By Henry Chard
WHEN AND WHERE…
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches face the King’s Lynn Stars at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday 5th August in a Premiership fixture that starts at 7.30pm.
THE TEAMS…
KING’S LYNN: 1. R/R for Robert Lambert 8.04 © 2. Michael Palm Toft 5.98 3. Erik Riss 6.15 4. Thomas Jorgensen 5.56 5. Craig Cook 7.57 6. Lewis Kerr 5.10 7. Nicklas Porsing 3.00. Team Manager: Peter Schroeck
IPSWICH: 1.Chris Harris 6.83 2. Cameron Heeps 6.26 3. Danny King 6.42 © 4. Jake Allen 5.80 5. Richard Lawson 6.75 6. Edward Kennett 5.71 7. Krystian Pieszczek 5.36. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
REFEREE: C. Turnbull
VENUE: Adrian Flux Arena
PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Poole | 16 | 36 |
| Ipswich | 17 | 36 |
| Belle Vue | 18 | 32 |
| Swindon | 14 | 24 |
| Wolverhampton | 15 | 22 |
| King’s Lynn | 15 | 19 |
| Peterborough | 17 | 17 |
WHAT’S THE STORY?
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches head to Norfolk on Monday to face East Anglian rivals King’s Lynn in the Premiership. Ipswich were in action at Foxhall last Thursday against Belle Vue running out 48-42 winners to keep pace at the top of the Premiership table. Last time the Witches crossed the border they picked up two points after a 45-45 draw at the Adrian Flux Arena as Chris Harris raced to a paid maximum from five rides. The two old enemies have faced each other five times already in 2019 and going into the last clash of the year, it’s Ipswich who have performed better in the derby having won all three fixtures at home and drawn in Norfolk, with the Stars winning the battle just once so far.
As mentioned above Harris was the hero on our last visit there but Cameron Heeps also starred with a score of 17+1. Heeps now finds himself in the main body of the team but Edward Kennett and Krystian Pieszczek will be hoping to star from reserve on this occasion. Ritchie Hawkins sticks with the same riding order for this clash and will feel it is another opportunity to take more points on the road, having had a good result there already this season. One thing is for sure, it’s reached the business end of the season and that will only add to the already big occasion of an East Anglian derby.
FROM THE MANAGER…
‘Tru Plant’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins looks ahead to Monday’s clash…
“We were superb there last time and we need to go there and race with the same attitude and mentality as then. King’s Lynn will be desperate for the win as they still have a chance of making the play-offs, so they will be up for it. Hopefully we get plenty of travelling fans there again like we did last time and we put on a superb show for them. We need to do that again on Monday and give them something to cheer about.
“We are not worried about the play-off picture going into Monday, we are focused on beating our local rivals. We want to beat King’s Lynn and everyone will be well aware it’s all about beating King’s Lynn on Monday and nothing else.
“We have got riders who go well at King’s Lynn and enjoy grippy tracks. It will be grippy for us and we will relish that. We had a good result there not long ago and we hope to go there and get another one. “
THE STARS…
King’s Lynn find themselves at the bottom end of the table with work to do if they are to make the play-offs. They are currently five points off the top four with fourth-placed Swindon having a meeting in hand too. Their home record is reasonably strong with the Witches being the only side to have taken points off them in six meetings, but it is their away form that has let them down and they are yet to win on their travels. Home wins are a must at this stage, but they know they need some big results on the road if they are to make the top four.
The hosts will be without Robert Lambert due to injury. The Great Britain star crashed in the Speedway of Nations Finals and then had another spill in the SEC which forced him to miss the British Final last Monday and rider replacement will be used on this occasion at number one. Britain’s number three Craig Cook also provides some firepower at the top end. Erik Riss is back in the Stars side having recovered from injury and Nicklas Porsing is back at the club at reserve having been signed recently.
ON THE ROAD…
King’s Lynn ride in blue kevlars with white and gold trim and race at the Adrian Flux Arena. The track measures at 342 metres with the track record belonging to Nicki Pedersen who set a time of 57.60 in September of 2002. An adult ticket costs £18, concessions £16, young adults (aged 16-17) £5 and children under the age of 16 go free. Official programmes cost £3. Facilities include free floodlit parking, seated grandstand, covered standing grandstand, restaurant, fully stocked bar and function room, four licenced bar outlets, merchandise stands, toilets and a first aid room. For travel information head here.
For more information about the club head to King’s Lynn’s official website.
AROUND THE TRACKS…
Poole beat Peterborough 50-40 at Wimborne Road to stay top of the Premiership table whilst Ipswich were victorious at Foxhall, beating Belle Vue 48-42 to stay level on points with the Pirates at the top of the table.
Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway