Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

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

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By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 15th July in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Chris Harris (G) 9.36 2. R/R for Dan Thompson 4.84 (RS) 3. Danny King 7.72 © 4. Adam Ellis 6.07 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.15 6. Keynan Rew 4.52 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BELLE VUE: 1. Brady Kurtz 8.87 © 2. Norick Blödorn 5.20 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.58 4. Ben Cook 6.57 5. Dan Bewley 8.13 6. Antti Vuolas (G) 4.57 7. Connor Bailey (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

REFEREE: M. Bates

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1529
Belle Vue1421
Sheffield1320
Oxford1618
Leicester1314
King’s Lynn*119
Birmingham146
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches return to ROWE Motor Oil Premiership action on Monday evening at Foxhall as they entertain the Belle Vue Aces.

The league programme paused for the Speedway of Nations with the Witches going into the break eight points clear at the top of the table after a win away at Oxford last time out. Just nine league meetings remain before the play-offs in the second half of the season with Ritchie Hawkins’ side focused on finishing top of the pile.

Chris Harris guests for the injured Jason Doyle at number one whilst rider replacement will be in operation for Dan Thompson who dislocated his shoulder at the Speedway of Nations 2. It will be a tough ask for Ipswich to collect the bonus point having been defeated 26-58 at the National Speedway Stadium earlier this month but two points would see them strengthen their grip on first place in the table.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are all looking forward to getting back together after 10 days off, I think it came at a good time for some of the boys. They needed a little bit of rest, and it was great to see a few of our riders in the Speedway of Nations 2 representing their countries. It shows what great futures they have but we are looking forward to some team action on Monday.

“Chris comes in as a guest, we know all about Bomber, he has put in some brilliant guest performances for us, not just this season but the last few times he has guested. He always fits in and goes very well at Foxhall, so it is always great to have him as part of the side and he is more than capable of doing a good job at number one.

“Dan dislocated his shoulder riding at the Speedway of Nations 2, so we will be rider replacement for him, it is too early to know anything else.

“The main job is to get the win on the night and two points, that will keep us in a strong position at the top of the table. The bonus point is clearly a long way off and not that vital to our cause but our recent performances at home have been strong and dominant, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if we could challenge for the extra point, but it is not the priority.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue sit second in the table and will be looking to close the gap on leaders Ipswich with a three-point haul at Foxhall. However, their away record in 2024 will need to improve if that is to happen, with just one win from six on the road so far this season. Having beaten the Witches heavily in Manchester, the bonus point will be the minimum requirement for Mark Lemon’s outfit.

The visitors are led by captain Brady Kurtz and British champion and Grand Prix rider Dan Bewley. Norick Blödorn is at number two, and he has been a popular guest for the Witches this season. Antti Vuolas guests at number six after Tate Zischke’s season was ended by injury.

RACEDAY REPORT: OXFORD 45-45 IPSWICH (IPSWICH WIN SUPER HEAT) – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

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Image courtesy of Les Aubrey

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

OXFORD 45: Rohan Tungate 8+1, Drew Kemp 1, Maciej Janowski 5+3, Charles Wright 9+1, Chris Harris © 6, Erik Riss 10+2, Ashton Boughen (RS) 6. Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

IPSWICH 45: Scott Nicholls (G) 8+2, Dan Thompson (RS) 1, Danny King © 6, Adam Ellis 3, Emil Sayfutdinov 18 (Maximum), Keynan Rew 5+1, Jordan Jenkins 4+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SUPER HEAT: Sayfutdinov, Nicholls, Janowski, Harris

REFEREE: C. Turnbull

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1529
Belle Vue1421
Sheffield1320
Oxford1516
Leicester1314
King’s Lynn*119
Birmingham136
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches raced to a dramatic super heat victory over the Oxford Spires on Thursday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The visitors had Scott Nicholls guesting for the injured Jason Doyle with the Spires at full strength. This fixture was a restaging of the abandoned clash last month where rain stopped play with the Witches 10 points in front after six races and the Suffolk side started well again, edging in front after the early exchanges. However, Oxford turned things around to lead by eight points after 10 races but three maximums in a row from the away side put them back in front only for a heat 14 5-1 from the Spires to level things again. A controversial heat 15 ended in a 3-3 but Ipswich raced to victory in the super heat as they also picked up the aggregate bonus point having beaten Oxford 53-37 at Foxhall. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with a faultless 18-point maximum.

Nicholls won heat one as Rohan Tungate managed to prevent a Witches maximum as he passed Dan Thompson for second resulting in a 2-4 to the away side and the points were shared in heat two. Danny King held off Charles Wright to win heat three in a 3-3 and Sayfutdinov took victory in heat four, but the away team were forced to settle for a 2-4 again as Chris Harris relegated Jordan Jenkins to third on the last turn, making it 10-14.

Oxford levelled with a 5-1 in heat five despite the best efforts of Nicholls. The Witches edged back in front in heat six as Sayfutdinov was the winner again and Keynan Rew picked up a point for the heat advantage. However, the Spires then went in front in heat seven as Harris and Erik Riss couldn’t be caught. Jordan Jenkins managed to split the home pairing in heat eight but a 4-2 to the hosts gave them a 26-22 lead.

Sayfutdinov bided his time before overtaking Wright to win a shared heat nine. The home team extended their lead in heat 10 to eight points with a 5-1 and Ritchie Hawkins put Sayfutdinov in as a tactical substitute for heat 11. The decision worked out to perfection as Sayfutdinov raced to victory and was followed home by Nicholls for the maximum. The scores were level after heat 12 as King and Rew teamed up for another 1-5 making it 36-36.

Remarkably a third maximum in a row followed in heat 13 as Sayfutdinov and Nicholls came up trumps again to give Ipswich the lead. Heat 14 was stopped with Adam Ellis at the front and Rew in third in a match-winning position, but Rew hit the deck and was excluded. Oxford punished Ipswich in the re-run hitting a 5-1 to level things again going into the last-heat decider. The drama kept on coming as heat 15 was stopped with Nicholls and Tungate clashing. To the shock of most people at the stadium, the referee judged that Nicholls was the cause of the stoppage and excluded the Ipswich guest. However, Sayfutdinov kept his cool to win the re-run and take it to a super heat. Sayfutdinov and Nicholls did the business in the super heat recording a 7-2 to give the travelling side a fantastic victory on the road that strengthened their position at the top of the table.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“I am delighted to take three points out of the meeting, we really battled hard for it. I felt we deserved it in the end after being so far up in the original staging and then heat 14 when Keynan crashed, and Adam was leading and then they got a 5-1 in the re-run. Then there was heat 15 where no one felt Scott should have been excluded. After that, to still come through it, I am delighted with the boys, they fought so hard and thoroughly deserve the three points. As a team they deserve to be top of the table for what they have shown the last few months.

“There was very close, tough racing tonight and there was some great racing, I thought it was a real battle between two good teams. It went wrong in heat 15 but Scotty was in front so how he was the one who got excluded, I can’t work that one out.

“Emil was simply sublime, he was so quick, He made a few changes throughout the meeting, and he was so quick, and he was the only guy to win from gate four, I’m pretty sure of that. Whatever gate he had he put in one hell of a performance, and he was a joy to watch for everyone at the stadium, you can’t help but love watching him ride like that.

“It is nice to be top of the table, but we all know it comes down to the play-offs. We don’t want to let our form drop now and it was a massive result off the back of Monday. I think that is great for us to go into the little break for the Speedway of Nations off the back of that performance, it was really important. We are in a very strong position at the top of the league, and we want to finish there but we are well aware it will then start from scratch again.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

No need to think about this one, Sayfutdinov was unbeatable, picking up six wins from six and taking the chequered flag in the super heat.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up three points and go eight points clear at the top of the table. Oxford collect a point and stay fourth.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 15th July in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

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

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Image courtesy of Jeff Davies

By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Oxford to face the Spires at the Oxford Stadium on Thursday 4th July in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

OXFORD: 1. Rohan Tungate 7.43 2. Drew Kemp 4.45 3. Maciej Janowski 6.04 4. Charles Wright 6.27 5. Chris Harris 6.33 © 6. Erik Riss 4.30 7. Ashton Boughen (RS). Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

IPSWICH: 1. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson 4.84 (RS) 3. Danny King 7.72 © 4. Adam Ellis 6.07 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.15 6. Keynan Rew 4.52 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: C. Turnbull

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1426
Belle Vue1421
Sheffield1220
Oxford1415
Leicester1212
King’s Lynn*107
Birmingham126
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase online in advance here.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Oxford in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership on Thursday.

The Suffolk side started the week in Manchester where they fell to a heavy defeat against Belle Vue, just their third defeat of the season. Thursday’s trip to Oxford is the restaging of the abandoned clash from last month where the Witches had a 10-point lead after six races before rain stopped play.

Regular guest Scott Nicholls again comes in for the injured Jason Doyle at number one. Nicholls knows most tracks well and has plenty of recent experience at this one, riding for the Oxford Cheetahs in the Championship.

It is a place that Ipswich have already won at this season, taking a 48-42 victory back in April.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“It is great to be straight back in on Thursday and not have a big gap. We have raced one and a half meetings there this year and have gone very well in those. We were in a great position before the unfortunate rain-off a few weeks ago and the boys are determined to go and get those points.

“We have come off a bad result, but our confidence is still high going to Oxford, a team we have beaten a few times this year and we have done well at their home track. We go with confidence and determination and after Monday’s result it puts more emphasis on winning and getting back on another winning streak quickly.

“Injury wise, Adam didn’t struggle too badly on Monday with his side and he and Jordan have had a few days of rest which has been really good for them, and they have a couple more days now. We have got Scott back in the team which has worked very well this year, and it is a track he clearly knows well. We will go there with what feels like a full team and high expectations of ourselves.”

THE SPIRES

Oxford currently occupy fourth place in the table and got a much-needed win on Monday against a depleted Sheffield to boost their play-off hopes. Remarkably the 48-42 winning margin against the Tigers was their biggest home win of the season and their home form has been vital to their top four hopes with six wins from seven, the only defeat on home shale being against Ipswich.

The Spires made a team change last week with Drew Kemp replacing Lewis Kerr and he rides at number two for the hosts.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £22 with accompanied children under 16 going free if bought in advance. There is a £2 price increase for adult tickets purchased on the day. Due to limited parking at the stadium, free parking will be available thanks to Unipart at their site just a short walk from the stadium (approx 800m) on a first come first served basis, please remember to select this option if required when purchasing your tickets as this will be required when arriving at the car park. A free shuttle bus service will be provided to and from the stadium from the Unipart car park site. Unipart postcode is OX4 2PG. Limited disabled car parking is available at the stadium; these spaces are on a first come first served basis. For further information head here.

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

RACEDAY REPORT: BELLE VUE 58–26 IPSWICH – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (A)

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Image courtesy of Ian Charles

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

BELLE VUE 58: Brady Kurtz © 10, Norick Blödorn 8+2, Jaimon Lidsey 12 (Maximum), Ben Cook 8+2, Dan Bewley 10, Tate Zischke 3+1, Connor Bailey (RS) 7+2. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH 26: Tom Brennan (G) 2, Dan Thompson (RS) 1, Danny King © 2+1, Adam Ellis 5, Emil Sayfutdinov 10, Keynan Rew 5, Jordan Jenkins 1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: A. Steele

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1426
Belle Vue1421
Sheffield1220
Oxford1415
Leicester1212
King’s Lynn*107
Birmingham126
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches fell to a heavy defeat away at Belle Vue on Monday evening in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The visitors had Tom Brennan guesting for the injured Jason Doyle at number one whilst the Aces were at full strength with captain Brady Kurtz back in the side and new signing Tate Zischke making his debut at reserve. The home team dominated from start to finish and the Suffolk side had no answers as the Manchester club raced to a big victory with the meeting abandoned after 14 races following a heavy crash for Zischke. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 10.

