Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 50-40 BELLE VUE – PREMIERSHIP (H)

Posted on 14th July, 202214th July, 2022,

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.

ATPS Construction – ATPS is a superior and prestigious, well-established company providing a comprehensive range of professional groundwork and construction services. They operate throughout the United Kingdom to an impressive portfolio of both domestic and commercial clients, some of whom are very high-profile players in the Hospitality, Leisure, Retail, Finance and Banking sectors.

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 50: Jason Doyle 11, Paul Starke R/R, Danny King © 9, Ben Barker 4+2, Troy Batchelor 13+3, Erik Riss 6+1, Danyon Hume (RS) 7+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE 40: Matej Zagar 5+1, Charles Wright R/R, Brady Kurtz © 10+1, Tom Brennan (RS) 5+1, Max Fricke 16+1, Zach Cook (g) 1, Norick Blödorn 3+2. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

JUNIOR CHALLENGE SCORES

IPSWICH RESERVES 13: Jacob Clouting 5, Sam Woods 2+1, Josh Warren 6, Danyon Hume R/R. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

PETERBOROUGH THUNDERCATS 21: Matt Marson 4+1, Max Perry 3, Sam Bebee 9 (Maximum), Arran Butcher 5+2. Team Manager: Jason Pipe

REFEREE: C. Durno

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	12	25
Belle Vue	12	23
Sheffield	10	23
Wolverhampton	12	21
King’s Lynn	10	12
Peterborough	12	10

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches returned to the top of the Premiership table with an impressive victory over the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall on Thursday.

Both sides were affected by injuries going into the meeting with Ipswich missing Paul Starke and Belle Vue without Charles Wright and Jye Etheridge. It was the home side who started strongly and built up a 10-point lead after just four races and whilst the Aces kept on battling throughout, a home victory was never in doubt with victory sealed with two races to spare. Troy Batchelor top scored with 13+3.

Jason Doyle was a clear winner in heat one and Ben Barker worked his way through to join his partner at the front in the early stages for a 5-1 to the hosts. It was a similar tale in heat two as Erik Riss won and Danyon Hume soon got into second for another maximum. The heat advantages kept on coming as Danny King got the victory in heat three and Barker picked up a point for a 4-2. Max Fricke stemmed the tide with a win in heat four for the Aces but a 3-3 left Ipswich with a commanding 17-7 lead.

Fricke was back out in heat five for a rider replacement ride and he took the chequered flag again as his partner Matej Zagar passed both Barker and King during the race to snatch a 1-5 on the final lap that dragged the away side back into the contest. Fricke was out yet again in heat six and made it three wins in a row as he beat Doyle and Hume edged out Zach Cook for a 3-3. The away side were now dialled in, and captain Brady Kurtz was another Belle Vue race winner in heat seven as he took advantage of a mistake by Batchelor to hit the front in a shared heat. The Witches restored their 10-point lead in heat eight as Hume and Batchelor combined for a maximum to put the Suffolk side 29-19 up.

Barker made the gate in heat nine, but it was that man Fricke again who raced past the Witches rider for his fourth win of the night as the points were shared. It looked like it might be another 5-1 to the Witches in heat 10 as Doyle and Riss led the way early on, but Riss was passed by both Aces meaning a 3-3. Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon played his tactical substitute in heat 11 bringing in the unbeaten Fricke in to partner Zagar but Batchelor ensured they couldn’t gain any advantage with a race win as the points were shared. It was another share of the spoils in heat 12 as King won ahead of the Aces pair, leaving the hosts in control, 10 points up with three heats to race.

It was game over for the Aces in heat 13 as Doyle and Batchelor raced to a maximum to seal the victory for the hosts. Belle Vue kept on fighting in heat 14 as both Tom Brennan and Norick Blödorn overcame early leader Hume for a maximum. Batchelor finished his night off with a fine win in heat 15 ahead of the Belle Vue pair as the Witches enjoyed the luxury of a 10-point win on home shale.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“I’d say it is our best home performance of the season and it is obviously our biggest home win. There is still room for improvement there. Erik, Ben and Danny have left the meeting disappointed and that is half of our team. They are disappointed with things they could improve on or do better. It was a good win against a good team, but I still think there are a lot of areas to improve on.

“I think we were solid throughout and started really strongly despite them being able to use Fricke for a R/R ride and a tactical substitute. We dealt with that really well and we held ourselves together throughout the meeting better than when we have done when we have started strongly earlier in the year. I was happy with that and was really pleased with how Troy rode tonight. After his first couple of rides, he was superb at the end of the night and that was great to watch him ride like that.

“We still need to get points to make sure we finish in the top four because if Peterborough or King’s Lynn went on a run, they could reel people in if we slip up. We are in a good position and are delighted to be top, it is great for everyone, and the boys are enjoying that. At the end of the day, it will all come down to the play-offs. Being top is a bonus, Sheffield have meetings in hand but it is all about getting into the play-offs and making sure we are firing on all cylinders for that.

“Starkey wasn’t ready for tonight; we are hopeful with an extra week of rest he will be available for next week, but we will review that nearer the time.”

RN EUSTON & ATPS CONSTRUCTION RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

Hume was RN Euston’s choice with 7+2 from reserve whilst ATPS Construction went for Batchelor who top scored 13+3 from six rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich go top of the Premiership with these three points whilst the Aces drop to second after failing to pick up anything at Foxhall.

UP NEXT

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches pairing travels to the West Midlands for Round 4 of the Premiership Pairs at Wolverhampton on Monday 18^th July. Tickets can be purchased here.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: BELLE VUE – PREMIERSHIP (H)

Posted on 12th July, 202214th July, 2022,

By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 14^th July in a Premiership fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.95 2. R/R for Paul Starke 4.85 3. Danny King 7.95 © 4. Ben Barker 4.69 5. Troy Batchelor 6.17 6. Erik Riss 4.62 7. Danyon Hume (RS) 8. Jacob Clouting. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE: 1. Matej Zagar 8.12 2. R/R for Charles Wright 6.11 3. Brady Kurtz 7.95 © 4. Tom Brennan 4.73 (RS) 5. Max Fricke 7.84 6. Zach Cook (g) 4.66 7. Norick Blödorn 4.00. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

JUNIOR CHALLENGE TEAMS

IPSWICH RESERVES: 1. Jacob Clouting 2. Sam Woods 3. Josh Warren 4. Danyon Hume. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

PETERBOROUGH THUNDERCATS: 1. Matt Marson 2. Max Perry 3. Sam Bebee 4. Arran Butcher. Team Manager: Jason Pipe

REFEREE: C. Durno

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	11	23
Ipswich	11	22
Wolverhampton	11	21
Sheffield	9	20
Peterborough	11	10
King’s Lynn	9	9

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy on the gate and in advance online (until 7pm on raceday) and are priced at £20 for adults and £18 for concessions (65+). Children 16 and under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Cash, debit and credit card payments are accepted on the night. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces on Thursday evening at Foxhall in the Premiership. It has been 10 days since Ipswich were last in action, winning at Wolverhampton last time out before Jason Doyle and Danny King were victorious in the third round of the Pairs at King’s Lynn last Thursday. It’s a top of the table clash in Suffolk with the Aces holding top spot just one point ahead of the Witches in second.

The hosts will be without Paul Starke after he suffered thumb ligament damage in a crash at Sheffield with rider replacement in operation at number two. Troy Batchelor moves back to the number five position with skipper Danny King back at number three. The two sides met in Suffolk back in May with the Witches coming out 47-43 winners.

The Premiership fixture will be followed by a six-heat junior match between the Ipswich Reserves and Peterborough Thundercats.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“It was a great week on the road last week so it will be nice to get back home in front of our own fans and it is another top of the table clash. We go into it with confidence after last week but fully aware that we have been sneaking meetings at home. Belle Vue are also in very good form, we are probably the two most in-form teams at the moment so we will need to up our game to get another win.

“Starkey was aiming to be back, and we are giving him as much time as we can, but it will be R/R as he is unable to make it. With that being the case, we can cover it pretty well with Erik at reserve.

“Ben has had another 10 days to recover. I thought he did great at Wolverhampton but that 10 days will certainly help his fitness levels. We know what we are going to get from Ben and I’m sure these 10 days will have helped.

“If we can all perform on the same night then hopefully, we will be capable of getting a more comfortable victory than we have done. We are fully aware that if we are not on top of our game then Belle Vue will be a massive test. We will need to perform very well against a strong side.

“I’m sure Bob and Chris will be working hard to keep as much water as possible in the track. I thought the track in our last home meeting was the best it has been this season for us. It suited us so if we can get it as close to that again as possible considering the conditions, we will be very happy.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue went top of the Premiership on Monday night after they walloped bottom side King’s Lynn 61-29 at the National Speedway Stadium. Their home form has been impeccable with six wins from six, but they have just one away win to their name so far, something they will be looking to improve on in the second half of the season, starting at Foxhall.

The visitors have a powerful top end led by former GP star Matej Zagar, with current Grand Prix rider Max Fricke and captain Brady Kurtz providing strong back up. Rising Star Tom Brennan has moved into the main body of the team which means Jye Etheridge drops to reserve. However, Etheridge picked up an injury this week and Zach Cook guests in his place. Rider replacement will be in operation for Charles Wright.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: PREMIERSHIP PAIRS – ROUND 3

Posted on 7th July, 20227th July, 2022,

By Henry Chard

QUALIFYING SCORES

IPSWICH 27: Jason Doyle 14, Danny King 10, Danyon Hume (RS) 3. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN 27: Josh Pickering 17, Richard Lawson 10, Jason Edwards (RS) 0. Team Manager: Alex Brady

SHEFFIELD 23: Jack Holder 14, Adam Ellis 9, Connor Mountain (RS) 0. Team Manager: Simon Stead

PETERBOROUGH 21: Chris Harris 19, Hans Andersen 0, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 2. Team Manager: Rob Lyon

BELLE VUE 20: Max Fricke 6, Matej Zagar 12, Tom Brennan (RS) 2. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

WOLVES 17: Sam Masters 5, Steve Worrall 10, Leon Flint (RS) 2. Team Manager: Peter Adams

SEMI-FINAL: Holder, Pickering, Ellis, Lawson – 6-3 to Sheffield

FINAL: Holder, Doyle, King, Ellis, 5-4 to Ipswich

REFEREE: A. Steele

PREMIERSHIP PAIRS TABLE

Team	Points
Ipswich	26
Sheffield	24
King’s Lynn	22
Belle Vue	14
Peterborough	6
Wolverhampton	4

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches pairing of Jason Doyle and Danny King won Round 3 of the Premiership Pairs at King’s Lynn on Thursday night.

Ipswich went into the meeting having won Round 2 at Foxhall last time out and they topped the qualifying scores with four heat advantages from five which meant they went directly into the final. They met Sheffield once again in the final and although Jack Holder won the race, Doyle and King both worked hard to get amongst the points which sealed victory in Norfolk and put the Witches top of the overall standings.

Doyle stormed to victory in heat two ahead of Josh Pickering as King muscled his way past Richard Lawson for third on the back straight of the opening lap meaning it was a 6-3 to Ipswich over the King’s Lynn Stars.

Holder got the better of Doyle coming out of the second turn of heat six and held off the hard-chasing Doyle for four laps to take the victory but with King sat in third it was a 5-4 to the Witches over Sheffield.

Team manager Ritchie Hawkins put Danyon Hume in for Doyle in heat eight for his ‘Rising Star’ ride and he made the gate to lead early on before being passed by Chris Harris. However, with King in third ahead of Jordan Jenkins it was another heat advantage to Ipswich with a 5-4 over Peterborough.

Doyle was a convincing winner in heat 10 but the Aces pairing of Matej Zagar and Max Fricke were both in the points meaning a 5-4 to the Belle Vue Aces.

King and Doyle were dominant in heat 14 and raced to a comfortable 7-2 heat advantage over Wolverhampton, a result which meant Ipswich progressed directly to the final.

Sheffield then got the better of hosts King’s Lynn in the semi-final to meet the Witches in the final, as was the case in the last round at Foxhall. Holder won the final ahead of Doyle as King worked hard to get into third to secure a 5-4 to Ipswich and give the Suffolk side another round victory.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Thursday’s third round at King’s Lynn.

“It was a great night, and it was great to win again especially at King’s Lynn and not at our own track. I’m delighted with the progress we have made after a poor first round. To take two wins and get back to the top means we are in prime position in the table.

“We got off to a good start in the meeting, so we were in a good position. Danyon came in and did very well, he wasn’t far off being used again because he was that good. However, to win the meeting you need to rely on your big riders, and we used the heats to get Danny set up and his last two races were very good, so the plan worked.

“Doyley is in superb form and was pretty dominant again tonight. Danny is getting there and there are massive flashes of what we know he can do. It was vintage Danny King around the boards in the final and when he rides like that it is a joy to watch. I’m very happy with his improvements over the last few weeks.

“We are only halfway through and haven’t got a huge lead at the top so that can change in the next round very easily. We have gone well at Wolves this year so we will go there off the back of two wins and with confidence. We are doing very well and need to keep going because another poor round will drop us down the standings.”

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich go to the top of the table, picking up 12 points which puts them above Sheffield and King’s Lynn.

UP NEXT

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 14^th July in a Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased here.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: PREMIERSHIP PAIRS – ROUND 3

Posted on 6th July, 20226th July, 2022,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of the third round of the Premiership Pairs.

WHEN & WHERE

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches pairing travels to King’s Lynn for the third round of the Premiership Pairs at the Adrian Flux Arena on Thursday 7^th July which starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

WOLVES: Sam Masters, Steve Worrall, Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Peter Adams

BELLE VUE: Max Fricke, Matej Zagar, Tom Brennan (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH: Jason Doyle, Danny King, Danyon Hume (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN: Josh Pickering, Richard Lawson, Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Alex Brady

PETERBOROUGH: Chris Harris, Hans Andersen, Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Adam Ellis, Connor Mountain (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

REFEREE: A. Steele

PREMIERSHIP PAIRS TABLE

Team	Points
King’s Lynn	16
Sheffield	16
Ipswich	14
Belle Vue	12
Wolverhampton	4
Peterborough	2

TICKETS

Tickets are available on the gate. The meeting will also be streamed online here. A BSN+ subscription is required to watch. Each round can be purchased individually, priced at £12.99. BSN’s coverage starts at 7.00pm. BSN’s web URL is watch.britishspeedway.co.uk. BSN also has an App which is now available on Amazon Fire TV and on all IOS (Apple) devices.

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches pairing heads to King’s Lynn on Thursday for the third round of the Premiership Pairs. King’s Lynn were victorious at Peterborough in the opening round of the new competition before Ipswich won their home round at Foxhall last time out to put themselves back in the mix in at the top of the standings. Just four points separate the top four teams with Wolverhampton and Peterborough needing a big night in Norfolk to get themselves back into contention.

Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has elected to field Jason Doyle and captain Danny King for this round with Danyon Hume as the ‘Rising Star’. Doyle has been phenomenal in the opening two rounds and scored a 15-point maximum on his last visit to the Adrian Flux Arena. Who he is partnered by is less of a clear decision at the moment but skipper King gets the nod for this round and he scored eight points in the Witches’ win at King’s Lynn last month. Danyon Hume continues as the ‘Rising Star’ and is guaranteed at least one ride as part of the regulations.

HOW IT WORKS

The competition is a new addition to the calendar for 2022 with all six Premiership clubs staging a round throughout the season. Each club will have two riders and a ‘Rising Star’ at each round with scores accumulated over all six rounds before the overall aggregate winner is declared after the final round of the competition at Belle Vue in September. 12 points will be awarded to each round winner, eight points to second, six points to third, four points to fourth, two points to fifth and no points to sixth.

There will be 15 qualifying heats of action at each round with the top scoring team from the qualifying heats going directly to the final. The teams placed in second and third will compete in a semi-final with the winning side from that race progressing to the final to decide the round winners. Each team has five qualifying heats each and the ‘Rising Star’ must take at least one ride during the meeting. The points scoring system for the competition in each race will be 4-3-2-0.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We have gone back to Jason and Danny. Jason has been in superb form, so it is brilliant to have him. Since the last Pairs round Troy (Batchelor) has probably been in his worst bit of form of the season in the last few meetings whereas Danny has picked up form. That is why we have gone for this pairing.

