SCORECARD
BIRMINGHAM 43: Tobiasz Musielak © 5, Jonas Jeppesen 8, Michael Jepsen Jensen 9, Keynan Rew 9+1, Matej Zagar 7, Antti Vuolas 2+1, Jason Edwards (RS) 3+1. Team Manager: Chris Adams
IPSWICH 47: Jason Doyle 6, Danny King © 6, Adam Ellis 4+2, Tom Brennan 5+1, Emil Sayfutdinov 3+1, Dan Thompson 15, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 8. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
REFEREE: S. Perkin
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Belle Vue | 2 | 5 |
| Ipswich | 2 | 4 |
| Sheffield | 1 | 2 |
| Leicester | 0 | 0 |
| Oxford | 1 | 0 |
| King’s Lynn | 2 | 0 |
| Birmingham | 2 | 0 |
THE REPORT
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches made it two wins from two away fixtures after they beat Birmingham on Monday night in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Both teams were at full strength for the meeting and the visitors arrived at Perry Barr yet to taste defeat after three wins from three in all competitions. In contrast, the hosts were yet to record a victory in 2025. After a tight opening to proceedings the away side managed to open up an eight-point lead after eight heats of action and looked to be on course for a comfortable win. However, the Brummies battled back to level things going into the final three races. Two heat advantages to Ipswich secured the two league points with a race to spare as the Witches maintained their perfect record. Dan Thompson top scored with 15 from reserve.
Birmingham went ahead in heat one with a 4-2 as Jason Doyle was squeezed out in the first turn leaving him adrift at the back. The visitors levelled the score immediately in heat two as Thompson won and Jordan Jenkins got the better of Antti Vuolas for a point. Former Witch Keynan Rew and new Witch Tom Brennan enjoyed a good battle at the front in heat three, but it was the home rider who prevailed in a 3-3. Jenkins was an impressive winner in heat four in another shared heat, leaving it 12-12 overall.
Doyle held off a strong charge from Michael Jepsen Jensen to win heat five on the line but with Rew passing Danny King for third it was a 3-3. Ipswich went ahead in heat six as Thompson won and Emil Sayfutdinov charged past the Brummies pair to join him at the front for a maximum. Adam Ellis was excluded from heat seven after he touched the tapes, but his replacement Jenkins picked up another three points in the re-run and Brennan worked hard to claim third for a 2-4. The Witches extended their lead in heat eight as King took victory with Jenkins third for a heat advantage to give the Suffolk side a 20-28 lead.
The home team raced to a 4-2 in heat nine as Sayfutdinov retired at the back. Brennan led heat 10 but hit the deck on the third turn after coming under pressure from Jonas Jeppesen and the away rider was excluded by the referee. In the re-run, Birmingham claimed another 4-2 to narrow Ipswich’s lead to just four points. It looked set to be another 4-2 to the hosts in heat 11 but as Doyle put pressure on leader Matej Zagar late on in the race, he clipped the Slovenian’s back wheel coming down the home straight of the third lap and did remarkably well to stay on the bike as he got out of shape. However, it allowed Vuolas through for a maximum meaning the scores were level. A 3-3 followed in heat 12 making it 36-36 with three races to go.
Ipswich edged ahead in heat 13 as Doyle picked up a win and Sayfutdinov was third for a 2-4. Victory was confirmed in heat 14 as Thompson and Brennan recorded a 1-5 with the race awarded after Vuolas fell late on. Birmingham pulled a couple of points back in heat 15 as Jepsen Jensen won but Thompson raced past Rew to split the home pairing meaning a battling 43-47 win to Ipswich.
RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s win at Birmingham…
“The reserves have won us the meeting which when you think of our top end is a delight for me to see. They were absolutely superb. It was another tough meeting, not quite as hard as Oxford with regards to track conditions but Birmingham really took it to us and our reserves got us over the line.
“Dan is flying, he is making brilliant starts and is so quick on track. He doesn’t look like a number six, he is riding like a heat leader at the moment, and it doesn’t look like he is pushing himself to be there, he looks comfortable. Jordan’s two wins were superb, to jump on and come in for Adam after he touched the tapes and win the race was critical at that stage of the meeting and gave us a bit of a lead. We certainly needed that lead as the meeting went on.
“Jason and Emil didn’t necessarily have the best gates, but they pulled it around in heat 13. Doyley was going well in his third ride before he clipped Zagar’s back wheel which hurt his score, so it was a tough night for them. You know what they are like though, they are going to come back on Thursday and be on top form.
“Four wins from four to start the season, three of them away from home and two of them in the league, we know how important they are. We go into the home meeting on Thursday looking for another great performance and then we travel to Leicester looking for another win.”
RIDER OF THE NIGHT
Thompson was once again voted for by fans online as the star man after he raced to a stunning 15 points from reserve.
WHAT IT MEANS
Ipswich put another two points on the board, making it two wins from two in league action. Birmingham are made to wait for their first points of 2025.
NEXT FIXTURE
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches host the Oxford Spires at Foxhall Stadium on Thursday 10th April in a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture. Tickets can be purchased on the gate and in advance here.
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway