The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 22nd May in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R1 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.
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LINE-UPS
IPSWICH: 1. R/R for Jason Doyle 9.17 2. Danny King © 6.15 3. Adam Ellis 5.68 4. Tom Brennan 6.60 5. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.93 6. Danyon Hume (G) 4.66 7. Jordan Jenkins (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke © 8.91 2. Luke Becker 7.12 3. Ryan Douglas 6.92 4. Kyle Howarth 5.40 5. Sam Masters 7.33 6. Drew Kemp 3.86 7. Joe Thompson (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson
REFEREE: C. Turnbull
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 8 | 16 |
| Belle Vue | 8 | 15 |
| Sheffield | 7 | 14 |
| Leicester | 7 | 9 |
| Oxford | 9 | 5 |
| King’s Lynn | 8 | 4 |
| Birmingham | 7 | 0 |
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 return to Foxhall on Thursday as they take on the Leicester Lions in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Ipswich have been on the road over the last week, losing narrowly at Sheffield last Thursday before returning to winning ways at Birmingham on Monday night despite their injury troubles.
The home team remain without the injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson. Doyle is recovering from a dislocated hip after a crash in the Warsaw Grand Prix whilst Thompson is out with a broken scaphoid that he picked up in a crash at the British U21 Final. Rider replacement is in operation at number one whilst former Witch Danyon Hume guests at number six. Team manager Ritchie Hawkins has reverted back to the riding order that has been used for the majority of the season.
The Suffolk side will be looking to add an aggregate bonus point to their tally, having won 49-41 at Leicester earlier in the season but know it will need another team performance to cover the missing Doyle and Thompson against strong opposition.
MANAGER’S NOTES
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“Great to be back at home and it will be a really tough test against a solid team and with us missing Jason and Dan, they will fancy their chances. We covered their absences really well on Monday and are we are going to need another massive team effort on Thursday to keep our home run going. We have done very well at home and the boys are full of confidence.
“It is very difficult to bring anyone in for Jason who we feel can do a good job and with the form and ability the other boys have got everywhere at the moment, but even more so at home, we feel they are strong enough to cover Jason on Thursday.
“Danyon knows the club well and is very good at Ipswich and also rode against us here for Birmingham and we love getting him in the team if we can. He was unfortunate to lose his place with us a few seasons ago, but he loves being part of the team and we like to keep that continuity. We have a great relationship with Danyon at he is definitely the best option to go round Foxhall tonight.
“We want to have Jason and Dan back of course. After tonight we have a break and then the focus is on the Knockout Cup which is extremely important and then we have another week off. That should give the boys time to know when they will be back, so as time goes on, we will keep an eye on things and do whatever we can do for the best of the team.
“It is the toughest meeting we could have asked for at this time unfortunately. They go very well at Foxhall and will love coming here this year. They will feel it is the best opportunity to win here and will be coming to take the points, so we need to keep performing as a unit if we want to win.”
LEICESTER LIONS
Last year’s runners-up have started the season reasonably well and sit fourth in the division. The visitors have already got two wins on the road to their name at Birmingham and Oxford but have lost twice on their travels, narrowly at King’s Lynn and by 14 points at Belle Vue on Monday. With Ipswich missing two key riders, the Lions will sense this is an opportunity to pick up an away victory at a place they have had some success at in recent seasons.
Leicester have made a change since that defeat at home to Ipswich last month, with Dan Gilkes replacing Sam Hagon. However, Gilkes has since picked up an injury and has been replaced temporarily by Joe Thompson.
LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK
Ipswich last welcomed Leicester to Foxhall in September of 2024 for the first leg of the play-off semi-final. The Suffolk side entered the play-offs without the likes of Jason Doyle, Emil Sayfutdinov and Jordan Jenkins due to injury with Jan Kvěch, Tom Brennan and Ashton Boughen guesting for the missing home trio. Second-placed Leicester came into the play-offs without Ryan Douglas and Craig Cook with Lewi Kerr in for Cook and rider replacement in operation for Douglas.
Despite the injury issues and having gone eight without a win prior to the fixture it was Ipswich who started strongly as they raced to a 16-point lead after 10 races. The Lions clawed back eight points in the second half of the meeting and were relieved to leave Suffolk just eight points behind having been second best for the majority of the night. Kvěch top scored with 10+1.
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway