Maciej Janowski © 7.02 6. Francis Gusts 4.50 7. Luke Killeen (RS). Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

REFEREE: S.H. Kennett

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Belle Vue25
Ipswich24
Sheffield12
Leicester00
Oxford10
King’s Lynn20
Birmingham20

TICKET NEWS

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

THE PREVIEW

The Witches return to Foxhall on Thursday night as they welcome the Oxford Spires in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

It’s been an excellent start to 2025 for Ipswich as they head into the fixture with four wins from four outings so far. The home and away Knockout Cup wins against Belle Vue have been followed up by two hard-fought away wins at Oxford and Birmingham in the league, giving the Suffolk side a perfect start to the campaign.

Ritchie Hawkins sticks with the same riding order again and it is the first opportunity for his side to pick up an aggregate bonus point. Having won 48-42 at Oxford last week, the Witches know that any kind of win at home will see them pick up the extra point and would continue their fine start to the season.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“Everyone will be looking forward to getting back to Ipswich, the track was superb in our last home meeting. We have had a couple of tricky away meetings, on slick, tough tracks. The way Ipswich is now, the boys will be looking forward to racing on that now.

“We were superb last week; Oxford have a lot of riders that are going to come and enjoy Foxhall this year and know the track well. They can certainly cause an upset if we are not on our game.

“This team is superb to watch, we had a great crowd against Belle Vue, and I hope everyone comes out and backs us again. The weather is lovely at the moment, and we look forward to seeing you all.”

OXFORD SPIRES

It’s been a tough start to the season for the Spires who are yet to have that winning feeling in 2025. An early Knockout Cup exit was followed up by that home defeat to Ipswich last time out and they know they have it all to do at Foxhall where they meet an in-form Witches side.

They will also have to do it without star performer Erik Riss who is injured. Riss scored a whopping 20 points in that defeat against Ipswich but suffered a crash last weekend during which he picked up a shoulder injury. Justin Sedgmen guests in his place at number two. Peter Kildemand was due to return to the side after suffering a concussion but is a late withdrawal and rider replacement will be in operation at four.

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

Ipswich last welcomed Oxford to Foxhall in June of 2024 and the hosts raced to a comfortable 53-37 victory. The home team built a 12-point lead after seven races and lost Adam Ellis to injury mid-meeting before the Spires fought back to just four points behind. However, the Witches stepped up a gear and cruised to victory with Emil Sayfutdinov scoring a 12-point maximum.

RACEDAY REPORT | BIRMINGHAM 43-47 IPSWICH

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SCORECARD

BIRMINGHAM 43: Tobiasz Musielak © 5, Jonas Jeppesen 8, Michael Jepsen Jensen 9, Keynan Rew 9+1, Matej Zagar 7, Antti Vuolas 2+1, Jason Edwards (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Chris Adams

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 6, Danny King © 6, Adam Ellis 4+2, Tom Brennan 5+1, Emil Sayfutdinov 3+1, Dan Thompson 15, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 8. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: S. Perkin

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Belle Vue25
Ipswich24
Sheffield12
Leicester00
Oxford10
King’s Lynn20
Birmingham20

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches made it two wins from two away fixtures after they beat Birmingham on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Both teams were at full strength for the meeting and the visitors arrived at Perry Barr yet to taste defeat after three wins from three in all competitions. In contrast, the hosts were yet to record a victory in 2025. After a tight opening to proceedings the away side managed to open up an eight-point lead after eight heats of action and looked to be on course for a comfortable win. However, the Brummies battled back to level things going into the final three races. Two heat advantages to Ipswich secured the two league points with a race to spare as the Witches maintained their perfect record. Dan Thompson top scored with 15 from reserve.

Birmingham went ahead in heat one with a 4-2 as Jason Doyle was squeezed out in the first turn leaving him adrift at the back. The visitors levelled the score immediately in heat two as Thompson won and Jordan Jenkins got the better of Antti Vuolas for a point. Former Witch Keynan Rew and new Witch Tom Brennan enjoyed a good battle at the front in heat three, but it was the home rider who prevailed in a 3-3. Jenkins was an impressive winner in heat four in another shared heat, leaving it 12-12 overall.

Doyle held off a strong charge from Michael Jepsen Jensen to win heat five on the line but with Rew passing Danny King for third it was a 3-3. Ipswich went ahead in heat six as Thompson won and Emil Sayfutdinov charged past the Brummies pair to join him at the front for a maximum. Adam Ellis was excluded from heat seven after he touched the tapes, but his replacement Jenkins picked up another three points in the re-run and Brennan worked hard to claim third for a 2-4. The Witches extended their lead in heat eight as King took victory with Jenkins third for a heat advantage to give the Suffolk side a 20-28 lead.

The home team raced to a 4-2 in heat nine as Sayfutdinov retired at the back. Brennan led heat 10 but hit the deck on the third turn after coming under pressure from Jonas Jeppesen and the away rider was excluded by the referee. In the re-run, Birmingham claimed another 4-2 to narrow Ipswich’s lead to just four points. It looked set to be another 4-2 to the hosts in heat 11 but as Doyle put pressure on leader Matej Zagar late on in the race, he clipped the Slovenian’s back wheel coming down the home straight of the third lap and did remarkably well to stay on the bike as he got out of shape. However, it allowed Vuolas through for a maximum meaning the scores were level. A 3-3 followed in heat 12 making it 36-36 with three races to go.

