SCORECARD

BELLE VUE 45: Brady Kurtz © 11, Norick Blödorn 4, Jaimon Lidsey R/R, Zach Cook 12+1, Dan Bewley 15+1, Tate Zischke 1, Jake Mulford (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Mark Lemon

IPSWICH 45: Jason Doyle 5+2, Danny King © 7+1, Adam Ellis 3, Tom Brennan 8, Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Dan Thompson 8+2, Jason Edwards (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins

SUPER HEAT: Bewley, Sayfutdinov, Doyle, Kurtz – 5-4 to Ipswich.

REFEREE: C. Gay

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Team	Meetings	Points
Ipswich	18	33
Belle Vue	19	32
Leicester	18	30
Sheffield	17	29
King’s Lynn	17	14
Oxford	18	11
Birmingham	19	6

THE REPORT

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches recorded their first ever league win at the National Speedway Stadium as they overcame Belle Vue in a Super Heat on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The two sides went into the clash both sat on 31 points at the top of the table and the Witches were at full strength for the fixture whilst the Aces were operating rider replacement for Jaimon Lidsey. Ipswich started the night in sublime form building a 14-point lead after six races, but Belle Vue fought back to draw the meeting and take it to a Super Heat which went the way of the visitors. Emil Sayfutdinov top scored with 11.

Danny King and Jason Doyle kicked off the evening with a maximum in heat one and another followed in heat two as Dan Thompson and Jason Edwards were untroubled at the front. Tom Brennan made an electric start to heat three and held off heavy pressure from Zach Cook to win as Adam Ellis passed Tate Zischke at the back for a point and a 4-2 to the visitors. Sayfutdinov and Edwards made the gate in heat four, but Dan Bewley managed to get past Edwards for second reducing the damage to a 4-2 to Ipswich which made it 18-6 to the Suffolk side.

Doyle and King made the start again in heat five, but Cook got between both of them coming out of the second turn to hit the front. Doyle set his sights on Cook and rounded the Aces rider down the back straight of the last lap but Cook managed to cut back and win the race by a wheel in a 3-3. Thompson produced a magnificent opening first and second turn to round the field and lead heat six and then did superbly to hold off current world number two Brady Kurtz to win as Sayfutdinov won the battle at the back for another heat advantage to Ipswich. Kurtz was back out in heat seven as a tactical substitute and he partnered Bewley for a 5-1. Another maximum to the hosts followed in heat eight leaving the away team 27-21 up.

Sayfutdinov was quickest from the start in heat nine and couldn’t be caught as the points were shared. The Aces registered a 4-2 in heat 10 and Bewley won a shared heat 11. Cook picked up three points in a heat 12 3-3 with Ipswich’s lead now just four points at 38-34.

Bewley won heat 13 by some distance as Kurtz and Sayfutdinov traded places for second throughout the race with the Witches rider coming out on top to limit the home team to a 4-2. Brennan looked like he was on the way to winning heat 14 but was passed on the run to the line by Cook which made it a 3-3. Bewley couldn’t be caught in heat 15 as the Aces raced to a 4-2 that took the tie to a Super Heat. Bewley was a clear winner again in the Super Heat, but Sayfutdinov and Doyle kept Kurtz at the back to ensure a 5-4 heat advantage that gave Ipswich a historic win in Manchester.

RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION

Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s win at Belle Vue…

“I think I will send my dad to manage more often! I’m really happy with the result but I felt everything about us was much improved and the buzz was back from the boys which has been lacking for a few weeks now. I thought that was by far our best performance since the injuries. We started the meeting on fire, and they pulled it back, but they were set up to do that with the R/R rides and the tactical substitute.

“We know they are extremely good team, and they have not been beaten in the league there all season and they have two of the top riders in the world. We knew they would come back at us, but we didn’t let our heads drop and stayed fully focused. To get the win is terrific and it gives us great confidence for the play-offs if we go there but more than anything I was glad to get the ball back rolling again.

“Jason and Emil have not had the season they have had in the previous couple of years, mainly due to overcoming injuries but they are world class speedway riders and are very capable and they got the job done. Doyley is such a great example to the team and to everyone in the sport and he ran two lasts, but he came back in fully focused to get it right in the Super Heat when we needed a second or a third and that is what we got.

“Dan has had a tough run since his injury on the whole and has had machinery problems, but he has worked hard and got his rewards. His ride to beat Kurtz was superb and will get his confidence back, knowing his equipment is quick enough and everything he has done is working.

“We had a team meeting before tonight on the rest of the season, and they put it all into practice tonight. What a brilliant way to get us back rolling in this really important month and get that momentum going into the play-offs. It showed that we are still there, Leicester are in great form and are flying and Sheffield are strengthening their side, so we need to be on top of our game and tonight was a great way to get back on track.”

RIDER OF THE NIGHT

Fans online voted for top scorer Sayfutdinov who scored 11 points and was fast all evening.

WHAT IT MEANS

Both teams pick up a point, but it is Ipswich who collect an extra point after winning the Super Heat, a result that ends Belle Vue’s unbeaten home record in the league.

NEXT FIXTURE

The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Oxford Spires at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 7^th August in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.