British star Edward Kennett makes his return to racing with the Ipswich Tru7 Group Witches, but his arrival comes too late for the club’s clash with Northampton at Foxhall on Thursday.
Kennett steps in for reserve star Philip Hellstrom-Bangs on a 28-day contract as the Swede faces a spell on the sidelines due to illness – a cruel blow after he completed his suspension from Swedish governing body SVEMO on May 15.
The Witches have been forced to draft in a guest for the Foxes clash. Former Witches regular Jordan Jenkins steps in at No.6, with Kennett set to debut at home to Sheffield on June 4. But the new recruit is set to take some laps after the Northampton meeting as he warms up for the Tigers clash.
Kennett’s last spell with a UK club came in 2022, when he briefly raced for Plymouth, and he last appeared in the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership in Witches colours in 2019. But he has been racing in grasstrack meetings and amateur events at the Iwade track near Sittingbourne.
Ipswich team manager Paul Hurry is backing the 39-year-old to take his chance to shine on the tight and technical Foxhall track after British Speedway Promoters Ltd reassessed his average to 4.00 for the top flight.
Hurry said: “Edward has been riding in the NORA meetings, and he has been riding grasstrack and doing quite well. Where he lives, he has his own little track, so he has been quite active on a bike.
“The results he has been getting at Iwade have been quite good. I have watched him on the grass for the last three or four years, and he has been a frontrunner. But now he wants something to focus on and to get back into speedway.
“If Philip is available after the 28 days, we can slot him back in. If Edward comes in and starts scoring points, we’ll have to reassess things. I am hoping he does score. Edward has been a really good rider in the past.”
Hurry believes seeing his local promotion Eastbourne, then fronted by Ian Jordan, fold halfway through the 2021 season impacted on Kennett’s enthusiasm for the sport.
He said: “I think he had a few problems when Eastbourne went belly-up. That was his home for many years, and I think he got his fingers burned there, being owed money, not enjoying it and seeing the club go down the pan. That knocked him for six. Maybe he lost his way a bit.
“Now he has refocused himself and, hopefully, he can start picking up the pieces where he left off.
“I think he’s going to need a meeting or two to find his feet and get back in the groove of things. But when you look back at his history, he has all the credentials there to be another top British rider – as long as he focuses, keeps himself in shape and makes a few starts. He has promised me that he is going to look after his equipment and give it a good shot.”
Advance tickets for Thursday’s Northampton showdown are available online HERE, with cash and card payments accepted at the turnstiles.
Racing can also be streamed live via WitchesTV HERE.
STARTING LINE-UPS
IPSWICH TRU7 GROUP WITCHES: 1. Tom Brennan, 2. Danny King (captain), 3. Richard Lawson, 4. Scott Nicholls, 5. Tobiasz Musielak, 6. Jordan Jenkins (guest), 7. Jason Edwards.
NORTHAMPTON FOXES: 1. Jaimon Lidsey, 2. Troy Batchelor, 3. Jonas Jeppesen, 4. Niels Kristian Iversen, 5. Nicolai Klindt, 6. Kye Thomson, 7. Luke Harrison.