Ipswich edged ahead in heat 13 as Doyle picked up a win and Sayfutdinov was third for a 2-4. Victory was confirmed in heat 14 as Thompson and Brennan recorded a 1-5 with the race awarded after Vuolas fell late on. Birmingham pulled a couple of points back in heat 15 as Jepsen Jensen won but Thompson raced past Rew to split the home pairing meaning a battling 43-47 win to Ipswich.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“The reserves have won us the meeting which when you think of our top end is a delight for me to see. They were absolutely superb. It was another tough meeting, not quite as hard as Oxford with regards to track conditions but Birmingham really took it to us and our reserves got us over the line.

“Dan is flying, he is making brilliant starts and is so quick on track. He doesn’t look like a number six, he is riding like a heat leader at the moment, and it doesn’t look like he is pushing himself to be there, he looks comfortable. Jordan’s two wins were superb, to jump on and come in for Adam after he touched the tapes and win the race was critical at that stage of the meeting and gave us a bit of a lead. We certainly needed that lead as the meeting went on.

“Jason and Emil didn’t necessarily have the best gates, but they pulled it around in heat 13. Doyley was going well in his third ride before he clipped Zagar’s back wheel which hurt his score, so it was a tough night for them. You know what they are like though, they are going to come back on Thursday and be on top form.

“Four wins from four to start the season, three of them away from home and two of them in the league, we know how important they are. We go into the home meeting on Thursday looking for another great performance and then we travel to Leicester looking for another win.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Thompson was once again voted for by fans online as the star man after he raced to a stunning 15 points from reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich put another two points on the board, making it two wins from two in league action. Birmingham are made to wait for their first points of 2025.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Oxford Spires at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 10th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY GUIDE | BIRMINGHAM (A)

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The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Birmingham to face the Brummies at the Perry Barr Stadium on Monday 7th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

BIRMINGHAM: 1. Tobiasz Musielak © 8.21 2. Jonas Jeppesen 4.50 3. Michael Jepsen Jensen 7.50 4. Keynan Rew 5.67 5. Matej Zagar 7.20 6. Antti Vuolas 4.31 7. Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Chris Adams

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Danny King © 6.14 3. Adam Ellis 5.47 4. Tom Brennan 6.52 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.12 6. Dan Thompson 3.11 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: S. Perkin

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield12
Ipswich12
Belle Vue12
Leicester00
King’s Lynn10
Oxford10
Birmingham10

TICKET NEWS

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

LIVE COVERAGE

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

THE PREVIEW

The Witches hit the road again on Monday as they travel to Birmingham in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich were at Oxford on Thursday in their opening league fixture of the year as they raced to a 48-42 away win, making it three wins from three in all competitions at the start of 2025. During the victory at Oxford, five of the Witches line-up suffered crashes but the visitors are expected to be at full strength at Perry Barr despite a few battered and bruised bodies.

Ritchie Hawkins has decided to continue with the riding order that has worked so successfully at the start of the season as the Witches look to carry on their perfect start to the season. The Suffolk side failed to win either league meeting at Birmingham in 2024 but did taste success in the Knockout Cup and will be hoping to replicate that result on Monday.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“It is quite nice to have two away meetings at the start of the season, the fixture list has been quite kind to us in that sense after the difficult task we had in the Knockout Cup. The pressure is a little bit off starting with two away meetings at the start of the year and we have got a win on the board already. We will go to a place where we had mixed fortunes last year and they were a team we had difficulties against. They probably had the best record of anyone against us when they were struggling but we know we can do well there. We will go there with confidence but maybe after Oxford, expectations can be lowered a little bit. We will have to perform very well if we want another win.

“We are unbeaten so there is no need to change the riding order at the moment, it seems to be working well, and I want to give the boys some time to work with it. Danny is getting used to riding in a position he has never been in before. Going from last season and this year, Adam needs to work on his last race riding in this position and Jordan needs to work on being on gate four in heat two. They are all small areas to improve on, but it is also the first week of April and there are things we will improve on as the season goes on.”

BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES

Birmingham returned to the top tier of British Speedway last season for the first time since 2014, but it did not go to plan for the Brummies who finished bottom of the pile in 2024 with just four wins to their name all season. However, they did manage to record two wins over depleted Ipswich sides at Perry Barr last year although on this occasion they face a full-strength Witches outfit. The hosts kicked off their league campaign last Thursday, but it was a night to forget as they were thumped 61-29 at Sheffield.

It has been all change over the winter with a totally new septet representing the club in 2025 as they look to turn around their fortunes. Three-time title winner Tobiasz Musielak leads the side at number one, and he is backed up by former Grand Prix regular Matej Zagar and another ex-Grand Prix rider in Michael Jepsen Jensen. There are two former Witches in the engine room in Jonas Jeppesen and Keynan Rew whilst Jason Edwards and Antti Vuolas complete the side at reserve.

LAST TIME OUT AT PERRY BARR

The Witches last travelled to Birmingham in August of 2024 as the hosts secured a 47-43 victory. Ipswich were without Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov, Adam Ellis and Keynan Rew in the fixture and although there was nothing to separate the teams after eight heats, Birmingham did enough to secure the points in the second half of the meeting.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £24, concessions £21, students (17-22 with proof of ID) £11 and children 16 and under go free. Official programmes cost £3.00 and car parking is £3.00. There is a modern three level grandstand extending for the full length of the home straight. On ground level there is a bar and refreshments area plus souvenir sales shop. Closed circuit television monitors show the racing and replays. There are also extensive bar and restaurant and light refreshment facilities.

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