“It will be another really tough meeting and a strong line-up. I know how good Danny is around King’s Lynn when he is on it and Jason has been superb everywhere. We go into it with confidence believing our pairing can be pushing to win another round.

“We need to build on our victory last time out and have another good round and that will see us in a good position for the second half of the competition.”

THE LINE-UP

It will be another strong line-up at the Adrian Flux Arena and by the end of the evening we will have reached the halfway point in the competition. The hosts and current joint leaders remain unchanged with captain Josh Pickering and Richard Lawson looking to deliver success in front of their home supporters. Joint leaders Sheffield bring Grand Prix rider Jack Holder into their pairing alongside British champion Adam Ellis. There will be another Grand Prix star in action with the Aces bringing Max Fricke back into their duo as he partners Matej Zagar. It was due to be an all-Australian duo for Wolverhampton as they declared Sam Masters and Nick Morris for this round but Steve Worrall will now partner Masters. Peterborough stick with Chris Harris and Hans Andersen with both themselves and Wolverhampton needing a good round to avoid being cut adrift at the bottom.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £20, concessions (over 65) and students £18 and children (ages 12-17) £5. Official programmes cost £3. Facilities include free floodlit parking, seated grandstand, covered standing grandstand, restaurant, fully stocked bar and function room, four licenced bar outlets, merchandise stands, toilets and a first aid room. For travel information head here.

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

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: WOLVERHAMPTON 43–47 IPSWICH – PREMIERSHIP (A)

Posted on 4th July, 20224th July, 2022,

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

WOLVES 43: Sam Masters © 12+2, Steve Worrall 8+1, Luke Becker 12, Ryan Douglas 2+1, Nick Morris 6, Drew Kemp 2, Leon Flint (RS) 1. Team Manager: Peter Adams

IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 11, Ben Barker 3+1, Troy Batchelor 7+3, Paul Starke R/R, Danny King © 7+2, Erik Riss 16+1, Danyon Hume (RS) 3. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Carrington

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	11	22
Belle Vue	10	20
Sheffield	9	20
Wolverhampton	10	18
Peterborough	10	10
King’s Lynn	8	9

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches recorded another impressive victory on the road as they won at Wolverhampton for the second time this season on Monday night in the Premiership.

Ipswich were handed a blow on the day of the meeting with Paul Starke ruled out of the meeting with thumb ligament damage following his crash at Sheffield last week with rider replacement in operation at number four in his absence. However, despite that the Witches started brightly and led by six after four heats. Wolverhampton pulled it back and the scores were level after 10 heats of action before Ipswich finished strongly to secure victory with a race to spare which took them back to the top of the Premiership. Erik Riss top scored with 16+1.

Sam Masters was an injury doubt ahead of the meeting, but he fought through the pain to win heat one as the points were shared. Riss was victorious in heat two ahead of Drew Kemp with Danyon Hume picking up a point to edge the visitors ahead. Luke Becker worked his way through the traffic to take the chequered flag in heat three with the Witches having initially made the gate meaning a 3-3. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins made a reserve switch in heat four putting Riss in for Hume, and it worked a treat as he raced to victory and was joined by skipper Danny King for a 1-5 that put Ipswich six points to the good after a terrific start to the meeting.

Jason Doyle won a shared heat five before the home duo of Steve Worrall and Masters recorded Wolves’ first maximum of the evening in heat six to reduce the Suffolk side’s lead to just two points. Nick Morris won heat seven in a 3-3 and the scores were level shortly after as Worrall won heat eight ahead of Hume and Leon Flint took advantage of a slip by Ben Barker to nip into third for a heat advantage to make it 24-24.

However, Ipswich regained the lead in heat nine as Riss won and Ryan Douglas fell whilst chasing hard in second place, allowing King into second for a 1-5 to the away side. It was all level again after heat 10 as Masters and Worrall raced to another 5-1. Morris was the victim of first bend bunching at the start of heat 11 and hit the deck, with all four riders called back for the re-run. Doyle got the better of Morris in the second staging with the Wolves rider just hanging onto second on the line ahead of the busy Riss with a 2-4 putting Ipswich back in front. The Witches looked like they were taking a big step towards victory in heat 12 as Riss and Troy Batchelor hit the front, but Becker had other ideas and passed the pair to prevent any heat advantage, meaning it was finely poised at 35-37 with three heats to race.

Doyle was the first Ipswich rider to defeat Masters in heat 13 and King worked hard to pass Morris for an important point that extended the away side’s lead to four points. An impressive away win was sealed in heat 14 as Batchelor and Riss roared to a maximum. Heat 15 was action-packed with passing galore and it ended with a 5-1 to Wolverhampton which did deny Ipswich a four-point away win but it was the Witches who went home happy with victory in the West Midlands once again.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Ipswich ‘Tru Mix’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s victory at Wolverhampton.

“Our two trips here have been our best two overall and I’m really pleased. It is nice to get back to the top of the table and we are making a bit of a habit of being top of the league at the moment.

“Erik Riss at reserve is a massive bonus for a team, it is down to his form last year really as he has been going well with us. It is a pity really that we haven’t got that many meetings this month. We won’t get a massive benefit out of it with only three meetings with him at reserve but obviously tonight it paid dividends.

“I don’t think we are at our best yet. We are dovetailing with people having off nights and then other people stepping up. We are not as consistent as we could be. Danny is coming into a bit of form and once we get Ben back fit, he was hitting form at reserve. Hopefully when Starkey comes back next time he will be fit, and he has been very good for us when he has been here. I still think there is a lot more improvement in us.

“Ben did very well, he was far from 100% fit. Maybe he could have had a few more points but certainly a fully fit Ben Barker would have scored more points. He did a good job for the team and manage to contribute like all six did. That is what we need to be doing.

“Starkey has seen a different specialist today and had an MRI scan and they have found the problem. They’ve said he needs two to six weeks of recovery to be fully fit and he has already done one of them. We are hoping that it will be on lesser side, and he will be with us next meeting.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Reserve Riss was busy as expected and racked up a stunning 16+1 from the maximum amount of seven rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up three points which means they head back to the Premiership summit whilst Wolverhampton drop to fourth after their second home defeat of the season, both at the hands of the Witches.

UP NEXT

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches pairing travel to King’s Lynn for the third round of the Premiership Pairs on Thursday 7^th July. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: WOLVERHAMPTON – PREMIERSHIP (A)

Posted on 29th June, 20224th July, 2022,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership fixture with Wolverhampton.

WHEN & WHERE

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to Wolverhampton to face the Wolves at the Ladbroke Stadium on Monday 4^th July in a Premiership fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

WOLVES: 1. Sam Masters 8.37 © 2. Steve Worrall 6.96 3. Luke Becker 6.30 4. Ryan Douglas 7.64 5. Nick Morris 6.78 6. Drew Kemp 3.48 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Peter Adams

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.95 2. Ben Barker 4.69 3. Troy Batchelor 6.17 4. R/R for Paul Starke 4.85 5. Danny King 7.95 © 6. Erik Riss 4.62 7. Danyon Hume (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Carrington

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Sheffield	8	20
Ipswich	10	19
Wolverhampton	9	18
Belle Vue	9	17
King’s Lynn	7	8
Peterborough	9	7

TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased online here and are available on the gate.

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to the West Midlands on Monday night for their second visit to Monmore Green where they take on Wolverhampton in the Premiership. Ipswich were defeated on the road last time out after they were beaten by Sheffield in a curtailed meeting. That fixture meant the Witches had reached the halfway stage of the league campaign and with the Suffolk side sat in second place in the table, they look well placed to kick on and secure a spot in the end of season play-offs.

The Witches were hopeful of being back at full strength for the fixture with Ben Barker facing a late fitness test. The Cornishman has missed the last two fixtures but is expecting to take his place in the side after suffering ligament and muscle damage to his shoulder in a crash at Peterborough. However, Paul Starke has been ruled out of the meeting due to thumb ligament damage sustained in a crash at Sheffield last week. Rider replacement will be in operation at number four. The latest averages see Erik Riss move down to reserve whilst team manager Ritchie Hawkins has moved Troy Batchelor to number three with Danny King at number five. Ipswich were victorious on their first visit to Wolverhampton earlier this season and another win on the road would move them a step closer to securing a top four spot.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are hoping to go to Wolves with a full team. Ben is recovering well; he has another week off so hopefully it continues to go well, and he can get to the weekend and feel like he has enough strength in his shoulder to ride. Starkey has survived too after a few crashes; he has been carrying a few injuries but they were fine after his crash at Sheffield so that is a very good sign. Danny wasn’t too bad after his big crash on Monday, so we are looking good to have a full team hopefully.

“Erik hasn’t been in bad form; I think he’s improved this season for us on where he was last year, and I think he is getting into a good place. Due to the rolling averages, he drops to reserve due to his poor form at the end of last season really. That gives us an extremely powerful number six and we will certainly look to make use of him being at reserve.

“Wolves will have a full side out on Monday which makes it tougher for us than last time we were there. I think we are in a stronger position than earlier in the year as well, we are riding better and have improved as a side since then. Our trip to Wolves was our best performance so far this season so if we can go there again and do the same or better it, I will be very happy.”

THE WOLVES

Wolverhampton will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they take on the Witches on Monday night. Since that home defeat to Ipswich, the hosts have steadied the ship and have not slipped up on home shale again whilst they picked up an away victory at Peterborough. They currently sit third in the table just behind Ipswich with a meeting in hand.

Wolves will be at full strength for the clash led by captain Sam Masters who is a hard man to beat around Monmore, and the Australian recorded a maximum in last week’s win over Peterborough. The home team were without Ryan Douglas and Leon Flint in that home defeat to Ipswich but have both in their ranks this time around with Douglas having been a key rider so far this season for Peter Adams’ side.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £19, concessions £17, juniors (aged 13-18) £8, children (aged 6-12) £1 and children under the age of 5 go free. Official programmes cost £3. For travel information head here.

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

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: SHEFFIELD 43–35 IPSWICH – PREMIERSHIP (A)

Posted on 27th June, 202228th June, 2022,

By David Rowe

THE SCORES

SHEFFIELD 43: Jack Holder 6+3, Craig Cook R/R, Tobiasz Musielak 9+1, Kyle Howarth © 9, Adam Ellis 7, Justin Sedgmen (g) 10+3, Connor Mountain (RS) 2. Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH 35: Jason Doyle 12 (Maximum), Troy Batchelor 1+1, Danny King © 1+1 (Withdrawn), Paul Starke 4, Erik Riss 9, Broc Nicol (g) 1+1, Danyon Hume (RS) 7+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: M. Bates

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Sheffield	8	20
Ipswich	10	19
Wolverhampton	9	18
Belle Vue	9	17
King’s Lynn	7	8
Peterborough	9	7

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches were beaten 43-35 at Sheffield on Monday in a meeting heavily delayed by a series of crashes, and eventually abandoned two races short of a full conclusion.

The result stands with the Witches just missing out on a league point after a determined effort in adversity, with skipper Danny King thankfully walking away from an horrific spill in Heat 7.

Early on it was Sheffield who had encountered problems with Connor Mountain crashing on the back straight in Heat 2, whilst Adam Ellis suffered bike trouble before Heat 4 with Erik Riss and Danyon Hume racing to a 5-1 for the Witches.

But after a sensational ride by Jason Doyle to round Kyle Howarth off the last bend of Heat 5, the Tigers levelled with key guest Justin Sedgmen teaming up with Jack Holder in Heat 6, and the next race saw King slam into the fence on the exit of turn two, which caused him to withdraw from the meeting.

There was an extensive delay whilst repairs were completed, but the Witches remained in contention and could have had an advantage in Heat 8 only for Howarth to come from the back, with the gap being extended to four points with a home 4-2 in Heat 9.

Wins for Riss and Doyle in Heats 10 and 11 kept things close, but the Tigers doubled their lead when Sedgmen partnered Tobiasz Musielak to maximum points in Heat 12, a race in which King was unable to complete.

Doyle saw off a determined Adam Ellis in Heat 13 with a classy move off turn four, and the Australian was out in front again in Heat 14 when he appeared as a tactical substitute – but Paul Starke was next to hit trouble, as he went into the fence on the third bend.

The resultant delay meant the 10.15pm curfew had been reached, and a halt was called to proceedings prior to the re-run, with the gap at eight points.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“Danny’s crash was a bit of a turning point in the meeting. I think he’ll be okay, but there was a big interval, a big hold-up whilst they were trying to fix the fence after the crash, whereas I think if we’d been able to get straight on with it, he would probably have carried on.

“But the adrenaline dies, and I think it was the right decision for him to pull out, and he lives to fight another day.

“It was a big crash for Starkey as well, and I thought he rode a lot better than four points tonight – but I think he’ll be fine too.

“Hopefully we will have a full team at Wolverhampton (next Monday), because Ben (Barker) has another week to recover now, and fingers crossed we can have our one-to-seven there.

“Our first half of the league season has been good, I’m happy, we do need to keep improving but we’ve put ourselves in a really good position.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

It can only be the truly awesome Jason Doyle for another maximum, and he was seemingly set to make it 15 points before Heat 14 was stopped. There was also an excellent display from Erik Riss with two race wins.

WHAT IT MEANS

Sheffield take over from Ipswich at the top of the table, with the Witches having reached the halfway stage of their league campaign on 19 points. Elsewhere, Wolverhampton’s win over Peterborough means there is now a nine-point gap separating fourth place and those outside the play-offs.

UP NEXT

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to face the Wolverhampton Wolves at the Ladbroke Stadium on Monday 4^th July in a Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD – PREMIERSHIP (A)

Posted on 24th June, 202226th June, 2022,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to South Yorkshire to face the Tigers at Owlerton on Monday 27^th June in a Premiership fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.92 2. R/R for Craig Cook 6.56 3. Tobiasz Musielak 6.65 4. Kyle Howarth 6.35 © 5. Adam Ellis 8.33 6. Justin Sedgmen (g) 4.57 7. Connor Mountain (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.84 2. Troy Batchelor 5.44 3. Danny King 8.00 © 4. Paul Starke 4.95 5. Erik Riss 4.62 6. Broc Nicol (g) 4.44 7. Danyon Hume (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: M. Bates

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	9	19
Belle Vue	9	17
Sheffield	7	17
Wolverhampton	8	15
King’s Lynn	7	8
Peterborough	8	7

TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches are back on the road on Monday evening as they travel north to take on the Sheffield Tigers in the Premiership. Ipswich were in action at Foxhall last Thursday against the Peterborough Panthers, and they returned to the top of the table with a dramatic Super Heat win over the reigning champions. Monday’s fixture will mark the halfway stage of the league campaign for the Witches.

The Suffolk side will be without Ben Barker again after he suffered a shoulder injury last week at Peterborough and as was the case last Thursday, Broc Nicol will guest in his place at reserve. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has tinkered with the riding order for Monday’s fixture moving Troy Batchelor to number two, Paul Starke to number four and Erik Riss will ride at number five. The Witches were beaten by the Tigers on home shale earlier this season and will be looking to put things right at Owlerton and keep hold of top spot in the Premiership.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“After Peterborough last Monday, we knew that Ben would be missing a few meetings and I was pleased with Broc when he came in as a guest earlier this season for us. We always like to keep consistency with the guests and if they do a good job, we will use them again. In the first meeting Broc did for us I was pleased with how he fitted in with the team and we are building up a relationship there. I know he didn’t have the best night last Thursday but that happens. He is in for Sheffield and then we have a week off and next week we will know a little more about Ben, his injury, his recovery time and how he is. So, we will review things next week with Ben and how we are going to cover him in future meetings.

“I’ve changed the riding order for Monday, we are in a good position at the moment, so I thought it was a good opportunity to try a couple of things and have a look at a couple of things I want to see and see their reactions to being at different numbers. It’s a decision I have taken because we are in a good position in the league at the moment at the halfway point and it will be an opportunity to learn a few things about the riders. We will see how it goes.

“It will be a really tough test on Monday. Even though we are top of the league I think Sheffield are probably the best side in the league at the moment and are performing the best. I think we have a lot of improvement in us, and I don’t think we are quite at the place we need to be to be at their level at the moment. There is a possibility we could be there in the play-offs, so it is a good chance in this league match to experiment, learn and make sure we are ready for when it really counts towards the end of the season.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield were many people’s favourites for the title before the season started and they have lived up to that billing so far in 2022. The Tigers have already qualified for the League Cup final, and they boast a perfect home record in the Premiership with three wins from three. Last Thursday they picked up four points on the road with victory against King’s Lynn and they will be aiming to continue their good home form and take top spot from the Witches on Monday night in front of their supporters.

The hosts boast a powerful-looking top end with Grand Prix rider Jack Holder at number one and British champion Adam Ellis at number five. In addition to that they have Tobiasz Musielak in their ranks who top scored last time out with 13 and skipper Kyle Howarth who racked up 12+1 in that win at King’s Lynn. They have also recently brought in former Witch Jake Allen at reserve in a bid to strengthen the bottom end of the side but he will be missing for this fixture due to injury with Justin Sedgmen guesting in his place. The Tigers will use rider replacement for the injured Craig Cook.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £19, concessions £17, children (12-16) £6, children (under 12) £1 and children (under 5) go free. Official programmes cost £3. All the stadium is open except the back straight which remains closed for safety reasons. There is seating in the Panorama Room, which also boasts a restaurant and bar overlooking the track. There is a fast-food bar, and the Panorama Room Restaurant also offers a ‘Speedway Special’ carvery with a choice of meats. The Panorama Room Restaurant has large bar with ideal viewing facilities in addition to the carvery. Reserve your table now by calling Owlerton Stadium on 01142 343074. For travel information head here.

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

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 45-45 PETERBOROUGH (IPSWICH WIN SUPER HEAT) – PREMIERSHIP (H)

Posted on 23rd June, 202223rd June, 2022,

By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSORS

The Fat Cat – 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!

Doug Wade Insurance

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 45: Jason Doyle 11+1, Paul Starke 4+2, Danny King © 11, Erik Riss 7+2, Troy Batchelor 5, Broc Nicol (g) 1, Danyon Hume (RS) 6. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

PETERBOROUGH 45: Michael Palm Toft R/R, Justin Sedgmen (g) 9+2, Hans Andersen 7+1, Ulrich Ostergaard 4+2, Chris Harris © 14+1, Benjamin Basso 11+2, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 0. Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: B. Horley

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	9	19
Belle Vue	9	17
Sheffield	7	17
Wolverhampton	8	15
King’s Lynn	7	8
Peterborough	8	7

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches returned to the top of the Premiership after claiming a dramatic Super Heat victory over Peterborough on Thursday night at Foxhall.

The hosts had Broc Nicol in for the injured Ben Barker at reserve whilst bottom side Peterborough arrived in Suffolk depleted by injuries to Scott Nicholls and Michael Palm Toft. There was nothing to separate the two sides all evening as the visitors produced a battling performance against the odds and it looked like they were on course for an impressive victory on the road, going into heat 15 with a four-point lead.

However, Ipswich once again came up trumps when it mattered, as Danny King and Jason Doyle produced a 5-1 that levelled the tie and took it to a very first Super Heat at Foxhall. Panthers skipper Chris Harris won the Super Heat but with the 4-3-2-0 scoring system in play for the Super Heat, Doyle and King kept his partner Justin Sedgmen at the back for a 5-4 heat advantage that completed a remarkable comeback. Doyle top scored with 11+1.

Doyle didn’t have it all his own way in the opening heat as he had to come from behind to pass Sedgmen for the win with the points shared after Ulrich Ostergaard relegated Paul Starke to the back. Danyon Hume won heat two ahead of Benjamin Basso and guest Nicol picked up a point to put the hosts ahead. Ostergaard hit the tapes in heat three and was replaced by reserve Jordan Jenkins. Skipper King got the better of Hans Andersen in the re-run after a tight opening lap to pick up three points and with Erik Riss third it was another heat advantage to the Witches. The scores were level after heat four though as Harris won and he was followed home by Basso for a maximum to the away side.

The Suffolk side were back in front in heat five as King and Riss raced to a maximum. Both Doyle and Starke hit the deck at the start of heat six after a tight first and second bend, but the Ipswich number one was controversially excluded much to the frustration of the home fans. The visitors capitalised in the re-run recording another 1-5 to draw level once again. Troy Batchelor won a shared heat seven before Panthers guest Sedgmen won heat eight in another 3-3 as nothing could separate the two sides.

Harris’ good form continued with a win in heat nine ahead of King and Riss but Ipswich went back in front as Doyle won comfortably and Starke held off Andersen to secure the maximum in heat 10. However, the lead didn’t last long as the away side hit back immediately in heat 11 with a 1-5 from Harris and Sedgmen. The Panthers then went ahead in heat 12 with Basso and Andersen taking a comfortable maximum after King had fallen on the first lap, meaning the reigning champions held a four-point lead with just three races remaining.

Doyle was the first Ipswich rider to beat Harris on the night as he took the chequered flag in heat 13 but with the Peterborough captain and Sedgmen both in the points it was a shared heat that seemingly edged the away side closer to victory. There was a terrific battle in heat 14 as Riss and Ostergaard threw everything at each other at the front before Riss pulled clear for the victory but at the back Basso passed Hume for a crucial point that kept their lead at four points going into heat 15. However, there was more drama to come as Ipswich forced the Super Heat after King and Doyle kept the Panthers at bay in heat 15 to record a 5-1 that levelled the meeting at 45-45 after 15 heats.

It was a repeat line-up of heat 15 in the Super Heat with Doyle and King up against Harris and Sedgmen to see who would take the three league points. The Peterborough pair made the start with Harris untroubled out front but both Doyle and King gave it everything to pass Sedgmen and get amongst the points after the Panthers guest had held second early on in the race. The 4-3-2-0 scoring system in the Super Heat meant that Ipswich had done enough to get a 5-4 heat advantage which handed them a thrilling victory in front of a jubilant home crowd at Foxhall.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“We certainly made it very hard for ourselves. I know we missed Ben, but we really should have been able to cover that. Peterborough had a couple of riders out as well. We got over the line and got the win and three points in the end but really, we should have performed a lot better to have it done and dusted before heat 15.

“We are sneaking meetings and not winning by massive margins but as a team when one rider is having a bad night the other guys are stepping up. Danny kicked into form at the right time, and it couldn’t have happened at a better moment. His rides in heat 15 and the Super Heat got us the win.

“Everyone was talking about the incident in heat six, the referee obviously got that one wrong but in reality, we should have been good enough to get over that and for it not to affect us too much. We all make mistakes and that one was clear, but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position for it to prove significant.

“After Monday we are halfway through the season and whatever the result on Monday, I think we are in a good position after our first set of matches. We still have work to do in the second half of the season to make sure we get into the play-offs but points wise and league table wise I am really pleased with where we are. We obviously need to improve as the season goes on though.”

FAT CAT & DOUG WADE INSURANCE RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

The Super Heat heroes deservedly received the champagne as the Fat Cat chose King whilst Doug Wade Insurance selected Doyle.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich collect three points after the Super Heat victory which takes them top of the table. Peterborough receive a consolation point for their efforts but remain bottom of the Premiership.

UP NEXT

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches travel to South Yorkshire to face the Sheffield Tigers at Owlerton on Monday 27^th June in a Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY PREVIEW: PETERBOROUGH – PREMIERSHIP (H)

Posted on 21st June, 202223rd June, 2022,

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our Premiership fixture with Peterborough.

WHEN & WHERE

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches host the Peterborough Panthers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 23^rd June in a Premiership fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

Doug Wade Insurance

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Jason Doyle 9.84 2. Paul Starke 4.95 3. Danny King 8.00 © 4. Erik Riss 4.62 5. Troy Batchelor 5.44 6. Broc Nicol (g) 4.44 7. Danyon Hume (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

PETERBOROUGH: 1. R/R for Michael Palm Toft 7.12 2. Justin Sedgmen (g) 6.23 3. Hans Andersen 6.49 4. Ulrich Ostergaard 6.62 5. Chris Harris 6.90 © 6. Benjamin Basso 4.85 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: B. Horley

PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Belle Vue	9	17
Ipswich	8	16
Wolverhampton	8	15
Sheffield	6	13
King’s Lynn	6	8
Peterborough	7	6

TICKETS

THE STORY

The ‘Tru Mix’ Witches face the Peterborough Panthers for a second time in a week on Thursday evening at Foxhall in the Premiership. Ipswich were at the East of England Arena on Monday night where they suffered a disappointing 50-39 defeat in what was an eventful, much-delayed meeting due to several crashes in the first half of the meeting. One of those crashes saw Ben Barker withdrawn from the meeting and a CT scan the following day revealed ligament and muscle damage to his shoulder which is estimated to keep him out of action for two to six weeks. Broc Nicol will guest at reserve in his place for the home team on Thursday. In better news, Paul Starke returned to the side after his recent injury on Monday and he races in his first home meeting since the win over Wolverhampton last month.

The Panthers took victory last time they were in Suffolk earlier in the season, claiming a 40-50 win in the League Cup and after being beaten by the Panthers three times already this season, Ipswich will be keen to put the record straight on Thursday night and get back to winning ways as they look to return to the Premiership summit.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“Peterborough got the win on Monday and prevented us from getting anything, so over the course of the two meetings we want to match that and stop Peterborough taking anything from us on Thursday. The main objective is to get another win on the board and three points. Peterborough will be a tough test with a team of riders that like Foxhall so we need to regroup, and we will have a guest for Ben. Everyone is going to have to put in a good performance to cover for Ben because he has been very good of late.

“The riders available to cover for Ben on his average in our league are limited. So, it is mainly just the rising stars on an average below him and then you are looking at the Championship for riders that are not doubling-up, so they come on a converted average and there are very few riders not doubling-up at the moment. It is a big ask to find a reserve capable of doing what Ben could do.”

THE PANTHERS

Peterborough are currently bottom of the Premiership table after a disappointing start to the 2022 season. The reigning champions have much work to do if they are to make this season’s play-offs, but their form has improved of late with two wins on the trot on home shale including that win against the Witches earlier this week. Rob Lyon’s side now face the challenge of picking up their first away points of the season at Foxhall on Thursday.

The visitors are without captain Scott Nicholls on Thursday, with the seven-time British champion also suffering a heavy fall in Monday night’s fixture. Justin Sedgmen will guest for Nicholls who is still feeling the effects of that crash. The Panthers are also without number one Michael Palm Toft for the fixture after he injured his shoulder on Wednesday night in a crash at Poole, with rider replacement in operation in his absence. Hans Andersen and Chris Harris both know Foxhall well and enjoyed their visit in April both scoring 11+1 and Harris comes into the meeting in good form having scored 14 points in Monday’s victory. Benjamin Basso impressed with 9+1 on Monday and could be key at reserve where he is joined by Rising Star Jordan Jenkins who comes in for Jordan Palin for this fixture.

Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway