Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT | SHEFFIELD 46-44 IPSWICH

Posted on 15th May, 202515th May, 2025,

SCORECARD

SHEFFIELD 46: Jack Holder 9+1, Anders Rowe 7+3, Josh Pickering © 14, Justin Sedgmen 1+1, Chris Holder 6+1, Lewis Kerr 3, Leon Flint (RS) 6. Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH 44: Jason Doyle 10+1, Adam Ellis 7+1, Emil Sayfutdinov 8+1, Danny King © 6+1, Tom Brennan 5, Dan Thompson 7+1, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 1+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	7	14
Belle Vue	7	12
Sheffield	6	11
Leicester	6	9
Oxford	9	5
King’s Lynn	7	4
Birmingham	6	0

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches suffered a 46-44 defeat at Sheffield on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich went into the fixture with a 100% record in the league whilst the Tigers were looking to preserve their unbeaten home record and there was never more than four points between the two sides throughout the contest. Ipswich held a two-point lead heading into the final race of the night after a heat 14 maximum, but the home team responded in the final heat with a 5-1 to snatch victory. Jason Doyle top scored with 10+1.

Heat one was stopped with Adam Ellis hitting the deck and all four riders called back. Anders Rowe won the re-run but with Jack Holder at the back it was a shared heat to start the night. Lewis Kerr took victory in heat two as Dan Thompson rode well to get the better of Leon Flint for second in a Sheffield 4-2. Heat three resulted in a 3-3 and in heat four the away side got their first race win of the meeting as Thompson took the chequered flag and Tom Brennan relegated Chris Holder to the back for a heat advantage that levelled the score at 12-12.

Josh Pickering couldn’t be caught in heat five, but Ellis managed to get past Justin Sedgmen late on for a crucial point to ensure it ended in a 3-3. The hosts went in front in heat six as the pair of Jack Holder and Rowe worked their way from the back to pass both Witches riders for the 5-1. Chris Holder picked up three points in a shared heat seven and Ellis was a comfortable winner in a heat eight 3-3 which left Sheffield 26-22 ahead.

The away side were looking good to level the score in heat nine with Brennan and Thompson at the front, but Thompson fell on the final turn meaning they were forced to settle for a 3-3. Emil Sayfutdinov got his first win of the evening in a shared heat 10 and Doyle then got his first three points by winning heat 11 as Ellis worked overtime again to pass Kerr for a point to give Ipswich a 2-4. A 3-3 in heat 12 left things finely poised at 37-35 to the Tigers.

Doyle couldn’t be passed in heat 13 but with Brennan at the back it was another 3-3. The Witches went ahead for the first time in the meeting with a maximum in heat 14 courtesy of Danny King and Thompson, but Sheffield responded in heat 15 with a 5-1 of their own to secure victory by the narrowest of margins.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

“I thought it was a brilliant performance; it is the happiest I have come away from an away meeting since Belle Vue. I thought the boys were the better team and felt we were, not unfortunate because they were our own mistakes, but we made a couple of mistakes that cost us the win.

“We changed the riding order to experiment, and I don’t think that helped and we may well have won without that but I’m happy with where the boys are at, it is all positive and I am happy with a lot of the performances and that there is a lot more still to come.

“Its about trying different things and preparing for the rest of the year and making sure we are in the best possible position come the end of the season. I don’t think the riding order worked as well as our previous order, but it is good to keep practicing whilst we are in this position and the boys want to stick with it on Monday and I’m happy for them to do that.

“Jordan picked up a slight knock a couple of weeks ago and it has knocked him out of his rhythm, and he struggled in his first couple, but it was a really good ride in his last ride and I’m very happy with how his season has gone overall so far.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for Doyle as the rider of the night after he top scored with 10+1.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich remain top after being defeated for the first time this season whilst third-placed Sheffield pick up two points and move three behind the leaders.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Birmingham to take on the Brummies on Monday 19^thMay in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY GUIDE | SHEFFIELD (A)

Posted on 12th May, 202514th May, 2025,

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Thursday 15^th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

LINE-UPS

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 9.09 2. Anders Rowe 5.63 3. Josh Pickering © 7.18 4. Justin Sedgmen 4.79 5. Chris Holder 8.74 6. Lewis Kerr 4.77 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

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

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	6	14
Sheffield	5	9
Belle Vue	6	9
Leicester	5	6
Oxford	8	5
King’s Lynn	6	4
Birmingham	6	0

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.

THE PREVIEW

The Witches return to action on Thursday at Sheffield in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

Ipswich remain unbeaten in 2025 and sit top of the table after six wins from six including three victories away from home. That record faces its toughest test at Owlerton when they take on the Tigers who sit in second place with a 100% home record.

Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has changed the riding order for the first time this season moving Adam Ellis to number two to partner Jason Doyle. Emil Sayfutdinov is at three for this fixture with captain Danny King at four. Tom Brennan shifts to number five for the trip to South Yorkshire.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“It is a really tough test going to Sheffield, but it is great to be back together as a team. Most of the team were at the British Final on Monday but we can’t wait to get on track as a one to seven at the moment with the form we have been in and how good the season is going.

“We have had a lot of big battles with Sheffield in recent years and it looks like it could be similar this season with the way the two teams have started the season. I’m sure it will be a great battle on Thursday, and we got over the hoodoo of not winning there for a long time last season and we know how to win there and what is required. With the form we are in, we have got to attack them and the track. It is not do or die in this meeting, but it will give us a great marker of where we are and I’m sure we are going to be butting heads with them all season and it would be great to get an early one over them.

“I have shuffled things up a bit with the riding order. Everything has worked perfectly so far, and I am more than happy with that riding order and the results we have achieved with it. We are always striving to improve and make sure we are prepared and later on in the season there might be a circumstance out of our hands where we have got to use a different riding order, and we don’t want to go into that cold. We will see how this goes on Thursday and either way we will learn lessons from it.”

SHEFFIELD TIGERS

Sheffield have been regulars in the play-offs since their return to the top-flight in 2021 and they have made a strong start to 2025. The Tigers sit second in the table mainly due to their home form which has seen them win four wins from four with their only other league meeting being a narrow defeat away at Belle Vue.

The hosts lost Tai Woffinden to injury on the eve of the season and were forced into changes bringing in Lewis Kerr and Justin Sedgmen to replace the former world champion and Danyon Hume.

LAST TIME OUT IN SHEFFIELD

The Witches last travelled to Sheffield in September of 2024 the first leg of the Knockout Cup final. With Jaimon Lidsey and Tom Brennan guesting for the injured Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov and Sheffield running rider replacement for Tai Woffinden, the hosts registered a string of 4-2s in the first half of the contest and found themselves 12 points to the good after nine races. Ipswich battled hard in the second half of the meeting but left themselves too much to do in the second leg at Foxhall after a 20-point defeat.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £25, concessions (over 65s & students) £23, juniors (aged 12-17) £5 whilst children aged 11 under cost £1. Official programmes cost £4. 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

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT | 2025 BRITISH FINAL

Posted on 12th May, 202512th May, 2025,

SCORECARD

Dan Bewley 14, Robert Lambert 14, Charles Wright 11, Adam Ellis 10, Chris Harris 10, Anders Rowe 9, Dan Thompson 9, Danny King 8, Craig Cook 7, Leon Flint 6, Tom Brennan 6, Steve Worrall 6, Connor Mountain 5, Jason Edwards 3, Drew Kemp 2, Vinnie Foord 0.

SEMI-FINAL: Harris, Wright, Ellis, Rowe

FINAL: Lambert, Wright, Bewley, Harris

REFEREE: P. Griffin

THE REPORT

Robert Lambert became British champion after Monday’s Attis Insurance Sports Division British Final in Manchester.

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches were represented by Adam Ellis, Dan Thompson, Danny King and Tom Brennan and it was Ellis who performed best reaching the semi-final before his night ended. Thompson agonisingly missed out on the semi-final on race wins after being tied with Anders Rowe for the final spot. King finished eighth on eight points whilst Brennan finished eleventh on six points.

Brennan couldn’t get amongst the points in heat one starting from gate four and heat two didn’t reach the first turn as Vinnie Foord flipped his bike from the start and was excluded. Having made the start in the original staging, Thompson made the gate again in the re-run to get his night off to the perfect start. Ellis made a good start from the outside gate in heat three and got into second but was passed by Lambert who then went on to get the better of Steve Worrall on the last lap to win. King wasn’t able to pick up any points in heat four as Rowe held off Dan Bewley to win the race.

Leon Flint won heat five as King took advantage of Thompson going wide to pick up second place with Thompson having to settle for a point. Brennan and Charles Wright exchanged moves for first in heat eight before Wright made it stick to win the race with Ellis adding a point to his tally in third.

Heat 10 was a cracker as Rowe took an early lead, but Ellis blasted past the previously unbeaten rider and Thompson also worked himself into second as Rowe was eventually relegated to the back by Chris Harris. King and Brennan hit the front in heat 12 but Lambert flew past both at the end of the opening lap to win leaving King and Brennan to battle it out for second, a battle which Brennan won.

Ellis led heat 13 but ended up in second after being passed by Bewley at the start of the second lap. King produced a great ride to win heat 14 as he worked the outside line well all race before diving under Harris going into the third turn of the third lap to hit the front and collect three points. Thompson rode a brilliant first lap in heat 15 to get himself into first but soon found himself back in third as Lambert rounded him and Wright came underneath and despite his best efforts he couldn’t get back past Wright, meaning he added a point to his score. Despite his best efforts, Brennan couldn’t find a way past Craig Cook in heat 16 as he finished second again.

Ellis secured his spot in the semi-final by winning heat 19 ahead of King with the skipper missing out on the semi-final. Thompson had no answer for Bewley in heat 20, finishing in second behind the Grand Prix rider whilst Brennan ended his night at the back. It wasn’t quite enough for the impressive Thompson to make the semi-final though after he was tied on nine points with Rowe but with one race win less.

Ellis was looking good for the final after he made the gate in the semi-final but was swallowed up by Harris and Wright going into the second lap and despite pushing hard until the end, he wasn’t able to find a way past Wright to progress to the final.

The final was one of the best races you could wish to see with Lambert, Bewley, Wright and Harris throwing the bike at each other for all four laps. It looked like any rider could win the title throughout the heat, but it was Lambert who crossed the line first to pick up his second title ahead of Wright and Bewley, whose run of victories in the event came to an end. Wright will be the wild card for the British Grand Prix double-header in Manchester on June 13 and 14.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s British Final…

“There were some great performances from our riders but unfortunately, we didn’t get one in the final. Adam came closest and got in front in the semi-final but made a slight mistake and went back to third. He nearly got back into the qualifying spots on the line, but it was a great performance.

“Dan narrowly missed out on the semi-final on countback and carried on his superb form and it was a good meeting for him which he will take positives from in his young career.

“Danny had a tough first ride and very nearly made the points back in the next four rides but just missed out on the semi-final places. Tom fought really hard all night but found himself in the wrong places at the wrong times often and was chasing all meeting like Danny after a tough first ride and maybe they didn’t have the best draw having gate four so early on.”

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to take on the Tigers on Thursday 15^th May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY GUIDE: 2025 BRITISH FINAL

Posted on 9th May, 202512th May, 2025,

The 2025 Attis Insurance Sports Division British Final takes place at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 12^th May in an individual fixture that starts at 7.30pm, live on TNT Sports and Discovery Plus.

LINE-UP

1. Leon Flint 2. Chris Harris 3. Jason Edwards 4. Tom Brennan 5. Dan Thompson 6. Craig Cook 7. Vinnie Foord 8. Connor Mountain 9. Drew Kemp 10. Robert Lambert 11. Steve Worrall 12. Adam Ellis 13. Danny King 14. Dan Bewley 15. Anders Rowe 16. Charles Wright. Reserves: 17. TBC 18. TBC

REFEREE: P. Griffin

TICKET NEWS

Tickets are available to buy online and on the gate.

THE PREVIEW

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches are represented at Monday’s Attis Insurance Sports Division British Final in Manchester by Tom Brennan, Dan Thompson, Adam Ellis and Danny King.

The individual event takes place at the National Speedway Stadium with sixteen riders doing battle to become the British champion.

Both King and Ellis have experienced winning the title, King in 2016 and Ellis in 2021. Brennan has come close to top spot, finishing second in 2022 and 2024 and will hoping to go one better in 2025. Thompson qualified for the event after winning the semi-final at Leicester with a five-ride maximum and makes his first appearance in the event since 2020.

The winner of the meeting, or the next best placed rider if Dan Bewley or Robert Lambert win the title, will receive a wild card for the British Grand Prix double-header in Manchester on June 13 and 14.

We wish all four riders the best and hope to welcome another British champion back to Suffolk.

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

“It is great to see the Witches having four riders participating in the meeting and all four will be going with lots of ambition to do very well. Danny and Adam are past winners and would love to regain the title this year. Danny has started this season in good form and has shown a massive improvement speed-wise in his equipment than in the past couple of years which you need around Belle Vue. He had a good meeting there earlier in the season and looked the fastest he has been there since the year he was runner-up.

“Adam has started the season steadily, trying lots of new equipment and working very hard on that. He has shown signs he is in for a great season, and he was superb the year he won it so will be looking to replicate that.

“Tom has started brilliantly and has fitted in with the team straight away. He is loving life and has been a runner-up before. At some point in his career, it looks nailed on that he will get on the top step of the podium and I’m sure he would love to do it this year and will have the ambition to do that. He is more than capable.

“Dan comes into the meeting as the maximum man from the semi-final and in many meetings recently! He is in absolutely superb form and has stepped up a level and there is no doubt he is going to cause a stir amongst the bigger names, and it won’t phase him, nothing does! It really wouldn’t surprise me if you saw him make the semi-final on Monday and from there anything can happen. I’m sure all four of them will be looking to be in those championship heats at the end of the night.

THE CONTENDERS

Bewley is looking to make it four wins on the spin after success in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Fellow Grand Prix rider Robert Lambert will be another favourite and will be keen to put things right after failing to reach the semi-final in 2024.

Chris Harris and Charles Wright have both lifted the trophy before and will be looking to add to their titles.

AWAY DAYS

Ticket prices can be found here and official programmes cost £5. For more information about your visit to the National Speedway Stadium, head here.

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

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

FRED. OLSEN LOGISTICS JOIN AS 2025 CLUB SPONSOR

Posted on 7th May, 20252nd May, 2025,

Fred. Olsen Logistics have joined as a club sponsor for the 2025 season.

We would like to welcome them on board and thank them for their valuable support as they join Simply Climate Control, KEM Pumps, Edwards Electrical and Ipswich Town Football Club as club sponsors.

Fred. Olsen Logistics – “Backed by our history, to help deliver your future”

Fred. Olsen Logistics is a private company owned by the Olsen family, with origins in international shipping dating back to 1848.

Our highly trained team will look after your consignments from collection all the way through to the safe delivery. Our human approach to shipping and logistics means you will always be able to speak to one of our team and know that your goods are in safe hands.

Fred. Olsen Logistics offers a complete start to finish operation in freight forwarding and logistics services, our offices based in Ipswich and Felixstowe are perfectly located near to Britain’s largest container port with direct links worldwide as well as fantastic road and rail links across the UK.

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 53–37 KING’S LYNN

Posted on 5th May, 20255th May, 2025,

MEETING SPONSORS

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

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

SCORECARD

IPSWICH 53: Jason Doyle 12+2, Danny King © 7, Adam Ellis 5+1, Tom Brennan 6, Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1, Dan Thompson 9, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN 37: Chris Harris 3, Ben Cook R/R, Jan Kvěch 8+1, Richard Lawson 9, Niels Kristian Iversen 6+1, Nicolai Klindt © 11, Ashton Boughen (RS) 0. Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	6	14
Sheffield	5	9
Belle Vue	6	9
Leicester	5	6
Oxford	8	5
King’s Lynn	6	4
Birmingham	6	0

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches came from behind to win the East Anglian derby against King’s Lynn at Foxhall on Monday afternoon in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The home team went into the fixture at full strength and sitting top of the table with a 100% record whilst the Stars were looking for their first points on the road and were without the injured Ben Cook, with rider replacement in use at number two. Despite that, it was the visitors who would start brightly in the derby in front of a big bank holiday crowd, and they were threatening an upset as they held a six-point lead after seven races. However, that was as good as it got for the Norfolk outfit as Ipswich rattled off eight consecutive heat advantages to win comfortably in the end and preserve their unbeaten start to 2025. Jason Doyle top scored with 12+2.

Jan Kvěch won a shared heat one and another 3-3 followed in heat two as Nicolai Klindt took victory. The visitors provided another race winner in heat three as Kvěch picked up three points again and with Richard Lawson third they edged ahead. Klindt received a warning for moving at the start of heat four and in the re-run, Emil Sayfutdinov got the first Ipswich win of the day in a 3-3 which left the visitors 11-13 in front.

The visitors extended their lead in heat five as Klindt won again in a 2-4. Danny King hit the deck at the start of heat six with all four riders called back as the skipper was checked over by the medical team. In the re-run the home team pulled a couple of points back with Doyle taking the chequered flag after getting round Niels Kristian Iversen and King in third. The Stars recorded the first maximum of the day in heat seven to go six points ahead. King was first across the line in heat eight, but Klindt managed to split the Witches forcing Jordan Jenkins to settle for a point in an Ipswich 4-2 which made it 22-26 overall.

Tom Brennan got his first win of the afternoon in heat nine as the Suffolk side pulled another two points back with Iversen holding off Adam Ellis for second. It was level after heat 10 as Doyle won and Lawson edged out King on the run to the line for second. The run of 4-2s continued in heat 11 meaning the hosts went ahead for the first time in the meeting after Sayfutdinov raced past Chris Harris for the three points. Ritchie Hawkins made a reserve switch ahead of heat 12 with Dan Thompson coming in for Jenkins and he duly won the race with his partner Ellis following him home for a 5-1 that put Ipswich 39-33 ahead.

Another maximum followed in heat 13 courtesy of Sayfutdinov and Doyle as Rob Lyon brought in Kvěch as a tactical substitute in heat 14. The first staging of the race was stopped with Brennan falling and all four riders called back for a second attempt. Kvěch made no impact at the back as Thompson picked up another win in the re-run in another heat advantage to the hosts. The icing on the cake was a Doyle and Sayfutdinov maximum in the final race of the day as Ipswich celebrated a 13^th consecutive win over their local rivals.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s win over King’s Lynn…

“It was a really tough meeting for us, tougher than the scoreline suggests. We started the meeting slowly, not helped by losing the coin toss. It was one meeting where the coin toss was significant, but we weren’t good enough to start with. After the heat seven break we really turned it around and stepped up a gear or two and I was really happy with how convincing and good the boys looked in the second half of the meeting.

“Track conditions were tricky and different; it is hard not to have a slick track when the weather has been so hot for a daytime meeting. It played a part but isn’t an excuse, we weren’t good enough to start with, but it shows we have it in our locker to step up and look convincing in the second half.

“Jordan didn’t complain but you could see he is uncomfortable on the bike, but I am really pleased he showed such commitment to ride through the pain barrier today and contribute important points to the team, that really pleased me. Danny took a knock in his crash and when I saw him on the deck, part of me was worried he was done for the day which would have made our task even harder. He stepped up and contributed really vital points after that, so both of them showed true commitment which is what we are all about.

“It was great to see so many people here, we appreciate it, and it is what this team deserves for a bank holiday occasion. It’s a local derby and you should be getting good crowds, we needed everyone’s support today and the atmosphere was great once we kicked on. We have a break from team action until a really tough test at Sheffield in 10 days but before then we have four boys in the British Final and we look forward to that.”

TRU7 GROUP & RN EUSTON RIDERS OF THE DAY

Tru7 Group chose Doyle after he top scored with 12+2.

RN Euston went for Thompson who scored nine from reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up another two points as they remain top of the table whilst King’s Lynn drop to sixth as the search for their first points away from home goes on.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to take on the Tigers on Thursday 15^th May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

THOMPSON WINS BRITISH SEMI-FINAL

Posted on 2nd May, 20252nd May, 2025,

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches rider Dan Thompson booked his spot in the 2025 British Final after winning the semi-final on Thursday night at Leicester.

The 21-year-old won all five of his rides on the night to progress to the showpiece event on May 12 at the National Speedway Stadium where he will join teammates Danny King, Tom Brennan and Adam Ellis who were all seeded into the final.

Jordan Jenkins was forced to withdraw on the morning of the semi-final with a sore back, having crashed at Oxford on Wednesday but is hoping to be fit for Monday’s ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture against King’s Lynn at Foxhall.

RACEDAY GUIDE | KING’S LYNN (H)

Posted on 30th April, 202530th April, 2025,

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

MEETING SPONSORS

LINE-UPS

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

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

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	5	12
Belle Vue	4	7
Sheffield	3	6
Leicester	5	6
King’s Lynn	5	4
Birmingham	4	0
Oxford	6	0

TICKET NEWS

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

THE PREVIEW

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

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

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

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

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

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

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

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

KING’S LYNN STARS

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

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

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

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

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway

RACEDAY REPORT | IPSWICH 60–30 BIRMINGHAM

Posted on 24th April, 202525th April, 2025,

By Rob Binns

MEETING SPONSOR

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

SCORECARD

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

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

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	5	12
Belle Vue	4	7
Sheffield	3	6
Leicester	4	4
King’s Lynn	4	2
Birmingham	3	0
Oxford	5	0

THE REPORT

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

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

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

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

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

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

BILLY SANDERS CHAMPION OF THE EVENING

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

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

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

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

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

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

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

SCOTT PROPERTIES RIDER OF THE NIGHT

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

WHAT IT MEANS

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

NEXT FIXTURE

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

RACEDAY GUIDE | BIRMINGHAM (H)

Posted on 21st April, 202523rd April, 2025,

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

MEETING SPONSOR

LINE-UPS

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

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

REFEREE: C. Ackroyd

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	4	9
Belle Vue	4	7
Sheffield	2	4
Leicester	3	2
King’s Lynn	4	2
Birmingham	2	0
Oxford	3	0

TICKET NEWS

THE PREVIEW

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

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

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

MANAGER’S NOTES

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

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

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

BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES

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

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

LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK

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

BILLY SANDERS CHAMPION OF THE EVENING

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

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

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

Heat 1

RED Ipswich Highest Scorer

BLUE Birmingham Third Highest Scorer

WHITE Ipswich Fourth Highest Scorer

YELLOW Birmingham Second Highest Scorer

Heat 2

RED Birmingham Highest Scorer

BLUE Ipswich Third Highest Scorer

WHITE Birmingham Fourth Highest Scorer

YELLOW Ipswich Second Highest Scorer

Final

RED

BLUE

WHITE

YELLOW

Gate positions drawn.

Henry Chard

Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway