Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

2022 WITCHES: ERIK RISS

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches have signed Erik Riss for the 2022 season.

Riss has spent the last few seasons with East Anglian rivals King’s Lynn but has made the move across the border in search of a new challenge in Suffolk.

“I joined King’s Lynn in 2018 halfway through the year and became an asset at the end of that season,” said Riss. “So, I’ve spent two and a half years there and last year didn’t really go to plan. I had big aspirations and expectations of myself and it didn’t go to plan for several reasons.

“At the end of the season both sides agreed it would be good for me to go elsewhere and have a new challenge. I had other offers, but Ipswich was my first choice as I really like the track and have always scored well there. It will be important for me to ride a track I enjoy as when I enjoy my riding I do well.”

The German rider has had many fruitful visits to Foxhall as a visiting rider and is eager to come back stronger after a difficult 2021.

“Every time I have been to Ipswich as a visiting rider, I don’t think I have ever scored any lower than eight. I have always done well there and enjoy riding it, it is always well prepared, and it is a nice racetrack. I can’t wait to ride it every week and especially after the season I had, I am really eager to get going next year.

“I am making some changes with equipment and I feel confident. Last year was probably the worst I have had so far in my UK career and it was probably the year I had the biggest aspirations for. Going into the season with King’s Lynn my goal was to end up as number one which I was, but I ended up dropping my average at the end of the year which was hard to take. I’m not going to give up, that’s life you have ups and downs. When you have downs you are even more motivated to do better, and I feel confident I will come back next year better than ever.”

The 26-year-old is solely focused on winning races next year and does not mind what position he is riding at in the team.

“I do have goals; everyone would like to be number one in the team but personally I just go into every meeting wanting to win every time I go on track. I focus on that and what’s in front of me and don’t think about being number one, although that is always in the back of my mind, I want to be the best that I can.

“If you are number one you are best in the team but I’m not going into the team saying I want to be number one because there is no competition in our team, we are a team and we have to work together. It doesn’t matter which number I am I want to go out on track and win my races and that is the goal all the time.”

Riss is back in his homeland for the winter and is beginning to start training again after an operation.

“I had surgery three weeks ago on my groin as I had a problem there, so I am still recovering from that but am slowly taking up training again. I will spend my winter in Germany, I might be working a bit for my dad who has a carpentry business, so I will probably help him out.

“The focus will be on training as always; the off season is the time to make a step ahead and get better than you were the year before. The more work you put in in the off-season the better you will be when the season starts. It’s always the same, after every season you try to get better, fitter, lighter, it is always the same in speedway.”

2022 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

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Season Tickets for the 2022 season are now on sale as the Ipswich ‘Tru Plant’ Witches set their sights on Premiership glory.

You can buy your season ticket online, here. Alternatively, you can download a season ticket form here. Season tickets are available to buy until Monday 21st March 2022 and are priced at £205 for Adults and £180 for Concessions, with Grandstand seats priced at £25.

There are three ways to pay. Online via the link provided above, you can visit the stadium on 11th December between 10am-1pm and pay in person or you can post your completed form with a cheque to: Mr M Styles, 7 Penshurst Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8QZ. Please make all cheques payable to: IPSWICH SPEEDWAY PROMOTIONS LTD.

Your season tickets will be issued at the first meeting of the 2022 season and will cover all of our league and cup fixtures. This does not include any semi-finals or finals. However, you will still be able to purchase your tickets for these events at the season ticket gate.

Concession tickets are available to those who held a 2021 concession season ticket or those who are over the age of 65 on or before 15th March 2022.

Proof of age is required for all first-time concession applicants, this can include a copy of your passport, driving licence or birth certificate. This can be provided when you collect your ticket.

Season tickets are transferable. ID and proof of age will be required for concession tickets not bearing the holder’s name and may not be used to discount an adult admission.

With your season ticket you can claim 10% discount on all Ipswich ‘Tru Plant’ Witches clothing at the Track Shop and 10% off your first appointment at Keep Well.

Season Tickets do not include a programme.

2022 WITCHES: DANNY KING

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches have confirmed the return of skipper Danny King for the 2022 season.

King has been with the club for the past six seasons and the new campaign will be his thirteenth in Suffolk, so it is no surprise to hear the captain speak at length of his love for Ipswich.

“It is an easy decision for me, and I think the feeling is mutual,” said King. “Everyone knows how fond I am of the club and I always go back to it, but they gave me my chance when I was 16 years old and put me straight in at the deep end in the Elite League back then and I firmly believe that made me the rider I am today as that brought me on so much.

“I didn’t want to leave Ipswich in the first place when they dropped down years ago, but I wasn’t ready to, so I went off and went to Birmingham and things like that. When I came back to Ipswich when I was allowed to double-up it was an easy decision, it is my home, and it is where I always want to be. When it comes round to the end of the season Chris (Louis) is aware, I want to come back and it is nice that he feels the same, so it is an easy deal.

“Chris and John (Louis) looked after me and Chris has always been someone I’ve gone to for advice in speedway whether I’m riding for him or not. He is someone I’ve felt comfortable around and I know that he will steer me in the right direction if I’m ever unsure. We have built up such a relationship now it just works, we are like a family really.”

The 35-year-old enjoyed a tremendous season on a personal level in 2021 but his dream remains to win a trophy in Ipswich colours.

“I don’t know if it is because the season started later but normally come October I have had enough after a long hard year but this year things were going well, and I was disappointed when it finished. My dream is to win silverware with Ipswich, and I will do my upmost to make that happen as I do every year.”

The 2016 British champion has already begun preparations for the new season and is excited by the team the management have put together so far.

“We have started stripping bikes now which is good, and we are back in the workshop this week getting everything else stripped and sorted. Then we will start ordering new bike parts and getting ready to build bikes in January and then it is a case of going around and catching up with sponsors and giving them some thank you gifts, the usual stuff at this time of year. I’m a big family man and Christmas is a time for them and that is a couple of weeks I really enjoy.

“I’m really pleased with the team; it is solid from top to bottom, and I think it is going to be good. We are yet to see how it is going to be finished but so far so good!”

2022 WITCHES: CAMERON HEEPS

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches welcome back club asset Cameron Heeps for the 2022 season.

Heeps was part of the 2021 side before he picked up a bad shoulder injury and was replaced but remained in contact with the management throughout the season.

“Obviously, I am very good mates with Ritchie (Hawkins) and Chris (Louis) and even after they dropped me last year, I played squash with Chris on Tuesdays, so I am always in contact with them,” said Heeps. “I understood why they had to let me go and they understood where I was at. We sat down and had a few chats and sorted out where we both want to be next year and that was it.”

The Australian enjoyed a fine year with the Witches in 2019 and has been left frustrated at not being able to carry that form on due to the cancellation of the 2020 season and his injury in 2021 but remains determined to put things right in 2022.

“Last year was such a shame as I came off a good season in 2019. We struggled at the start last year and it felt like we were getting somewhere and then the injury came and that knocked me back. I thought I would be alright and then lost my job at Ipswich and that cut deep. It was a struggle, and I muddled my way through and tried to pay the bills and wrote the year off. I want to make this year a better year.

“It seems to be a pattern, I said to Ritchie I want to break that pattern. I seem to have a good year and then a bad year follows it, but I wanted to break that. I felt like I was in the mental place to break that but once the injury hit me, I was back to square one in that struggle, and I couldn’t figure my way out of it. I’m going back to Australia in a few weeks to reset and I’m going to take a bike there and do a lot of practicing and get back to where I need to be. I’m happy in Suffolk, I have got a fiancé and we are really happy but maybe a bit of time at home away from everything and doing my own thing with practice, it can only help.”

The 26-year-old will begin his ninth season at Ipswich in the new year, a place he calls home and is eager to repay the trust shown in him by team manager Ritchie Hawkins and promoter Chris Louis.

“Chris gave me my chance at Mildenhall and then the following year once I was old enough, he put me in the Ipswich team. I feel like I have got something to prove to Chris, that is the way I think. If someone has looked after me then I will do everything I can to look after them. I want to prove to Chris and Ritchie has been team manager for a few years and they have shown trust to give me that chance and I want to show it was worth it. Ipswich is a home away from home for me, everyone at Ipswich is so cool and it is a family environment and I want nothing more than to see us in a Grand Final.”

Heeps is excited to be racing alongside former world champion and compatriot Jason Doyle and will be looking to pick up anything he can from the Grand Prix star.

“What more can you say, it is an honour. I get on pretty well with Doyley and I always ring him to ask if he has got anything to sell as all of his stuff is immaculate, He has always been really cool with me and I can’t wait to be in the team with him and learn off him. I’m getting on a bit now but I’m still quite young to take it all in and see what he is doing differently and hopefully it will be a good year.”

2022 WITCHES: ANDERS ROWE

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches have snapped up Anders Rowe as their ‘Rising Star’ rider for the 2022 season.

Rowe joined the club last winter and had an impressive first full season in the top-flight and this time comes in as the ‘Rising Star’ rider. The programme was introduced last winter to provide a clear pathway for young British riders and means that one rider in each team must be from the scheme.

The 19-year-old expressed his desire to return to Suffolk in 2022 to the management midway through 2021 and is delighted to be joining as the ‘Rising Star’ this time around.

“It was quite a quick decision,” said Rowe. “I wanted to get my teams sorted as soon as possible and halfway through the year I told Ritchie (Hawkins) and Chris (Louis) that I wanted to come back next year as I liked it there. They knew I wanted to come back and wanted me back as well, so we waited for the season to finish and for the numbers game to happen and they gave me a call and I said 100% I want to come back.

“In 2022 I will be coming in as the ‘Rising Star’ rider which last year I didn’t, I came in at number six. It will be cool to come in as a ‘Rising Star’ and I can’t wait, it is a cool club, everything was easy, and everything happened quickly, and I felt I went really well there at the start of the year. I had some good races for my first ever season in the league and I am looking forward to progressing and being even better and being a consistent points scorer.”

The Dorset-born rider was proud of his performances in 2021, a year in which his form led to him qualifying for the British Final.

“It was my first year in the league and to be honest I think I did really well. I started the year like a house on fire and then had a couple of bad crashes and got a knee injury that put me back. Even with that I had some good races and still scored some good points for my first year in the division. I didn’t get into the British Final for no reason, I got in because I was racing well, and I had a high average.

“I think halfway through the year for my first year I had a 5.5/6-point average in the top league, and I was really proud of that. I’m happy I have been given the chance to go in as a’ Rising Star’ because that is where it will be good to progress. I was really happy with the start of my season and I know what I did wrong, so in 2022 I will be going out and having fun and scoring big points like I did at the start of the year.”

The ‘Rising Star’ is a big fan of the Foxhall track and says that winning races early on in his Ipswich career made him feel confident at his home track.

“As soon as I got on the track at press day, I knew it was going to be a good track for me, it is a fun track to ride. I got on straight away with it and was making good starts and getting out in front, I think I won my first race there so that was cool for me and a really big confidence booster. I’m a confidence kid, if I am confident, I am going to win races and then I am going to do well but if I’m not confident I’m not going to.

“It’s about learning, learning about myself and what I can do and my limits. I soon found a couple of my limits but at Ipswich I felt really confident, and I felt I could easily win races. That was my first year of hard, proper racing in England and it was a big learning curve and I think I have progressed a lot. I started the year like a house on fire, but I was always going to be due a bit of a bad patch, so you live and learn and I’m only 19.”

Rowe is pleased to have his contracts sorted nice and early ahead of the 2022 campaign and can focus on preparation for the new season.

“I’m happy I’m back at Ipswich, that was one of my targets to get my teams done as soon as possible because sometimes it is left quite late in the year. I signed for Swindon and Somerset in 2020 and the season didn’t happen, and I signed for them again in 2021 and then a couple of weeks before the start of the year it all fell through. I’m happy that this year it is all sorted before Christmas and I haven’t got to stress about it, and I can focus on having fun and training.

“I want to do what I was doing at the start of the year and I know I can do. I have bought some new engines for next year so I will be coming in with all the best equipment and I will see if I can go and do what I did at the start of the year which I know I can. I have aims and it should be pretty cool, I want to go and have fun and see what I can do.”

2022 WITCHES: PAUL STARKE

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches are pleased to welcome back Paul Starke for the 2022 campaign.

Starke joined the Witches in June last season after the club’s injury crisis, impressing the management during his spell in Suffolk and he is looking forward to starting the season at Ipswich this time around.

“It was a no-brainer for me to come back with all the management and everyone involved,” said Starke. “I enjoyed being part of the team when I joined during last season and it was a shame I couldn’t have started the year there. The team is looking good, and I would like to win something, and we can potentially do that. It is good to start the year with the team and hopefully we can do the business.”

The 31-year-old proved to be a strong addition to the side, scoring plenty of points at reserve and he will start the new season in that position but says he doesn’t mind what number he is riding at, as long as the team is doing well.

“I want to improve my average and bang loads of points in. Either way if I’m scoring points, I’m happy. Regardless of the number you are at, as long as you are scoring points and doing what you need to do, I am happy.

“If you are putting loads of points in and you go up into the team, you are always going to have someone strong at the bottom end anyway. As long as it is beneficial to the team then it is good, and if it is beneficial to me scoring points either way, I am quite happy with that. Going from seven rides to four is a shock to the system but I just want to score points and win races, so either way if I’m doing that, I’m happy.”

The Hereford-born rider says he will be better prepared for the 2022 season and believes a successful season is on the horizon.

“We made a few changes personally and with the equipment last year and it definitely paid off in many ways. I will be more prepared and better than I was for when it all starts so I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait to get stuck in and get going and I think it is going to be a good year.”

The former top-flight title winner is busy working as a builder in the off-season but is already planning and preparing for the new campaign.

“I have been relaxing a bit, but I have gone back to work now as well, back on the tools out in the cold! We are getting prep ready and ideas of what is going to happen with new equipment and engines and stuff. We will get to January and we will put in some good work and get everything ready, myself personally and the bikes as well, so that is what we are looking at.”

2022 WITCHES: JASON DOYLE

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By Henry Chard

The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches are delighted to announce the signing of Grand Prix star Jason Doyle for the 2022 season.

The Australian former world champion will spearhead the side next year and says a move to Suffolk has been close on previous occasions, but he believes now is the right time to make the move.

“I’ve been speaking to Chris Louis for many years now, but it just never worked out,” said Doyle. “I went to Sweden and then obviously the pandemic happened so the last two years I have been over in just Poland and Sweden. I made the decision after this year that I wanted to come back to British speedway and Chris was the first one I spoke to and obviously from the years before where we were close to signing contracts, I thought it was time to go to Ipswich for the first time.”

The world number nine says that a liking for the Foxhall track played a big part in his decision and already being based in East Anglia sealed the deal.

“I had a few offers, so I had to sit down and pick through the pros and cons and the main pros are that I like the Ipswich track and have rode well there so that was a big plus point. Plus, living so close to Ipswich as well and going to airports after a Thursday meeting for Grand Prix was another major factor. The final one was being so close to home; I can get back to home from Ipswich within an hour and I’m back in my own bed and not travelling through the night.”

Whilst many top riders have decided not to ride in British Speedway in recent years, the 2017 world champion feels that being busy in the UK helps your form over the course of the season.

“For myself racing in England is a massive plus because I’m riding all the time on the bike. The young kids always speak about being in Poland and Sweden but if you’re on the bike you are getting a lot more confidence and a lot more money if you are riding twice a week compared to only doing one in Sweden and one in Poland.

“Sometimes if you are not in the top five in the team, you are probably in and out of the team all year. For myself, riding a lot in England helps me riding in Poland and in the Grand Prix and I seem to go a lot better when I’m on the bike and not thinking as much as perhaps I have the last couple of years when I have been doing Poland and Sweden. The young kids they really need to look at the way I do it because for myself I think it benefits my racing when I do go to other major competitions.”

Doyle is now enjoying a couple of weeks off after a long hard season before he will begin preparations for the 2022 campaign.

“I was lucky enough to be picked to do jury service so that has just finished now, and it is nice to get away and not think about Speedway for a couple of weeks and spend some time with my wife Emily and get things sorted in Norwich and for next year’s Grand Prix and Poland. There is still a lot of work to be done in the off-season, we spend a lot of time trying to find sponsors and organise our racing. I have got a couple of weeks off before I have to get back into sorting things out so I will take it easy for the next couple of weeks and then I will start training when it gets a bit closer to the start of the season.”

The Australian international last rode in the top-flight with the Swindon Robins in 2019 as they beat the Witches in the play-off final to lift the trophy and Doyle is hoping for a similar success story in 2022, only in Witches colours this time.

“Firstly, for Ipswich, they haven’t won the championship for a while so that is the main goal for myself and the team. Obviously, we beat Ipswich when I was riding for Swindon so hopefully, I can be in the team with Ipswich to lift the title next season. That’s the main goal for us, just get to that final and then we can go for it. For myself, I just want to enjoy my racing again and hopefully have fun with my new teammates and the club and have some fun times.”

WITCHES TRACK SHOP AT FELIXSTOWE

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The Witches track shop will be in Felixstowe on Saturday 27th November at Nick Barber Auctions, giving fans a chance to pick up some Christmas presents from 10am-5pm. Drew Kemp will be in attendance from 12pm-3pm as the Christmas lights are switched on in the town.

LOUIS UPDATE ON 2022 PLANS

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By Henry Chard

Ipswich ‘Tru Plant’ Witches promoter Chris Louis says that team building plans for 2022 are well underway and is hoping to start making rider announcements towards the end of November.

“Ritchie (Hawkins) and I have pretty much been non-stop since before the end of last season which unfortunately is quite a while ago now,” said Louis. “We were so well supported and have a really loyal fanbase and we didn’t give them what they deserved last year by any means. We fell well short for reasons already publicised and we will work hard to reward them this year for their support and hopefully increase that support.

“A lot of work has already been done and we are very happy with the progress that has been done with the team, there are just a few t’s and i’s to cross and dot but we hope to be in a position to start making rider announcements towards the end of November with a view to season tickets sales starting on 1st December.”