Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BIRMINGHAM – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture with Birmingham.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 29th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

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

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

Ipswich Town Football Club – They offer an extensive range of hospitality, advertising and sponsorship opportunities to place your business front and centre, plus unforgettable experiences for their passionate and loyal supporters.

Whether you’re looking to catapult your brand through a bespoke partnership or impress and engage key clients at a memorable match day, Ipswich Town Football Club is the place to do it.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson 5.02 (RS) 3. Danny King 6.98 © 4. Troy Batchelor (G) 5.63 5. R/R for Emil Sayfutdinov 9.04 6. Keynan Rew 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BIRMINGHAM: 1. Fredrik Lindgren © 7.59 2. R/R for Piotr Pawlicki 5.26 3. Antti Vuolas (G) 4.94 4. Zach Cook 5.05 5. Tom Brennan 6.07 6. Michael Palm Toft 4.31 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Sam Ermolenko

REFEREE: M. Wear

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2341
Belle Vue2437
Leicester2134
Ipswich2334
Oxford2326
King’s Lynn*2118
Birmingham238
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 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 STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches race their final league fixture of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership against Birmingham on Thursday night at Foxhall.

The Suffolk side will compete in the play-offs and race in the Knockout Cup final next week against Sheffield but Thursday represents a chance to end the regular campaign on a high note before the stakes are raised.

Having lost four on the trot and suffered a host of fresh injury problems, a patched-up Ipswich side were narrowly beaten 47-43 at Birmingham on Monday, making it five without a win for Ipswich.

The home team are without Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov and Adam Ellis again on Thursday. Scott Nicholls guests at number one whilst Troy Batchelor is in for Ellis. Rider replacement will be used to cover Sayfutdinov. In more positive news, Keynan Rew is fit enough to return to the side at reserve.

The Witches have beaten the Brummies on both of their visits to Foxhall, 49-41 and 51-39 and a win by more than four points on Thursday would see them claim the aggregate bonus point and end the regular season on a positive result.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“It is our last league meeting of the year and overall, it has been a very good season. The last couple of weeks have been tough but we want to end the season on a high and win at home. I’m sure everyone will be coming out to support the boys again and we need a win to get out of this losing streak before the cup final.

“We know Scott is going to be here every week that he can, he has been superb, and we have spoken a lot about that. In the three bookings Troy has done, he has done well. Looking at someone from the Championship that you can fit in on Adam’s average, he is by far the best option. We know he is capable of going out and beating any rider at any time, so it is good to have him.

“I have nothing new to say about Emil, he is still recovering. There was a chance Adam might be fit for Thursday, but his goal is to be fit for Monday. Keynan will be back for Thursday, that is the plan.

“The play-off picture hasn’t mattered to us over the last week or so once we knew that we weren’t going to win the league. There are pros and cons to racing any of the other three teams, we are happy to go against anyone. For us, Thursday is about getting the win on the night and trying to get three points to finish the season on a high.”

THE BRUMMIES

Birmingham’s first season back in the top-flight since 2014 promised to be an exciting one but in truth it is a season they will be pleased to see the back off. The Brummies will finish bottom of the table and are yet to pick up any points away from home. The visitors will see the depleted Witches as an opportunity to end the season on a high and get that first win on the road to follow up Monday’s home win against Ipswich.

The away side are without Piotr Pawlicki who doesn’t feel able to take his place in the side and Wiktor Lampart who is unwell. Antti Vuolas comes in for Lampart whilst rider replacement is in operation for Pawlicki.

RACEDAY REPORT: BIRMINGHAM 47–43 IPSWICH – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

Image courtesy of Jeff Davies

THE SCORES

BIRMINGHAM 47: Fredrik Lindgren © 9+2, Piotr Pawlicki R/R, Simon Lambert (G) 5, Zach Cook 9+1, Tom Brennan 15+1, Michael Palm Toft 6+1, Leon Flint (RS) 3. Team Manager: Sam Ermolenko

IPSWICH 43: Richard Lawson (G) 13+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 3+1, Sam Masters (G) 10, Troy Batchelor (G) 6+1, Danny King © 4+1, Cameron Heeps (G) 3, Jordan Jenkins 4+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2341
Belle Vue2336
Leicester2134
Ipswich2334
Oxford2326
King’s Lynn*2016
Birmingham238
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

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

It was a depleted Witches side that went into the fixture with Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Troy Batchelor and Cameron Heeps guesting for the injured quartet of Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov, Adam Ellis and Keynan Rew. The hosts were without the duo of Piotr Pawlicki and Wiktor Lampart with rider replacement covering Pawlicki and Simon Lambert in for Lampart. There was nothing to separate the two sides after eight heats before two maximums from the hosts put them in the box seat for victory. Ipswich pulled some points back but didn’t have enough on the night to get a positive result. Lawson top scored with 13+1.

Lawson won a shared heat one before the Brummies went ahead in heat two with a 5-1. The Witches struck back in heat three with a maximum of their own courtesy of Masters and Batchelor. Heat four was a 3-3 leaving it all square at 12-12.

Lawson won again in heat five as the away side went ahead with a 2-4. Heat six ended in a 3-3 as Fredrik Lindgren finished ahead of Danny King and Jordan Jenkins went past Michael Palm Toft for a point. It was level again after heat seven as the home team recorded a 4-2 and it was a shared heat eight with Dan Thompson winning the battle at the back against Leon Flint, making it 24-24.

The hosts went in front in heat nine with a 5-1 and made it back-to-back maximums in heat 10 to extend their lead. The visitors got two points back in heat 11 as Lawson was a winner again and Thompson finished third. Lawson was brought in as a tactical substitute in heat 12 and it worked out well as he followed Masters home for the maximum to leave the score finely poised at 37-35.

Birmingham put themselves on the brink of a rare victory with a 5-1 in heat 13. Heat 14 was stopped as Palm Toft crashed with the visitors on a 2-4 at the time of the stoppage. Ipswich were on a heat advantage again in the re-run, but Zach Cook passed Batchelor to win the race, ensuring a 3-3 that won his side the meeting. Masters won heat 15 as the Witches recorded a 2-4 to make the final score 47-43.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Image courtesy of Jeff Davies

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

“We were beaten by the better side tonight. The guests came in and all contributed and gave us everything, but we weren’t good enough and I have no complaints. We started the meeting well and had the good gates, but we let it slip too much when they had the better of the gates mid-meeting and gave ourselves too big a task to pull back later on, we all had a good go at it.

“We know the result does not matter but it does in the fact that we wanted to win the meeting and get some wins under our belt before the important meetings next week, so that is disappointing. We have to work and focus on Thursday now and getting that win and hopefully by next Monday we will have a few members of the team back.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Guest Lawson was superb at number one, top scoring with 13+1 which included three race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Birmingham pick up just their third win of the season to end their home campaign but stay bottom. Ipswich remain fourth.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 29th August in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BIRMINGHAM – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture with Birmingham.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Birmingham to face the Brummies at the Perry Barr Stadium on Monday 26th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

BIRMINGHAM: 1. Fredrik Lindgren © 7.59 2. R/R for Piotr Pawlicki 5.26 3. Wiktor Lampart 4.94 4. Zach Cook 5.05 5. Tom Brennan 6.07 6. Michael Palm Toft 4.31 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Sam Ermolenko

IPSWICH: 1. Richard Lawson (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson (RS) 5.02 3. Sam Masters (G) 9.04 4. Troy Batchelor (G) 5.63 5. Danny King © 6.98 6. Cameron Heeps (G) 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2138
Leicester2134
Belle Vue2134
Ipswich2234
Oxford2326
King’s Lynn*2016
Birmingham226
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

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

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches are back on their travels again on Monday as they race the Birmingham Brummies in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Suffolk side have just had three home meetings on the bounce where their injury problems mounted further in three defeats. The Witches have dropped from first to fourth in the table after four straight defeats having had the wind knocked out of their sails by losing more riders to the treatment table.

It is another patched-up team that heads to Birmingham with four guests coming into the side. Ryan Douglas was due to guest at number one for the injured Jason Doyle but crashed whilst riding in Poland on Sunday with Richard Lawson now stepping in. Sam Masters comes in for the injured Emil Sayfutdinov. Adam Ellis was due to return to action after his period on the sidelines having suffered a concussion, but he is still struggling following the bang to the head and needs another week of rest. Troy Batchelor guests at number four in his absence.

Keynan Rew is also missing as he is still feeling the effects of his crash during last Thursday’s defeat to Belle Vue and Cameron Heeps will guest at reserve.

Ipswich have visited Perry Barr twice in 2024 losing 49-41 in the league and winning 46-44 in the Knockout Cup. Ritchie Hawkins’ men will be aiming to get back to winning ways against the division’s basement side as they look to build momentum up again before the Knockout Cup final and play-offs.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We head to Birmingham with a patched-up side full of guests. It is not something we want to be doing but it is the situation we are in at the moment. I feel we are putting out a strong side and have two Leicester riders in. Sam goes very well at Birmingham and was very keen to take the booking.

“Adam is not going to be fit, he is still suffering some effects from his knock to the head last week so Troy will come in as a guest again. I thought he did a decent job at Ipswich the other night and we know what he is all about.

“The main focus is on the cup final now, but we have got Birmingham home and away and they have struggled this year. We are focused on getting two wins to get back into winning ways before the cup final.

“Birmingham have had a tough season back in the top-flight, but they will look at this looking to end their season on a high. They will see it as an opportunity to beat us seeing as we are hampered with injuries, so we will have to perform if we want to win the meeting as they will see it as chance to get a win on the board as well.

“Emil is at home recovering and is hopeful of trying to get back for the play-offs in Poland and England. Whether that proves to be too difficult a task or not we will know more about in the coming weeks.”

THE BRUMMIES

Birmingham have had a wretched return to the top-flight of British Speedway and find themselves marooned at the bottom of the table with just six points to their name. They have won just two fixtures all season, both at home and will be keen to give their supporters something to cheer in their last home fixture of 2024 on Monday.

There have been plenty of team changes throughout the season at Birmingham as they have tried to find the winning formula. Zach Cook is back in the side having been dropped earlier in the season whilst Michael Palm Toft has replaced the unwell Steve Worrall since they last faced Ipswich.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £23, concessions £20, students (17-22 with proof of ID) £10 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.

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 41–49 BELLE VUE – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSORS

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

George Baker Shipping – George Baker (Shipping) Ltd has been a household name within the freight community for over 40 years. Despite its growth and success, George Baker Shipping continues to adhere to the same core values on which the company was founded. To this day, the business remains in the Baker family and is now under the ownership of George and Libby’s children, David Baker and Sharon Binns. Over 40 years on, the company is renowned as customs specialists, whilst also being recognised for its diversified and innovative high-quality logistics services.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 41: Scott Nicholls (G) 15+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 1+1, Danny King © 12, Zach Cook (G) 2+1, Emil Sayfutdinov R/R, Keynan Rew 0 (Withdrawn), Jordan Jenkins 11+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE 49: Dan Bewley 11+1, Norick Blödorn 7+1, Jaimon Lidsey 9, Ben Cook 5+2, Brady Kurtz © 10+1, Antti Vuolas 3, Jake Mulford (RS) 4+2. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2138
Leicester2134
Belle Vue2134
Ipswich2234
Oxford2326
King’s Lynn*2016
Birmingham226
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches suffered their third home defeat in a row on Thursday night as they were beaten by the Belle Vue Aces in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

It was another depleted Witches side that took to the track with Scott Nicholls and Zach Cook guesting for the injured Jason Doyle and concussed Adam Ellis whilst rider replacement was in operation for the injured Emil Sayfutdinov. The visitors were at full strength for the fixture. The Aces edged ahead and found themselves racing against a five-man team after heat two with Keynan Rew withdrawn following a crash. It looked like the away side were going to pick up a comfortable victory, but Ipswich produced a spirited fightback to narrow the gap to just four points after heat 12. However, Belle Vue had just about enough to get the job done and pick up three league points. Nicholls top scored with 15+1.

Nicholls won heat one, but it ended in a 3-3 as Dan Bewley got past Dan Thompson for a point late on in the race. Heat two was awarded as a maximum to the away side with Rew going into the fence as he chased Jake Mulford to the line. Rew was subsequently withdrawn from the meeting, adding further to Ipswich’s injury woes and leaving them with five riders for the second Thursday in succession. Danny King took victory in a shared heat three and the hosts clawed back two points in heat four as Nicholls picked up another win and Jordan Jenkins was third for a 4-2 that left the score 11-13.

Belle Vue raced to a maximum in heat five and Brady Kurtz couldn’t be caught as heat six ended in a 3-3. King was a winner again in heat seven as the points were shared. The away team hit another 1-5 in heat eight and were already well on the way to victory being 19-29 in front.

Heat nine ended in a 3-3 and the visitors recorded a heat advantage in heat 10 as Jaimon Lidsey beat Nicholls and Ben Cook nicked a point on the line. Nicholls was brought in as a tactical substitute in heat 11 and it worked a treat as he followed Jenkins home for a 5-1. Despite being down to just five riders, the home team kept on battling and brought themselves right back into the tie with another maximum in heat 12 courtesy of King and Jenkins, making it 34-38.

However, Belle Vue then eased the pressure with a maximum in heat 13 and sealed victory in heat 14 despite a 4-2 to the Witches as Jenkins took the chequered flag. Heat 15 was awarded as a 2-4 to the away team as Bewley won ahead of Nicholls and King was excluded as he fell at the start of the final lap with Lidsey coming under him, making the final result 41-49 to the Manchester outfit.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s defeat against Belle Vue.

“It was a night we knew was always going to be really tough and that task became a lot tougher with Keynan crashing out in heat two. It was great to have Scott back in the side and he led the team brilliantly at number one. Danny was back on form as well and those two held the meeting together for us in the first part and then you saw the difference it made when Jordan clicked in mid-meeting. That really kept us in it and kept it interesting but understandably a five-man team wasn’t going to be good enough against a solid Belle Vue outfit.

“It was a spectacular crash for Keynan, but the early signs are quite positive that it is nothing too serious. He is very sore, and we will have to see how he goes over the next few days to see if he is fit for Monday or not.

“I was really pleased with the lads and the effort they showed. On Monday night we folded and had no answers but tonight we kept fighting and it is positive to see that going forward showing it was a one-off on Monday. We were back to that same mentality of fighting all the way to the end tonight.

“It is brilliant to see Jordan click into form, and it is something I have talked a lot about with him this year that his time is going to come. We need him firing for the business end of the season and he has certainly kept working hard and is making changes and that is brilliant. I’m pleased for him, but it is a shame that the top end of the team is decimated because with how Jordan is going, we certainly would be a formidable outfit.

“It is the end of a really tough period after three home defeats. We have done absolutely everything we could off the track to get the best teams out possible. We have got one more week of league action next week home and away against Birmingham and we will be looking at using lots of guests again. We will put out the best team possible and will fight for two wins next week as we look to get back to a more regular line-up for the cup final and go into that with better form as we look to retain the trophy.”

RN EUSTON & GEORGE BAKER SHIPPING RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

RN Euston selected Jenkins who scored 11+1 from reserve.

George Baker Shipping went for top scorer Nicholls.

WHAT IT MEANS

Belle Vue go above Ipswich into third after picking up three points including the aggregate bonus point following their big win over the Witches at the National Speedway Stadium.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Birmingham to take on the Brummies on Monday 26th August in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BELLE VUE – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 22nd August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

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

George Baker Shipping – George Baker (Shipping) Ltd has been a household name within the freight community for over 40 years. Despite its growth and success, George Baker Shipping continues to adhere to the same core values on which the company was founded. To this day, the business remains in the Baker family and is now under the ownership of George and Libby’s children, David Baker and Sharon Binns. Over 40 years on, the company is renowned as customs specialists, whilst also being recognised for its diversified and innovative high-quality logistics services.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson 5.02 (RS) 3. Danny King 6.98 © 4. Zach Cook (G) 5.63 5. R/R for Emil Sayfutdinov 9.04 6. Keynan Rew 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE: 1. Dan Bewley 8.96 2. Norick Blödorn 5.23 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.63 4. Ben Cook 6.58 5. Brady Kurtz 8.65 © 6. Antti Vuolas 4.55 7. Jake Mulford (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2138
Leicester2134
Ipswich2134
Belle Vue2031
Oxford2225
King’s Lynn*1914
Birmingham226
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 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 STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches end a busy spell at Foxhall on Thursday evening when they take on the Belle Vue Aces in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The busy schedule has coincided with an injury-crisis as Emil Sayfutdinov joined long-term absentee Jason Doyle on the sidelines and Adam Ellis suffered a bang to the head meaning a mandatory period out. Scott Nicholls guests for Doyle whilst Zach Cook deputises for Ellis. Rider replacement will be in operation for Sayfutdinov.

There is no hiding that the team are going through a tough period having suffered their first two home defeats of the season in the last week with injuries taking their toll on the side. Having spent the majority of the season at the top of the table, top spot now looks out of reach, but a play-off spot is already confirmed for the Suffolk side. Thursday presents a new opportunity, and two points is the objective for Ritchie Hawkins’ men who would have to produce something very special to take the aggregate bonus point as well having been beaten 26-58 in Manchester earlier in the season.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“Scott is back, and we will use him as often as possible, he has been brilliant this season. We have had to get a guest for Adam until he serves his mandatory suspension for concussion, so Zach comes in for him and he is a rider we have talked to a little bit over the last couple of years. It will be great to see how he goes, he has been in and out with Birmingham this year but is certainly an improving rider and is doing well at the moment. It will be good to have him part of the side for the first time.

“We will have to go with R/R for Emil, we tried to get a guest and tried a few riders from Leicester after their great performance last week but none of them were available. We know that means it puts a lot of pressure on the other boys in the team and it will be a tough night but if they can all perform to their best then we have still got a good shout of winning the meeting.

“Emil is back home now and recovering from his injury and we hope to have a clearer picture on things soon.

“At the moment we are going through a tough period, we have lost the spearhead of the team, so we have got a choice. As a team we can fold in, as a club we can give up or we can all band together and support each other. I would certainly like to do the latter and I hope everyone will support the team who have been superb for near-on two seasons now. They have done the town and club proud, and it is a side that I am proud to be a part of. When times are tough it is when we need the support most and I would really appreciate everyone backing us and supporting the boys on Thursday night in this tough time.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue sit fourth in the table but are still in the mix to finish top of the table after another strong campaign. The foundations to their good form have once again been made at home where they have been beaten just once. The Aces find it tougher on the road though with just two wins and seven defeats on their travels. The aggregate bonus point is the minimum the Aces will be after on Thursday as they look to take advantage of Ipswich’s injury troubles and if they were to pick up three points it would set them up nicely for home and away fixtures against leaders Sheffield which could be decisive in the race to finish top.

The visitors have two new reserves since they last took on the Witches with Antti Vuolas and Jake Mulford being signed to replace the duo of Tate Zischke and Connor Bailey.