The Aces got things started with a 5-1 in heat one and another quickly followed in heat two. The horror start continued in heat three as Belle Vue hit another maximum. Sayfutdinov stopped the rot in heat four, winning in a 3-3 but it left the away side with a mountain to climb already, being 18-6 down.

The hosts piled further misery on the Witches in heat five with another 5-1. A 4-2 to the home team followed in heat six as Sayfutdinov retired from the race. Heat seven was stopped as Zischke fell and was excluded but the away side couldn’t take advantage as Dan Bewley won the re-run. There was a return to the maximums in heat eight making it 35-13 to Belle Vue.

Belle Vue were not easing up and recorded a heat advantage in heat nine as Jaimon Lidsey held off Sayfutdinov to win. The night couldn’t end soon enough for the away side as Kurtz and Norick Blödorn raced to a 5-1 in heat 10. Sayfutdinov came in as a tactical substitute in heat 11 and he won with Brennan third for the first and only heat advantage of the night to Ipswich. Mark Lemon’s side registered a further 4-2 in heat 12 putting them 50-22 up with the tie well and truly over.

Bewley got the better of Sayfutdinov to take the chequered flag in heat 13 in what was a Belle Vue 4-2. Heat 14 was awarded as a 4-2 as Keynan Rew was excluded for bringing down Zischke late on in the race with the Belle Vue debutant taken to hospital after a heavy fall. Due to the medics looking after Zischke the meeting was abandoned with the result standing at 58-26 on what was a night for forget for Ipswich.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

Image courtesy of Ian Charles

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

“It was a really bad night, and we did not perform. As a unit I suppose it is good that we all have it on the same night and get it out of the way and we will regroup for Thursday. I don’t think we need to dwell on it at the moment because it is a very important meeting coming up on Thursday, even more so now. Let’s look forward and then we have 10 days off and we can reflect on this and where we are going wrong at Belle Vue.

“The boys certainly didn’t throw the towel in, and we fought very hard and got in good positions, but we have said it before and it was the case again today, we were not quick enough. There is a lot of head scratching going on as to why and if we end up coming here for the play-offs it is something that we certainly need to massively improve.

“If I knew the answer, we would have solved it by now, but we look lacking in speed and that has not been the case anywhere else, just Belle Vue. We need to get our thinking caps on and improve that.

“The meeting was a great result for Belle Vue but was overshadowed by Tate’s crash and all of us at Ipswich wish him a quick and speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with him tonight and he looked impressive before his crash.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Sayfutdinov was the only Witch to offer up any real resistance scoring 10 points.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich suffer just their third defeat of the campaign but stay top of the table. Belle Vue pick up two points and move second in standings.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Oxford to take on the Spires on Thursday 4th July in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

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

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By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Manchester to face the Belle Vue Aces at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday 1st July in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

BELLE VUE: 1. Brady Kurtz 8.87 © 2. Norick Blödorn 5.20 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.58 4. Ben Cook 6.57 5. Dan Bewley 8.13 6. Tate Zischke 4.57 7. Connor Bailey (RS). Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH: 1. Tom Brennan (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson 4.84 (RS) 3. Danny King 7.72 © 4. Adam Ellis 6.07 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.15 6. Keynan Rew 4.52 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: A. Steele

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1326
Sheffield1120
Belle Vue1319
Oxford1313
Leicester1212
King’s Lynn*107
Birmingham126
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

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

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches begin a week on the road at Belle Vue on Monday in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Suffolk side are flying high at the top of the table and made it six wins on the bounce with victory over Oxford at Foxhall on Thursday. That win extended their lead at the top to six points and the Witches have lost just twice in the league this season, one of those defeats being a 55-35 loss at Belle Vue back in April.

Former Ace Tom Brennan guests at number one for the injured Jason Doyle whilst the visitors are hoping that Adam Ellis and Jordan Jenkins are fit enough to take their places in the side having picked up injuries in Thursday’s win over the Spires.

Ipswich will be hoping to win their first ever meeting at the National Speedway Stadium having lost all 11 of their fixtures raced in Manchester. 

FROM THE BOSS

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

“It is well documented that it is a place we have struggled at in the past but form wise, we could not be going there in a better position. We have got six wins on the bounce and results wise the season has been very good. Fitness wise we are sweating on a few riders and even if they are fit to ride, we are going to be far from 100% in that area.

“Tom is someone we have used before with great success, he knows Belle Vue well and we are delighted to have him back with us.

“We say it every time but we may well be there later on the season in the play-offs so it would be nice to put in a good performance and know we can perform there in case we need to later in the year.

“We will enjoy racing the track, but we have not been quick enough, and it is something we are working on every time we go there and at some point, we need to get it right.”

THE ACES

Belle Vue currently sit third in the table and are looking well placed to reach the play-offs for a fourth season in a row. As always, the Aces have been strong at home and have lost just once on home shale in a rain-affected meeting against Sheffield. It has been on their travels where they have struggled with five defeats in six although they have picked up five aggregate bonus points, the most in the division.

Brady Kurtz returns from injury at number one for the hosts having missed the last month of action. British champion Dan Bewley rides at number five having won his third national title in a row earlier this month. The home team have signed Tate Zischke to replace Connor Mountain at reserve and he makes his debut on Monday.

AWAY DAYS

Ticket prices can be found here and official programmes cost £3.50. 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.

BRITISH FINAL RACE-JACKETS AUCTION

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The auction is now open for all 18 autographed race-jackets from the 2024 Attis Insurance Sports Division British Final.

Ipswich were represented by Adam Ellis and Jordan Jenkins at the National Speedway Stadium and you can now bid to own their actual race-jackets from the event – or those of any of the other competitors.

The auction opened at 8am on Thursday June 27 and will run for 10 days.

To make your bid, please visit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/britishspeedw-0

The rider listing was as follows:

1 Drew Kemp

2 Robert Lambert

3 Chris Harris

4 Simon Lambert

5 Craig Cook

6 Connor Mountain

7 Adam Ellis

8 Tai Woffinden

9 Lewis Kerr

10 Steve Worrall

11 Dan Bewley

12 Anders Rowe

13 Jordan Jenkins

14 Tom Brennan

15 Charles Wright

16 Kyle Howarth

17 Freddy Hodder

18 Matt Marson

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 53–37 OXFORD – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2 (H)

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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.

Doug Wade Insurance

THE SCORES

IPSWICH 53: Scott Nicholls (G) 11+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 7, Danny King © 9, Adam Ellis 1 (Withdrawn), Emil Sayfutdinov 12 (Maximum), Keynan Rew 11+2, Jordan Jenkins 2+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

OXFORD 37: Rohan Tungate 13, Charles Wright 2+1, Lewis Kerr 1, Maciej Janowski 6, Chris Harris © 9+1, Erik Riss 2, Ashton Boughen (RS) 4+1. Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1326
Sheffield1120
Belle Vue1319
Oxford1313
Leicester1212
King’s Lynn*107
Birmingham126
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches picked up another victory in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership on Thursday night at Foxhall as they beat the Oxford Spires.

The home team had regular guest Scott Nicholls in at number one for the injured Jason Doyle whilst the visitors were at full strength. Ipswich started strongly and built a 12-point lead after seven races but lost Adam Ellis to injury before the Spires fought back mid-meeting with back-to-back maximums. However, the Witches just stepped it up another gear and cruised to a comfortable win to make it six wins on the trot. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with a 12-point maximum.

Nicholls won heat one as the hosts registered a 4-2 and there was a 5-1 in heat two as Keynan Rew stormed past Erik Riss for the lead which also allowed Jordan Jenkins through into second. The strong start continued in heat three as Danny King took victory in another heat advantage as Ellis picked up a point in his only ride of the night before being withdrawn with pain in his side. Heat four was shared as Sayfutdinov won making it 16-8 to Ipswich.

Oxford got their first race win as Rohan Tungate finished first in heat five but with partner Charles Wright falling having been passed by King it was a 3-3. Nicholls picked up another three points in heat six as the Witches bagged another 4-2 with Chris Harris managing to get past Dan Thompson for second late on in the race. Ipswich were running away with things at this point and there was another heat advantage in heat seven as Sayfutdinov took the chequered flag with Rew in third. Heat eight was stopped as Jenkins fell and was excluded, and the visitors took advantage with a maximum in the re-run to narrow the score to 28-20.

Tungate came in as a tactical substitute in heat nine and suddenly the visitors were just four points behind as he and Harris raced to a 1-5. The home team responded immediately in heat 10 as Thompson and Nicholls teamed up for a maximum. There was further breathing room after heat 11 as Sayfutdinov picked up another win in a 4-2 and the tie was all but over after heat 12 as King won and Rew passed Riss for the 5-1 that put the hosts 43-29 up.

Tungate led heat 13 but was hunted down by Sayfutdinov who came through to win as a 4-2 sealed the victory for Ipswich and a maximum for him personally. Rew picked up three points in heat 14 as the Witches racked up another heat advantage. Harris won the final race of the night as partner Tungate beat King on the run to the line for a 2-4 but it was little consolation for the visitors as the Suffolk side strengthened their grip at the top of the table and built a big lead with the aggregate bonus point up for grabs next week at Oxford.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“Result wise it was brilliant and another team performance again, so I am delighted with that. It certainly wasn’t without its worries and stress with different injuries, but we managed to cope with our problems and all the boys are working well as a unit to cover each other. Missing Adam after one heat puts a lot of pressure on the team, Danny is not fully fit yet and Jordan had a crash and picked up a knock. Even though he went through the card Emil was feeling pretty under the weather, so we were far from fully fit.

“Keynan really stepped up and took the pressure off and Dan Thompson had a superb win in heat 10 when Oxford had got back into the meeting. That 5-1 in heat 10 turned it back in our favour and what a performance from the young guys to get us through.

“Adam and Jordan both have muscle injuries. We are hoping with a few more days of rest Adam will recover and the same with Jordan really. They will have a bit of treatment, it is nothing massively serious, more niggles really which a lot of the boys have been suffering with most of the year. At the moment we are coping with it well.

“Adam is having pain in the side of his body and pulled it in his first ride and Jordan has a tight back and tenderness in the muscles and the fall certainly didn’t help.

“We will go to Oxford next week looking to win the meeting, but it is a good lead to take for the bonus point.”

RN EUSTON & DOUG WADE INSURANCE RIDERS OF THE NIGHT

RN Euston chose maximum man Sayfutdinov.

Doug Wade Insurance opted for Rew who scored 11+2 from reserve.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich extend their lead at the top of the table to six points whilst Oxford stay fourth.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to the National Speedway Stadium to take on the Belle Vue Aces on Monday 1st July in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

2024 END OF SEASON AWARDS NIGHT

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The End of Season Awards Night will take place on Friday 1st November at Venue 16, Ipswich.

With a delicious three-course meal, rider awards and interviews, luxury raffle plus disco, it promises to be a good night.

Please call into the Supporters Club hut on the second bend to book. The cost is £45.00 for ISSC members and £50.00 non-members. A £10.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking and enables you to make your menu choices.  Further payments can be made throughout the season.

Full address: Venue 16, 312 Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, IP4 3QJ.

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

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By Rob Binns

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Oxford Spires at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 27th June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSORS

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

Doug Wade Insurance

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.36 2. Dan Thompson 4.78 (RS) 3. Danny King 7.50 © 4. Adam Ellis 5.95 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.24 6. Keynan Rew 4.15 7. Jordan Jenkins 4.00. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

OXFORD: 1. Rohan Tungate 7.38 2. Charles Wright 6.36 3. Lewis Kerr 5.26 4. Maciej Janowski 5.18 5. Chris Harris 6.64 © 6. Erik Riss 4.74 7. Ashton Boughen (RS). Team Manager: Peter Schroeck

REFEREE: P. Carrington

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich1224
Sheffield1120
Belle Vue1319
Oxford1213
Leicester1212
King’s Lynn*107
Birmingham126
*King’s Lynn deducted 2 league points on 18.05.24 for breach of SCB rules.

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 for concessions (65+) & students (21 & under). Tickets for children aged 6-16 are £1 whilst children 5 & under go free. Official programmes are priced at £3.50 and are available at the stadium. Car parking is free for all supporters. Debit and credit card payments are accepted. Turnstiles open at 6.40pm.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches race another home fixture at Foxhall on Thursday as they welcome the Oxford Spires in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Witches’ home record was flawless in the first half of the season, and they have been racing brilliantly, particularly in the last few weeks. The hosts come into this meeting off their biggest winning margin of the season, a brilliant 60-30 victory against Leicester Lions at Foxhall last Thursday. The previous home meeting saw a 50-40 win in the top-of-the-table clash with the Sheffield Tigers which extended the lead at the top of the table to four points.

Ipswich have the same line-up that raced in the dominant victory against Leicester which sees Scott Nicholls once again guesting at number one in place of Jason Doyle. Danny King, Adam Ellis and Dan Thompson have all returned to the line-up in recent weeks after injury and illness absences.

When the two sides met in the first half of the season, Ipswich took a maximum five points from the two meetings with a 48-42 victory in Oxford followed a week later by a 45-39 victory after 14 heats at Foxhall. The Suffolk side also held a 10-point advantage after six heats before rain saw the meeting abandoned when they last met the Spires two weeks ago in Oxford.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“Back at Foxhall this week, the first half of the season our home form has been perfect. We’ve dealt with the changing conditions most meetings due to the weather very well. In the two dry meetings we’ve had we’ve shown a liking to the grippy surface. After this, we’ve got a run of four out of the next five meetings away from home so it’s important to keep up our terrific home form and put a couple of points on the board against Oxford.

“It’s great to be able to bring Scott in again, same line-up as last week which was our biggest win for a long time, and he did a superb job at number one. He’s going to be as good as anyone around Foxhall, so we know what we’re getting. Delighted to have him in, he’s been doing brilliant.

“Oxford ran us close earlier on in the year when they came to Foxhall. It’s a bit like Leicester who we’d faced a couple of times before and kept it close, but we knew we needed to improve. We need to improve now we’re in the second half and we’ll look to get a bigger victory like we did last week. Their riders are obviously capable around Foxhall but the way we’re going we certainly don’t need to fear anyone at the moment.”

THE SPIRES

Oxford have had a mixed season and sit fourth in the table. They have been very strong at home with their only defeat in the first half of the season coming against Ipswich. However, they have struggled for away form with just one win, and they come into this meeting off the back of a 50-40 defeat to the King’s Lynn Stars. Oxford ran the Witches close on their last visit to Foxhall but fell to a six-point defeat.

The visitors come into this meeting with their strongest one-to-seven. Skipper Chris Harris has been a recent guest for the Witches and Rohan Tungate is back to Foxhall after spending five seasons at the Witches over two spells.