RACEDAY GUIDE | BIRMINGHAM (H)

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

MEETING SPONSOR

Scott Properties – Scott Properties is a self-funded 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.

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. Matej Zagar 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

TeamMeetingsPoints
Ipswich49
Belle Vue47
Sheffield24
Leicester32
King’s Lynn42
Birmingham20
Oxford30

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 6.40pm.

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 three 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.

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

Image courtesy of Dave Kindred

Following the fixture there will be a three-heat second half sponsored by Tru7 Group, remembering Billy Sanders 40 years on. The 23rd 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.