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 38–52 SHEFFIELD – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 38: Jason Doyle R/R, Troy Batchelor (G) 7, Danny King © 8+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 4+1, Dan Bewley (G) 9+1, Keynan Rew 5, Jordan Jenkins 5+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD 52: Jack Holder 12+1, Kyle Howarth © 9+2, Chris Holder 11+3, Josh Pickering 18+2, Tai Woffinden R/R, Jason Edwards 2, Luke Harrison (G) (RS) 0. Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: M. Bates

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2138
Leicester2134
Ipswich2134
Belle Vue2031
Oxford2225
King’s Lynn*1914
Birmingham226
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches were beaten by the Sheffield Tigers on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

It was a depleted home side that took to the track with the hosts missing Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov and Adam Ellis with rider replacement, Dan Bewley and Troy Batchelor covering their absences. Sheffield had rider replacement for Tai Woffinden and Luke Harrison in for Dan Gilkes. Ipswich started strongly and built up an eight-point lead, but the away side fought back and raced to victory picking up the aggregate bonus point in the process. Bewley top scored with 9+1.

It looked like the Witches were going to start proceedings with a 5-1 as Bewley and Batchelor hit the front, but Jack Holder dived up the inside of Batchelor going into the final lap to limit Ipswich to a 4-2. Heat two was stopped as Harrison hit the deck whilst at the back and in the re-run Keynan Rew and Jordan Jenkins looked good for a 5-1 before Jenkins slid off but the reserve was able to remount and get the point for another heat advantage. Danny King was the next faller in heat three as he lost control on the opening turn, but he cleared the track and Dan Thompson won the race meaning a 3-3. Ipswich’s dominant start continued in heat four with a 5-1 courtesy of Bewley and Jenkins which put them 16-8 up.

King won heat five but with Thompson relegated to the back it meant a 3-3. Josh Pickering won a shared heat six and he was back out in heat seven teaming up with Chris Holder for a Tigers maximum. Batchelor couldn’t be caught in heat eight and with Jenkins third it was a 4-2 to Ipswich to give them a 27-21 lead.

Pickering was brought in as a tactical substitute for the away side in heat nine and he followed Jack Holder home for a maximum. The away side then went in front after heat 10 as Pickering and Chris Holder hit a 1-5 and the run of maximums continued for the visitors in heat 11. Ritchie Hawkins brought in Bewley as a tactical substitute in heat 12 but Chris Holder won in a 3-3 leaving the visitors 33-39 ahead.

The tie was all but over after heat 13 as the Sheffield pair struck another 1-5 leaving the hosts needing snookers to get a result. Pickering won a shared heat 14 to confirm their victory and Sheffield raced to another maximum in the final race of the night to seal a 14-point win.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s defeat to Sheffield.

“We started the meeting really well but threw a few points away and should have built a bigger lead. All in all, when they came back at us, we didn’t have a reply and that was mainly down to not having enough bodies in the team but overall, they were the better team on the night. It is disappointing but we have two weeks to regroup before the Knockout Cup final.

“Early on we had the better of it when there was dirt on the track and did well but when that disappeared, they came into their own. They were making starts and were confident and at the moment we are on a bit of a low and they hit us hard.

“At the moment we are too short of bodies and are not at our best, but this is the situation we are in, and we have to deal with it. We need to make a better fist of it than we did tonight, before the meeting I said to the team I felt we were still good enough to win the meeting, but we were not.

“We have lost at home twice in a row and we need to forget about top spot. That would have been nice because it is not something we have done for a long while, but we have got two weeks to get sorted and put something together for the cup final and three weeks until the play-offs. That is where are focus is now.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

On a night of few positives for the hosts, Jenkins was on the pace scoring 5+1 from reserve and earning a heat 15 pick.

WHAT IT MEANS

Sheffield take a big step towards finishing top, picking up three points whilst Ipswich drop to third.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 22nd August in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 19th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. R/R for Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Troy Batchelor (G) 5.63 3. Danny King © 6.98 4. Dan Thompson 5.02 (RS) 5. Dan Bewley (G) 9.04 6. Keynan Rew 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 9.20 2. Kyle Howarth 5.17 © 3. Chris Holder 8.23 4. Josh Pickering 6.47 5. R/R for Tai Woffinden 8.67 6. Jason Edwards 3.25 7. Luke Harrison (G) (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: M. Bates

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2035
Ipswich2034
Leicester2032
Belle Vue2031
Oxford2125
King’s Lynn*1811
Birmingham216
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 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 STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches are back at Foxhall on Monday evening in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership as they entertain the Sheffield Tigers.

Last Thursday was a tough night for the Witches as they endured their first home defeat of the campaign against an in-form Leicester. Without Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov going into the tie the home team then lost Adam Ellis after one race leaving the five remaining riders with too much to do.

It is a patched-up Ipswich team that take to the track on Monday with the above mentioned three riders all missing. Rider replacement will be in operation for Doyle at one and British champion and Grand Prix rider Dan Bewley has been booked to cover Sayfutdinov at five. Ellis misses this week’s fixtures as he is serving a mandatory period of absence after he took a bang to the head in the crash against Leicester. Troy Batchelor guests at two in his place.

The Tigers hold a two-point lead on aggregate for the bonus point having beaten the Witches 46-44 at Owlerton and the Suffolk side will be looking to get back to winning ways in front of their home fans, knowing that a win by more than two points would see them collect all three points on offer and return to the top of the table.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are back again on Monday, and we have got guest bookings and R/R again. I am delighted that Dan is coming to do a guest booking for us and it will be great for everyone to watch him twice next week. We bring in Troy as well to replace Adam and he took the call late, but he knows the club really well and is in great form, he is flying. It is good we can call on him and we will come out strong. They have R/R as well for Woffy so it is two top teams missing top riders but I’m sure it will be a really good meeting.

“We know it is difficult booking guests and we are certainly finding it difficult to find anyone that will come close to replacing Emil and Jason but the guys that have come in this season have always done a great job and have really enjoyed being with us. Overall, it has not been a disaster for us, and we will keep doing the best we can do for the rest of the season.

“Leicester are making a great run to finish top but we have been the top two teams this year and it is a meeting that we can still go into with confidence thinking we should win at home with the side we have put out. We will be coming out fighting and wanting to win that one and hopefully we will end the night back at the top.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield moved to the top of the table on Thursday night after thrashing bottom side Birmingham on home shale. The reigning champions have tasted victory four times already on the road this season and know that a win at Foxhall would see them take a giant step towards finishing top of the table.

The visitors are without former world champion Tai Woffinden on Monday with rider replacement in operation at number five. Rising Star Dan Gilkes is ruled out with an eye infection with Luke Harrison guesting.

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 36–54 LEICESTER – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSORS

Scott Properties – Scott Properties is a self-funded 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.

Volvo Truck & Bus Centre South & East – Your Volvo Truck or Bus specialists. For trucks, parts, advice and maintenance, they’re Volvo at its best. They give you exactly the vehicles you need, from new trucks and certified used trucks. Call them to ask for information on the latest stocks and prices.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 36: Jason Doyle R/R, Adam Ellis 0 (Withdrawn), Scott Nicholls (G) 13, Dan Thompson (RS) 4, Danny King © 7, Keynan Rew 8+1, Jordan Jenkins 4+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER 54: Max Fricke © 10+2 (Paid Maximum), Richard Lawson 12+1, Sam Masters 9+1, Luke Becker 11+1, Ryan Douglas 9+1, Drew Kemp (G) 2, Sam Hagon (RS) 1+1. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

REFEREE: G. Allen

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Sheffield2035
Ipswich2034
Leicester2032
Belle Vue2031
Oxford2125
King’s Lynn*1811
Birmingham216
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches fell to their first defeat at Foxhall this season on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership as they were beaten by Leicester.

The hosts went into the fixture without their top two riders with Jason Doyle having been ruled out for the season and Emil Sayfutdinov having crashed out at Sheffield last week. Rider replacement and Scott Nicholls were covering their absences whilst the visitors had Drew Kemp in for Craig Cook at reserve. A tough task became even tougher as Ipswich lost Adam Ellis after just one heat following a crash, leaving them with just five riders to finish the meeting. That task proved impossible as the Lions raced to three league points. Nicholls top scored with 13.

Heat one set the tone for how the evening would pan out for the home team. With the Lions on a maximum, Max Fricke seemed to get out of shape causing Ellis to try and avoid him which resulted in Ellis hitting the deck and being excluded from the race. With the Witches man having taken a knock to the head that ruled him out of the rest of the night, leaving the Suffolk side with a mountain to climb. Leicester hit a 1-5 in the re-run, but Keynan Rew and Jordan Jenkins hit back in heat two with a maximum of their own. Sam Masters held off Nicholls to win heat three in a Lions 2-4 and heat four was stopped as Rew slid off on the first turn having made the gate meaning he was excluded. Danny King won a shared re-run leaving the visitors 11-13 in front.

Leicester raced to a maximum in heat five and Ritchie Hawkins used his tactical substitute ride early putting King in heat six, but the away side registered a 2-4. Luke Becker and Masters extended the lead with a 1-5 in heat seven, but the Witches were not throwing the towel in as Rew flew to victory in heat eight with Jenkins third for a 4-2 to make it 19-29.

Nicholls powered himself to the win in heat nine in another 4-2 to Ipswich but that was to be the last heat advantage for the hosts. Leicester recorded a heat advantage in heat 10 before a maximum in heat 11 put them on the brink of victory. A shared heat 12 made the score 29-43.

Heat 13 was awarded as a 1-5 to the away side as King went into the air fence as he tried to chase the Lions pair out front. A 3-3 followed in heat 14 and Nicholls won a shared heat 15 to end a challenging night for the Witches.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s defeat against Leicester.

“It was a really tough night. It was always going to be tough but then losing Adam in the first race made it a daunting task for us all. The boys fought their hearts out, they were nearly in every race between them. If anything, most of them were guilty of over-riding to compensate for everything and that is something I can’t criticise at all. They gave everything for the team again and we will come again next week.

“Adam has had a slight knock to his head, the doctor thinks he will be fine tomorrow but with the rules he will have to have a mandatory period out so he will miss next week. He will have a bit of rest, but the main priority is to sort that out.

“It wasn’t difficult to keep everyone motivated. We knew it was backs against the wall, but we have had five riders once already this season and managed to pull off a win but Leicester were simply too good. You have got to give credit to Leicester as well, their performance was brilliant. Even with our full one to seven I think it would have been an extremely close meeting, it is a shame it wasn’t our full team as it could have been a classic. They performed brilliantly and they are in great form so well done to them. Everything went wrong for us but even if it didn’t it certainly isn’t a given that we would have won.

“We were aiming to win the league but given our current circumstances if that does not happen it is completely understandable. The main thing is that we are already secured in the play-offs, we will get through this tough period, and we will come back as strong as possible before the cup final and play-offs.”

SCOTT PROPERTIES & VOLVO TRUCK & BUS CENTRE SOUTH & EAST RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

Nicholls picked up both awards after top scoring with 13 points as a guest.

WHAT IT MEANS

Leicester pick up two points and the aggregate bonus point to move third in the table. Ipswich drop to second in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 19th August in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: LEICESTER – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture with Leicester.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 15th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Scott Properties – Scott Properties is a self-funded 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.

Volvo Truck & Bus Centre South & East – Your Volvo Truck or Bus specialists. For trucks, parts, advice and maintenance, they’re Volvo at its best. They give you exactly the vehicles you need, from new trucks and certified used trucks. Call them to ask for information on the latest stocks and prices.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. R/R for Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Adam Ellis 5.63 3. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.04 4. Dan Thompson 5.02 (RS) 5. Danny King 6.98 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke 8.74 © 2. Richard Lawson 6.62 3. Sam Masters 6.37 4. Luke Becker 5.78 5. Ryan Douglas 7.43 6. Drew Kemp (G) 4.68 7. Sam Hagon (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

REFEREE: G. Allen

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1934
Sheffield1932
Belle Vue2031
Leicester1929
Oxford2023
King’s Lynn*1711
Birmingham206
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 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 STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches begin a crucial seven days of ROWE Motor Oil Premiership action on Thursday night at Foxhall as they take on the Leicester Lions.

The Suffolk side host three meetings on home shale in a short period of time as they look to go a long way to securing top spot ahead of the play-offs. It will take some effort against the Lions on Thursday with the hosts missing their top two riders. Rider replacement is in operation at number one for Jason Doyle who has been on the sidelines for the majority of the campaign. There was a further blow last Thursday during the narrow 46-44 defeat at Sheffield as Emil Sayfutdinov took a heavy fall on the final bend, suffering a deep laceration to his buttock. Scott Nicholls guests at number three in his absence.

The main priority for Ipswich is to pick up the two points against an in-form Leicester side and it would take a huge effort to collect the aggregate bonus point too after the Lions won 53-37 at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena last month.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“Emil is in good spirits and is doing well considering. He is still in hospital in Sheffield as we speak on Monday. Hopefully he will get operated on and home to Poland in the next couple of days.

“We welcome Leicester who are in great form, and it could not be a tougher ask being without the top two riders in the league. We bring in Scotty again and he has been tremendous around Foxhall this year and I am delighted we can call upon him. All of our remaining team members are in good form and are doing well at Foxhall and we still should be a strong team at home. We go into the meeting needing everyone to perform but we have done that all season and we will do that on Thursday as we fight for another victory.

“Leicester are a team I have said all year are good on paper but have underperformed for most of the season. They have hit form at the right time and have made a great run into the play-off spots and look like they are racing to their potential now which is promising for them and worrying for the rest. They have riders very capable around Foxhall and this is going to be our toughest test of the season so far and another challenge to rise to.

“Three meetings over the next week at home is a vital period for us as a club as we want to finish top of the league, but it is backs against the wall. I really hope everyone comes to support the boys because they have provided a lot of entertainment this year and a lot of highlights. The support has been amazing, it is tough for everybody at the moment, but we will get through it together. The support is needed now more than ever to keep the boys’ heads up and keep them fighting. As a club we have got to all do that, from myself, to the riders, to the staff and our amazing, loyal fanbase.”

THE LIONS

Leicester are hitting form at the right time having underwhelmed for the first half of the campaign. The Lions have climbed into fourth, the final spot for the play-offs after winning six of their last seven fixtures. In their last three away meetings they have taken Sheffield to a super heat, beaten King’s Lynn and won at Birmingham, and should they pick up more points on the road at Foxhall, they will edge closer to confirming their play-off place.

The visitors have Drew Kemp guesting in place of Craig Cook at reserve.

RACEDAY REPORT: SHEFFIELD 46–44 IPSWICH – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

SHEFFIELD 46: Jack Holder 16+1, Kyle Howarth © 6+2, Chris Holder 6, Josh Pickering 5+1, Chris Harris (G) 11+1, Jason Edwards 1, Dan Gilkes (RS) 1. Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH 44: Jason Doyle R/R, Adam Ellis 9, Emil Sayfutdinov 13+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 5, Danny King © 4, Keynan Rew 7, Jordan Jenkins 6+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: D. Watters

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1934
Sheffield1932
Belle Vue1929
Leicester1826
Oxford2023
King’s Lynn*1711
Birmingham196
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches fell to a narrow defeat at Sheffield on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The visitors were using rider replacement in place of the injured Jason Doyle whilst the hosts had Chris Harris guesting for Tai Woffinden. The Tigers led by two points after six heats before Ipswich put together a run of heat advantages to lead by six after 10 races. Sheffield fought back to level the tie with the aid of a tactical substitute and took the league points in heat 15 as the night ended with a horrible crash for Emil Sayfutdinov which resulted in a 5-1 awarded to the hosts. Sayfutdinov top scored with 13+1.

Sheffield started with a 5-1 in heat one, but the Witches responded instantly with a maximum in heat two courtesy of Keynan Rew and Jordan Jenkins. Sayfutdinov roared to victory in a shared heat three and the Tigers gated on a 5-1 in heat four, but Jenkins rode superbly to pass Dan Gilkes for second to limit the damage to a 4-2 which gave the home team a 13-11 lead.

Adam Ellis was quickest out of the gate in heat five to lead and he was joined for an Ipswich maximum as Sayfutdinov majestically swooped round Chris Holder for second late on in the race. Sheffield hit back with a 5-1 in heat six to go back in front, but it was all level after heat seven as Sayfutdinov flew to victory and Dan Thompson picked up a point. Ellis romped to victory in heat eight and with Jenkins third it was another 2-4 to the away side putting them 23-25 up.

Chris Holder hit the deck on the opening lap in heat nine and was excluded. Danny King won the re-run, and it was another heat advantage to Ipswich with Rew in third. The run of 2-4s kept on coming as Sayfutdinov cruised to another three points in heat 10 and Thompson made Jack Holder work hard for second. Jack Holder was brought in as a tactical substitute in heat 11 and he duly won but Rew did well to hold off Harris for second, limiting the home team to a 4-2. The points were shared in heat 12 as Chris Holder managed to hold off Sayfutdinov to win making it 34-38 to Ipswich with three to race.

The tie was level after heat 13 as the hosts recorded a 5-1 but the Suffolk side edged back in front as Thompson rode wonderfully to win heat 14 ahead of Josh Pickering and Rew battled his way into third for the 2-4. A dramatic last-heat decider ended in a horrible crash on the final bend with Sayfutdinov and Jack Holder side by side at the front going into the final turn. Sayfutdinov was hurled into the fence and was flung back onto the track when he was caught by the oncoming Harris which meant he also came down. Sayfutdinov was taken away in an ambulance and the race was awarded as a 5-1 to Sheffield which gave them the victory on the night.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s defeat at Sheffield.

“Emil has gone to hospital, he was conscious, but it was a sickening crash. We will just await news on the severity and number of injuries that it will be. We have to hope for the best at the moment.

“They did well to get the meeting on with the wet weather but as the meeting went on it built up a massive dirt line right under the fence and the boys were racing on the limit. Unfortunately for Emil it was one bend too far and if that was the end result after heat 15 without the crash I would have gone away delighted with the boys after the effort and fight they showed. I thought we put in a tremendous performance, and I am super proud of them but none of that matters at all now. The result is immaterial because our thoughts are with Emil.

“It was another strong all-round team performance with everyone contributing with vital points at vital times. It looked like it was going to be an extremely good evening for us before heat 15 and all six riders I was happy with.

“Talking about the table to be brutally honest couldn’t be further from our minds. We are top and a win tonight probably would have secured finishing top but if we lose Emil as well, the season going forward is very difficult. It is all too early to assess that, we know we are in the play-offs and we have a month now to see if we can get ready and fit for it.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov was a joy to watch as he raced to 13+1 before a horror crash cruelly ended his night.

WHAT IT MEANS

Sheffield pick up two points to close the gap to two points on leaders Ipswich.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 15th August in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.