Author Archives: Henry Chard

About Henry Chard

Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway

BIRMINGHAM V IPSWICH – FIXTURE UPDATE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches will head to Birmingham on Monday 3rd June in what will be a Knockout Cup fixture or a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture.

The Witches hold a 48-42 lead over Leicester in their Knockout Cup quarter-final tie after the first leg and should the Suffolk side progress after the second leg on Thursday 30th May, the away leg of the semi-final will be at Birmingham on Monday 3rd June.

Should Leicester progress from that tie or the fixture on 30th May be postponed, Ipswich will still visit Birmingham on 3rd June in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 match.

The original date for the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture against Birmingham on Monday 19th August will remain in the calendar in case of a postponement on either Monday 27th May (R1 fixture) or Monday 3rd June.

IPSWICH V BIRMINGHAM – POSTPONED & RE-ARRANGED

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’  Witches’ ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture against Birmingham on Thursday 16th May at Foxhall has been postponed.

The track is unable to take the rain that is forecasted to last until 4pm with a decision made at 7.30am on Thursday.

The fixture has been re-arranged for Thursday 29th August.

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

By Henry Chard

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

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 16th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.

MEETING SPONSOR

DJ Evans – The DJ Evans Group is a family run business with a history dating back more than a century.  They are East Anglia’s premier independent builder’s/engineer’s merchant and architectural ironmonger, offering products and materials from quality assured manufacturers across the industry.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.65 2. Dan Thompson 4.46 (RS) 3. Adam Ellis 5.74 4. Scott Nicholls 7.50 (G) 5. Jason Doyle 9.18 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.00 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.83. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

BIRMINGHAM: 1. Piotr Pawlicki 7.50 2. Steve Worrall 6.14 © 3. Zach Cook 5.53 4. Justin Sedgmen 5.07 5. Tom Brennan 6.37 6. Wiktor Lampart 4.35 7. Leon Flint (RS). Team Manager: Sam Ermolenko

REFEREE: A. Steele

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich815
Belle Vue813
Sheffield69
Leicester79
Oxford89
Birmingham93
King’s Lynn62

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 host Birmingham at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Witches are flying high at the top of the table and continued their marvellous start to the campaign with a hugely impressive win away at champions Sheffield on Monday night. The Suffolk side are unbeaten on home shale in 2024 and will be looking to carry on their good form against a struggling Birmingham side.

Danny King is still absent with a hand injury and as was the case against King’s Lynn last time out at Foxhall, Scott Nicholls guests at number four in his place. Despite the differing fortunes of the two clubs so far this season, Ritchie Hawkins knows that his team must stay fully focused against a side that ran them close earlier in the season, with two league points a must ahead of two away trips on the horizon.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are looking forward to getting back at home and hopefully a dry evening which is what we need! We will be heavy favourites, but we can’t slack off from the high levels we have been racing at this year because we will get punished if we do. We need to focus and make sure we get a win on Thursday.

“We are delighted to have Scotty and we are fortunate that we are able to call on him, he is the only rider with more experience of Foxhall than Danny left racing! So far, we have covered Danny very well, it is not a long-term solution but having the option of Scott is making life a lot easier and Dougy (Ryan Douglas) has done very well too. At the moment we are covering the skipper well and we need to carry that on over the next maybe three meetings.

“Birmingham have already been here this year and ran us close in a good battle. Sedgy comes in and if he is on a hot night he can cause us problems, so we need to be fully focused. We will give them a warm welcome and we are happy to see them in the league. They have had a few struggles but got a victory against Belle Vue at home which gave them a boost and I’m sure having been to Ipswich already and done well they will come here with no fear.”

THE BRUMMIES

Birmingham have had a tough start to life in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with just one win from nine fixtures. The Brummies have lost all five of their away fixtures so far and even at this early stage of the season look unlikely to make the top four unless their fortunes turn quickly. The visitors will take heart from their first visit to Foxhall where they ran the Witches close before being defeated 49-41.

The away side have made a change to their team this week with Justin Sedgmen replacing Vaclav Milik. Piotr Pawlicki is now back in the team following his injury and is at number one whilst Zach Cook has moved up from reserve with Wiktor Lampart now at number six.

RACEDAY REPORT: SHEFFIELD 44–46 IPSWICH – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (A)

Image courtesy of Phil McGlynn

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

SHEFFIELD 44: Jack Holder 8, Kyle Howarth © 2+1, Chris Holder 11, Josh Pickering 6+1, Tai Woffinden 14, Luke Killeen (G) 0, Dan Gilkes (RS) 3. Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH 46: Emil Sayfutdinov 8+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 7+1, Adam Ellis 6+1, Ryan Douglas (G) 5+1, Jason Doyle © 8+1, Keynan Rew 8+1, Jordan Jenkins 4+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: M. Bates

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich815
Belle Vue813
Sheffield69
Leicester79
Oxford89
Birmingham93
King’s Lynn62

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches recorded an excellent away win against reigning champions Sheffield on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The visitors were missing captain Danny King through injury with Ryan Doulgas guesting in his place whilst the hosts had Luke Killeen in for the injured Jason Edwards at reserve. The two sides met in last season’s Knockout Cup final and play-off final and there was little to separate the teams throughout this contest, but the Witches edged ahead in heat 12 and saw out the result to consolidate their position at the top of the table. Emil Sayfutdinov, Jason Doyle and Keynan Rew all scored 8+1.

Sheffield recorded a 4-2 in heat one with Sayfutdinov unable to get amongst the points despite his best efforts. The Witches posted an immediate response in heat two as Rew and Jordan Jenkins raced to a maximum. Chris Holder won heat three ahead of Adam Ellis whilst Josh Pickering and Douglas traded places at the back, but it was the Tigers man who got the point for a 4-2 to level the scores. Tai Woffinden was a clear winner in heat four as Doyle came from the back into second to ensure a share of the points, leaving it all square at 12-12.

There was another 3-3 in heat five and Doyle was a comfortable winner in heat six as the points were shared again. The 3-3s kept on coming with another in heat seven as Woffinden couldn’t be caught. Dan Thompson rode a smart first turn to win heat eight and with Jenkins third it handed a heat advantage to the away side, giving them a slender 23-25 advantage.

Sheffield then went ahead with a 5-1 in heat nine as Chris Holder won and Pickering won the battle for second, making a move on Rew stick on the final lap. Ellis was pipped to the chequered flag in heat 10 as Jack Holder passed the Ipswich man on the last lap but with Douglas getting past Kyle Howarth at the back it was a 3-3. It was level again after heat 11 as Sayfutdinov beat Woffinden and Thompson picked up a point. Rew held off Chris Holder in fine style to win heat 12 as the visitors edged ahead to make it 35-37.

A 3-3 in heat 13 kept Ipswich ahead and there was another in heat 14 as Rew passed Dan Gilkes for third with a terrific move. That left it down to a last-heat decider and whilst Woffinden won it, both Sayfutdinov and Doyle were in the points to secure a first Ipswich win at Sheffield since 2014.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“A brilliant result that carries on our terrific start to the season. I’m delighted that all seven contributed and we were so solid again. We were criticised heavily last year for being a two-man team, but we are far from that this year. There is still more to come from us, and I am not getting carried away with one win at Sheffield at this time of year because I think we will have a lot of tough battles against them this year, but it is nice to go 1-0 up!

“We talked about not having won here for so long before the start because the reason we won that night was because we were solid throughout, and everyone scored. If you looked at the two score charts then compared to tonight, they are very similar. We knew what we needed to do, and this year compared to last year we carried on past the halfway mark in the meeting instead of dropping away. We stuck in there and got our rewards at the end.

“All seven riders contributed, and I think you are seeing a steady improvement in Jordan in the last few meetings. Keynan has taken it up a level and Dan has too. Our younger members of the side are massively contributing and that is the difference, it is plain and simple.

“I will enjoy tonight but it is a long season ahead, we could well have to come here in the cup and play-offs and if we lose those meetings, no one is going to remember tonight. It is a great result which keeps the ball rolling and shows we mean business again this year, but we are not getting carried away.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Thompson was brilliant once again, scoring 7+1 from the number two position and showing he can more than make the step up into the main body of the team as a Rising Star.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich strengthen their position at the top of the table with another two points whilst Sheffield suffer their first home defeat of the season and stay third.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Birmingham Brummies at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 16th May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: SHEFFIELD – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (A)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture with Sheffield.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to face the Tigers at Owlerton Stadium on Monday 13th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 8.89 2. Kyle Howarth 5.62 © 3. Chris Holder 7.13 4. Josh Pickering 6.92 5. Tai Woffinden 8.44 6. Luke Killeen 3.00 (G) 7. Dan Gilkes (RS). Team Manager: Simon Stead

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.65 2. Dan Thompson 4.46 (RS) 3. Adam Ellis 5.74 4. Ryan Douglas 7.50 (G) 5. Jason Doyle 9.18 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.00 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.83. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: M. Bates

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich713
Belle Vue711
Sheffield59
Leicester79
Oxford79
Birmingham93
King’s Lynn62

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase on the gate.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches are back on the road on Monday as they face the Sheffield Tigers in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Suffolk side continued their terrific start to the campaign last time out with a comfortable win over local rivals King’s Lynn in a rain-affected meeting. That victory consolidated their position at the top of the table, but they know they will face a much tougher challenge against the reigning champions.

The Witches are still without captain Danny King due to a hand injury with Ryan Douglas once again guesting in his place at number four. Douglas stood in at Belle Vue for the Witches and scored 11+1.

It’s not a happy hunting ground for Ipswich with the last positive result being a 45-45 draw back in 2016 in the Championship and the last win was back in 2014 with a 51-42 victory for the Witches where the likes of Adam Ellis and Ritchie Hawkins formed part of the side.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are still using guests while Danny is recovering, and his recovery is going well. It is just a matter of time for him and patience and hopefully he will be back by the end of the month or the start of next month. We are using Ryan Douglas as a guest again; he was brilliant at Belle Vue and fits into the team really nicely and we look forward to having him back again.

“We met Sheffield in the cup final and play-off final last year and both teams will be favourites to be up there and do it again. We got the better of them in the cup and they got the better of us in the play-offs and in the early league meetings between us it would be great to get an away win on the board. We have got the bonus point to play for too so it would be nice to get one over on them early doors, but it is not vital in the play-off race as things stand.

“I’m not entirely sure why we haven’t won at Sheffield for so long, it is very different to the Ipswich track but the amount we ride on different circuits these days, home advantage isn’t quite as prevalent as it used to be. It is nice to know that I featured in our last win there and it would be great to be the team manager for our next one! We will keep working hard at it and see if we can put together 15 solid heats and push them close or try and nick a victory.”

THE TIGERS

Sheffield have also enjoyed a strong start to the season and sit third in the table despite having only raced five meetings in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Due to a number of postponements, they have only raced three times at home in all competitions, picking up three wins whilst away from home they have already tasted victory twice.

It’s a strong top three for the hosts led by Jack Holder who won the first round of this year’s Speedway Grand Prix. He is backed up by former world champions Tai Woffinden and brother Chris Holder. Luke Killeen guests at number six for the injured Jason Edwards.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £23, concessions (over 65s & students) £21, kids (up to and including age 17) £1 whilst children under five go free. Official programmes cost £3. All the stadium is open except the back straight which remains closed for safety reasons. There is seating in the Panorama Room, which also boasts a restaurant and bar overlooking the track. There is a fast-food bar, and the Panorama Room Restaurant also offers a ‘Speedway Special’ carvery with a choice of meats. The Panorama Room Restaurant has large bar with ideal viewing facilities in addition to the carvery. Reserve your table now by calling Owlerton Stadium on 01142 343074. For travel information head here.

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

RACEDAY REPORT: IPSWICH 37–23 KING’S LYNN – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

By Henry Chard

MEETING SPONSORS

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

Chedgrave Oxygen Therapy Centre – They offer 1-hour dives in their Oxygen Chamber to help aid relief and recovery for many medical conditions, from Multiple Sclerosis to long Covid.

TEAMS

IPSWICH 37: Emil Sayfutdinov 7+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 6+1, Adam Ellis 7+1, Scott Nicholls (G) 6+2, Jason Doyle © 6, Keynan Rew 4+1, Jordan Jenkins 1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN 23: Tobiasz Musielak R/R, Niels Kristian Iversen 7, Michael Palm Toft 4, Benjamin Basso 2, Nicolai Klindt © 3, Patryk Wojdylo 4, Anders Rowe (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich713
Belle Vue711
Sheffield59
Leicester79
Oxford79
Birmingham93
King’s Lynn62

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches raced to a comfortable victory in the East Anglian derby on Monday afternoon at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The hosts had Scott Nicholls guesting for injured captain Danny King whilst King’s Lynn were using rider replacement for injured number one Tobiasz Musielak. In front of a big Bank Holiday crowd, the Suffolk side dominated from the start before the rain stopped proceedings after heat 10 with both sets of riders agreeing conditions were not suitable to continue racing with the result standing. Emil Sayfutdinov and Adam Ellis top scored with 7+1 each.

Dan Thompson and Sayfutdinov were unchallenged in heat one as they hit the first maximum of the day. The visitors got a heat advantage in heat two before the Witches recorded another 5-1 in heat three as Ellis won and Nicholls picked off both Stars riders in fine style to join his partner at the front. Jason Doyle won heat four as Ipswich raced to a heat advantage, giving them a 16-8 lead.

Patryk Wojdylo took an awkward looking fall at the start of heat five as he exited the second turn and was excluded but his partner Niels Kristian Iversen won the re-run for a 3-3. Rain was now falling by this time but that didn’t stop Sayfutdinov and Thompson banging in another 5-1 in heat six. The rain got heavier in heat seven but once again it was the Witches coping better with conditions as Doyle and Keynan Rew added another five points to the score chart. Lynn hit back with a maximum of their own in heat eight making it 30-18 overall.

Wojdylo hit the deck again in heat nine and was excluded and in the re-run Ellis and Nicholls made the Stars pay as they eased to a 5-1. Michael Palm Toft held off Sayfutdinov for the victory in heat 10 as the away side scored a 2-4 before the action was stopped for track work. Sadly, it proved to be the last race of the afternoon as the rain got heavier during the remedial work with the result declared as a 37-23 victory to Ipswich.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“From a racing perspective it was another good performance and a comfortable win, but it was a bit overshadowed by the weather and not getting the full meeting in. We had a second half planned as well and a big day of racing, so it was a big disappointment for the big crowd we had in. Bank Holiday meetings are a special day and enjoyable and it is a shame the weather has spoiled that.

“It started raining during the meeting and the boys were struggling, we saw a couple of crashes, but we pushed on to heat 10 and I didn’t hear any of the 14 riders that wanted to carry on. It was really greasy and tricky for them, so we decided to stop the meeting for a little bit and do some work on the track but unfortunately the rain started to come down even heavier and the decision was made then to call it off.

“Team wise, I was very happy with the side, we were very good. We are top of the table and are doing really well, no complaints with that at all, just disappointed with the weather!”

RN EUSTON & CHEDGRAVE OXYGEN THERAPY CENTRE RIDERS OF THE DAY

RN Euston chose guest Nicholls who scored 6+2 from three rides.

Chedgrave Oxygen Therapy Centre picked Doyle who got two wins from his two rides.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich stay top of the table adding another two points to their total whilst the Norfolk side stay rooted to the bottom of the pile.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield on Monday 13th May to face the Tigers in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: KING’S LYNN – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (H)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture with King’s Lynn.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 6th May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 2.15pm.

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.

Chedgrave Oxygen Therapy Centre – They offer 1-hour dives in their Oxygen Chamber to help aid relief and recovery for many medical conditions, from Multiple Sclerosis to long Covid.

TEAMS

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.65 2. Dan Thompson 4.46 (RS) 3. Adam Ellis 5.74 4. Scott Nicholls 7.50 (G) 5. Jason Doyle 9.18 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.00 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.83. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

KING’S LYNN: 1. R/R for Tobiasz Musielak 8.33 2. Niels Kristian Iversen 6.43 3. Michael Palm Toft 4.79 4. Benjamin Basso 6.68 5. Nicolai Klindt 6.48 © 6. Patryk Wojdylo 4.63 7. Anders Rowe (RS). Team Manager: Rob Lyon

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich611
Sheffield59
Leicester79
Oxford79
Belle Vue68
Birmingham83
King’s Lynn52

TICKETS

Tickets are available to buy online (until 12pm 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 1pm.

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host local rivals the King’s Lynn Stars on Monday afternoon at Foxhall in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The Witches were in action last Thursday at Leicester where they produced another magnificent performance on the road to win 47-43 and move top of the table.

Scott Nicholls guests in place of injured captain Danny King at number four, who has had an operation on a broken hand and hopes to be back on a bike in four weeks if recovery goes well. Rising Star Dan Thompson has moved to number two whilst Adam Ellis is now at number three with stand-in captain Jason Doyle moving back to his familiar number five role.

The bank holiday fixture is always one highlighted on the calendar and there promises to be a big crowd in attendance at Foxhall for the East Anglian derby as the Suffolk side look to continue their 100% home record and strengthen their position at the top of the table.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We are all massively excited to be racing again on Monday, the bank holiday fixture always draws a big crowd, and it is a local derby. We are looking to carry on our superb start to the season and we know how important a local derby is to everyone at the club. We need to get the two points and certainly can’t afford to drop points to King’s Lynn at home.

“I’m delighted that Scott can come in, if Danny is out, he is right up there as one of the top guests, he is absolutely flying this year. It’s Scott Nicholls, what more can you say!

“From my days racing at Ipswich, bank holiday fixtures can make us vulnerable in the past, but I think we put that right last year and I would expect this team we have got to cope with the different challenges of a slightly different track which changes during the meeting. It can be a bit of a leveller at Ipswich the day meetings but with our team it shouldn’t be the case this year.”

THE STARS

King’s Lynn have had a pretty unenjoyable experience in the top-flight in recent years, finishing bottom of the table last year and they have not made the play-offs since 2018. There was a fresh sense of optimism over the winter that 2024 would be a new start for the club but the season has not started as they would have hoped, and the Stars sit at the bottom of the early table although they did pick up their first win of the campaign last time out at home to Birmingham.

The club’s major signing was Tobiasz Musielak who was part of Sheffield’s title winning side in 2023 and he is the new club captain at number one. However, he sustained an injury in the last meeting and rider replacement will be in operation at number one. The Norfolk outfit also brought across Niels Kristian Iversen, Benjamin Basso and Vadim Tarasenko from Peterborough although Tarasenko has already been replaced by Nicolai Klindt.

YOUTH PROGRAMME

Following the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture there will be six heats of Youth Programme racing with the likes of Hayden Watts, Jamie Etherington, Jody Scott, Harrison Rogers, Austin Riches and Lewis Clarke in action.

RACEDAY REPORT: LEICESTER 43–47 IPSWICH – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (A)

Image courtesy of Phil McGlynn

By Henry Chard

THE SCORES

LEICESTER 43: Max Fricke © 15+2, Richard Lawson 10+1, Sam Masters 2, Luke Becker 6, Ryan Douglas 9, Drew Kemp 1, Joe Thompson (RS) 0. Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH 47: Emil Sayfutdinov 7, Danny King R/R, Jason Doyle © 15+1, Dan Thompson (RS) 4+2, Adam Ellis 7+1, Keynan Rew 11+2, Jordan Jenkins 3+2. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Griffin

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich611
Sheffield59
Leicester79
Oxford79
Belle Vue68
Birmingham83
King’s Lynn52

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches moved to the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership table with another excellent away win at Leicester on Thursday night.

The Suffolk side were without captain Danny King due to injury with rider replacement in operation at number two. Despite an opening heat maximum to the hosts, Ipswich controlled the contest after that and held off a late fightback by the Lions to secure the two points. Jason Doyle top scored with 15+1.

Emil Sayfutdinov fell in heat one at the end of the opening lap and was excluded with the Lions hitting a 5-1 in the re-run to open proceedings. The Witches responded immediately in heat two as Keynan Rew and Jordan Jenkins raced to a maximum. Doyle coasted to victory in heat three as Dan Thompson passed Sam Masters and held him off excellently for back-to-back maximums. Adam Ellis flew from the gate to take victory in heat four and with Rew tucked nicely into third it was a 2-4 to the away side, giving them a 9-15 lead.

Doyle was a clear winner again in heat five as Ipswich recorded another 2-4 with Luke Becker holding off Sayfutdinov. Leicester stemmed the tide in heat six as Richard Lawson and Max Fricke registered a 5-1 as they did in heat one. The points were shared in heat seven and in heat eight Lawson and Rew exchanged moves on the opening lap before the Lions man took control as the race finished in a 3-3, meaning the Witches were 22-26 ahead.

Becker managed to hold off Ellis to take the chequered flag in heat nine, but it ended in a 3-3 as Rew raced smartly to round Masters late on in the race for third. Doyle produced a magnificent opening lap to win a shared heat 10 and there was another 3-3 in heat 11. Doyle racked up another three points in heat 12 and once again Rew lined up Masters and passed his compatriot for second as the visitors hit a maximum to make it 32-40 with three to race.

Fricke won heat 13 as Sayfutdinov forced his way past Ryan Douglas to split the home pairing. Fricke was back out in heat 14 as a tactical substitute and he won but despite his best efforts to slow the race down from the front, Becker was unable to get past Rew for second.  Fricke won heat 15 but with Sayfutdinov and Doyle both amongst the points it confirmed another impressive win on the road for Ipswich.

REACTION FROM THE BOSS

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

“A brilliant performance and I am absolutely delighted with the whole camp; it was a proper team effort. All the mechanics played a vital role tonight, all helping each other with covering R/R, it was a proper team effort, and it was everything I want to see in an Ipswich side.

“Doyley has been terrific all season and he was again tonight. Keynan was superb, he was the main factor in us winning the meeting. We know he has the potential and he showed it tonight and it looks like British racing is starting to click for him now. We can’t get too carried away; he needs to carry it on this month at reserve but I’m happy to see the progress he is showing.

“Overall, the riding order worked well bar heat one, I guess. As a whole team we managed the meeting really well. We got ourselves up early on and commanded the meeting and if everyone in the team is contributing and you get an early lead, it is so hard to pull it back. We got our noses in front and kept ahead for the whole meeting and that was down to us being solid.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Image courtesy of Phil McGlynn

Doyle was his immaculate self, but it was Rew who caught the eye with 11+2 from reserve with some fabulous passes too.

WHAT IT MEANS

Ipswich pick up two points and move to the top of the table whilst Leicester drop to third after a second home league defeat of the season.

UP NEXT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the King’s Lynn Stars at Foxhall Stadium on Monday 6th May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.

RACEDAY PREVIEW: LEICESTER – ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1 (A)

By Henry Chard

All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture with Leicester.

WHEN & WHERE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Leicester to face the Lions at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena on Thursday 2nd May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture that starts at 7.30pm.

TEAMS

LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke 8.51 © 2. Richard Lawson 6.56 3. Sam Masters 6.91 4. Luke Becker 6.45 5. Ryan Douglas 7.31 6. Drew Kemp 4.54 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson

IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 9.65 2. R/R for Danny King 7.50 3. Jason Doyle 9.18 © 4. Dan Thompson 4.46 (RS) 5. Adam Ellis 5.74 6. Keynan Rew 4.00 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.83. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

REFEREE: P. Griffin

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

TeamMeetingsPoints
Leicester69
Ipswich59
Oxford69
Belle Vue68
Sheffield46
Birmingham73
King’s Lynn40

TICKETS

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

THE STORY

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches return to action on Thursday night with a trip to Leicester in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

A Witches team missing Danny King and Jason Doyle went down to a heavy defeat at Belle Vue last time out, their first loss of the season. The Suffolk side will have to do without their captain for a period of time after he fractured his hand in two places during a crash last week. King is seeing a specialist this week to determine the recovery process. Rider replacement will be in operation at number two on Thursday.

It’s a much-changed riding order for Ipswich with Rising Star Dan Thompson moving up into the main body of the team following his fine start to the campaign and he rides at number four. Jason Doyle is captain in King’s absence and will partner Thompson, riding at number three. That means Adam Ellis is now at number five and Jordan Jenkins drops back to reserve at number seven.

The Witches have of course already tasted victory at Leicester in 2024 with a 48-42 win in the Knockout Cup and a repeat result would be the perfect way to bounce back from the disappointing showing in Manchester.

FROM THE BOSS

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

“We head to Leicester missing our skipper which is a big blow. We have started the season well, so we don’t want to be losing any riders and we await further news on recovery time with him and we hope it is not long-term.

“There is a slight change in the riding order to compensate for using R/R and also Dan has moved up into the team now. That is great reward for him and shows the progress he has been making and if he carries on the way he is riding it won’t be too big a job for him.

“Our recent history at Leicester is really good and it is a place we have enjoyed going to over the last few years. All the boys go there with confidence knowing they can have good meetings around there. Danny normally goes well at Leicester, and we are missing him, but R/R shouldn’t be a disaster looking at the capabilities of the riders that can take those rides.

THE LIONS

Leicester currently sit top of the table having won their last three meetings. However, the Lions have shown they are beatable on home shale with the Witches and Sheffield having raced to wins already in 2024 at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena. The hosts will hope they are more dialled in on their home track now as they look to make it a tough place to go to for visiting teams over the course of the season.

It’s the same line-up for Leicester as when the Witches visited on April 1. Sam Masters hit a paid five-ride maximum in their home victory against Birmingham whilst Max Fricke has proven he can be unbeatable on his day, hitting a full 15-point maximum in their big win over Belle Vue at home.

AWAY DAYS

An adult ticket costs £22, concessions £20, children (6-17) £1 and children aged 5 and under go free. There will be 235 free car park spaces available at the stadium with further free car parking facilities on the Beaumont Shopping Complex (maximum time of 4 hours). Three Coach/Mini Bus spaces, 15 Disabled spaces available, 15 Motorcycle spaces, Taxi drop-off point. For travel information head here.

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