The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 4th September in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.
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LINE-UPS
IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 8.34 2. Danny King © 6.95 3. Jason Doyle 7.76 4. Dan Thompson 6.06 5. Tom Brennan 7.28 6. Adam Ellis 6.02 7. Jason Edwards (RS). Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
SHEFFIELD: 1. Jack Holder 9.32 2. Leon Flint (RS) 6.57 3. Chris Holder 7.31 4. Nick Morris 6.13 5. Josh Pickering © 8.04 6. Anders Rowe 5.68 7. Jye Etheridge 3.34. Team Manager: Simon Stead
REFEREE: W. Dishington
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 22 | 43 |
| Leicester | 23 | 39 |
| Sheffield | 22 | 38 |
| Belle Vue | 24 | 37 |
| King’s Lynn | 24 | 30 |
| Oxford | 23 | 11 |
| Birmingham | 24 | 6 |
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 race their final home league fixture of the regular ROWE Motor Oil Premiership season when they take on Sheffield at Foxhall on Thursday.
The two sides were due to race at Owlerton last week, but the meeting was postponed after a heavy downpour pre-meeting. The re-arranged date on Wednesday 3rd September was also a wash out meaning attentions now turn to the clash at Foxhall between the two sides. The postponements mean that Ipswich are confirmed as finishing top of the table ahead of the play-offs and Ritchie Hawkins’ side will face Belle Vue in the play-off semi-final next week.
With the new averages, Dan Thompson moves into the main body of the side and Emil Sayfutdinov is at number one. Jason Doyle rides at number three and Adam Ellis is now at reserve.
The Suffolk side’s last fixture at home against the Tigers was a close one with the Witches running out 46-44 winners back in June.
MANAGER’S NOTES
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“We are confirmed as top for the play-offs, it is great for us to finish top, we haven’t done that for a long while. It gives us the second leg in the play-offs which everyone likes if we can progress and win it at home, if we can do that. That is a long way off, we know we have got two very tough meetings against Belle Vue next week who are the reigning champions. It will be great having Sheffield at home before that, a really strong, competitive fixture with our full team and a new riding order.
“Adam has dropped to reserve, and it will have been a long, long time since he has ridden there. His average has increased this year, so he been a bit more consistent than he was last year, but Dan has pushed above him. You would expect Adam to be an extremely strong reserve and won’t be starting next season at reserve. It is a good chance for him to make the most of it and get some good scores in. In reality being at number six is not much different to two and four. I know when I was riding, I would prefer to ride at two than six anyway, six is a real tricky number but I’m sure he will revel in it, he has been flying of late.
“We want to go into the play-offs high on confidence after a good performance. We are in a good run of form after some positive results, and we want to carry that on before the big end of season meetings. It is as tough a task as you could ask for, one of our closest rivals who we have had many close battles with over the last few years so it should be a good test for the boys.”
SHEFFIELD TIGERS
Sheffield held ambitions to overhaul the Witches and finish top of the table but the two postponements over the last week mean they won’t be able to do so before the play-offs start. That means they will face Leicester in the play-off semi-final. The Tigers have won five times on the road this season and took Ipswich all the way to a last-heat decider on their last visit to Suffolk.
The hosts have made changes since last facing Ipswich with Nick Morris and Jye Etheridge replacing Lewis Kerr and Justin Sedgmen. Rising Star Leon Flint is now in the main body of the side with Anders Rowe now at reserve.
LAST TIME WE MET IN SUFFOLK
Ipswich last welcomed Sheffield to Foxhall in June, and the hosts booked Sam Masters and Connor Mountain to guest in place for the injured duo of Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson whilst the visitors were using rider replacement at number two for Anders Rowe. Neither side could pull away from each other all night meaning it went down to heat 15 with Ipswich coming out on top in the decider. With Sheffield having won by the same scoreline at Owlerton earlier in the season there was a super heat for the aggregate bonus point which Ipswich also collected in front of a delighted home crowd. Emil Sayfutdinov and Tom Brennan both top scored with 10 points.
SECOND HALF
A second half between Ipswich Academy and Mildenhall Fen Tigers will follow the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture.
Ipswich Academy: 1. Dylan Huthwaite 2. Jake Breeze 3. Austin Riches 4. Vinny Smith. Team Manager: John Carpenter
Mildenhall Fen Tigers: 1. Kenzie Cossey 2. Charlie Wood 3. William Boraston 4. Joe Brice. Team Manager: Kieran Phillips
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway