By Henry Chard
All the details ahead of our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture with Leicester.
WHEN & WHERE
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Leicester Lions at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 15th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership R2 fixture. Parade: 7.30pm, first race: 7:45pm.
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TEAMS
IPSWICH: 1. R/R for Jason Doyle 9.36 2. Adam Ellis 5.63 3. Scott Nicholls (G) 9.04 4. Dan Thompson 5.02 (RS) 5. Danny King 6.98 © 6. Keynan Rew 4.77 7. Jordan Jenkins 3.66. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
LEICESTER: 1. Max Fricke 8.74 © 2. Richard Lawson 6.62 3. Sam Masters 6.37 4. Luke Becker 5.78 5. Ryan Douglas 7.43 6. Drew Kemp (G) 4.68 7. Sam Hagon (RS). Team Manager: Stewart Dickson
REFEREE: G. Allen
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 19 | 34 |
| Sheffield | 19 | 32 |
| Belle Vue | 20 | 31 |
| Leicester | 19 | 29 |
| Oxford | 20 | 23 |
| King’s Lynn* | 17 | 11 |
| Birmingham | 20 | 6 |
TICKETS
Tickets are available to buy online (until 7pm on raceday) and on the gate and are priced at £23 for adults and £21 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 STORY
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches begin a crucial seven days of ROWE Motor Oil Premiership action on Thursday night at Foxhall as they take on the Leicester Lions.
The Suffolk side host three meetings on home shale in a short period of time as they look to go a long way to securing top spot ahead of the play-offs. It will take some effort against the Lions on Thursday with the hosts missing their top two riders. Rider replacement is in operation at number one for Jason Doyle who has been on the sidelines for the majority of the campaign. There was a further blow last Thursday during the narrow 46-44 defeat at Sheffield as Emil Sayfutdinov took a heavy fall on the final bend, suffering a deep laceration to his buttock. Scott Nicholls guests at number three in his absence.
The main priority for Ipswich is to pick up the two points against an in-form Leicester side and it would take a huge effort to collect the aggregate bonus point too after the Lions won 53-37 at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena last month.
FROM THE BOSS
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins gives us his pre-match thoughts…
“Emil is in good spirits and is doing well considering. He is still in hospital in Sheffield as we speak on Monday. Hopefully he will get operated on and home to Poland in the next couple of days.
“We welcome Leicester who are in great form, and it could not be a tougher ask being without the top two riders in the league. We bring in Scotty again and he has been tremendous around Foxhall this year and I am delighted we can call upon him. All of our remaining team members are in good form and are doing well at Foxhall and we still should be a strong team at home. We go into the meeting needing everyone to perform but we have done that all season and we will do that on Thursday as we fight for another victory.
“Leicester are a team I have said all year are good on paper but have underperformed for most of the season. They have hit form at the right time and have made a great run into the play-off spots and look like they are racing to their potential now which is promising for them and worrying for the rest. They have riders very capable around Foxhall and this is going to be our toughest test of the season so far and another challenge to rise to.
“Three meetings over the next week at home is a vital period for us as a club as we want to finish top of the league, but it is backs against the wall. I really hope everyone comes to support the boys because they have provided a lot of entertainment this year and a lot of highlights. The support has been amazing, it is tough for everybody at the moment, but we will get through it together. The support is needed now more than ever to keep the boys’ heads up and keep them fighting. As a club we have got to all do that, from myself, to the riders, to the staff and our amazing, loyal fanbase.”
THE LIONS
Leicester are hitting form at the right time having underwhelmed for the first half of the campaign. The Lions have climbed into fourth, the final spot for the play-offs after winning six of their last seven fixtures. In their last three away meetings they have taken Sheffield to a super heat, beaten King’s Lynn and won at Birmingham, and should they pick up more points on the road at Foxhall, they will edge closer to confirming their play-off place.
The visitors have Drew Kemp guesting in place of Craig Cook at reserve.
Digital Media Manager at Ipswich Speedway