MEETING SPONSORS
Tru7 Group – Tru7 Group is a diversified supplier to the construction, demolition and agriculture industries. Their premium fleet has state-of-the-art safety technology, and they make sure you have the right vehicle or operator for the job, saving time, fuel and emissions. With service and sustainability core to their business, their fast-growing portfolio offers van, truck and plant rental and sales, demolition and remediation, earthworks, asbestos removal, concrete and aggregates.
RN Euston – RN Euston Limited has supplied steel framed buildings in East Anglia for over 40 years. Established by Ray Euston the business has grown steadily over the years and now Ray works in partnership with his son Mark. The company is based in Suffolk and work all over East Anglia where they have gained a reliable reputation.
SCORECARD
IPSWICH 53: Jason Doyle 12+2, Danny King © 7, Adam Ellis 5+1, Tom Brennan 6, Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1, Dan Thompson 9, Jordan Jenkins (RS) 2+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
KING’S LYNN 37: Chris Harris 3, Ben Cook R/R, Jan Kvěch 8+1, Richard Lawson 9, Niels Kristian Iversen 6+1, Nicolai Klindt © 11, Ashton Boughen (RS) 0. Team Manager: Rob Lyon
REFEREE: C. Gay
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP TABLE
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 6 | 14 |
| Belle Vue | 5 | 9 |
| Sheffield | 4 | 6 |
| Leicester | 5 | 6 |
| King’s Lynn | 6 | 4 |
| Oxford | 7 | 2 |
| Birmingham | 5 | 0 |
THE REPORT
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches came from behind to win the East Anglian derby against King’s Lynn at Foxhall on Monday afternoon in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
The home team went into the fixture at full strength and sitting top of the table with a 100% record whilst the Stars were looking for their first points on the road and were without the injured Ben Cook, with rider replacement in use at number two. Despite that, it was the visitors who would start brightly in the derby in front of a big bank holiday crowd, and they were threatening an upset as they held a six-point lead after seven races. However, that was as good as it got for the Norfolk outfit as Ipswich rattled off eight consecutive heat advantages to win comfortably in the end and preserve their unbeaten start to 2025. Jason Doyle top scored with 12+2.
Jan Kvěch won a shared heat one and another 3-3 followed in heat two as Nicolai Klindt took victory. The visitors provided another race winner in heat three as Kvěch picked up three points again and with Richard Lawson third they edged ahead. Klindt received a warning for moving at the start of heat four and in the re-run, Emil Sayfutdinov got the first Ipswich win of the day in a 3-3 which left the visitors 11-13 in front.
The visitors extended their lead in heat five as Klindt won again in a 2-4. Danny King hit the deck at the start of heat six with all four riders called back as the skipper was checked over by the medical team. In the re-run the home team pulled a couple of points back with Doyle taking the chequered flag after getting round Niels Kristian Iversen and King in third. The Stars recorded the first maximum of the day in heat seven to go six points ahead. King was first across the line in heat eight, but Klindt managed to split the Witches forcing Jordan Jenkins to settle for a point in an Ipswich 4-2 which made it 22-26 overall.
Tom Brennan got his first win of the afternoon in heat nine as the Suffolk side pulled another two points back with Iversen holding off Adam Ellis for second. It was level after heat 10 as Doyle won and Lawson edged out King on the run to the line for second. The run of 4-2s continued in heat 11 meaning the hosts went ahead for the first time in the meeting after Sayfutdinov raced past Chris Harris for the three points. Ritchie Hawkins made a reserve switch ahead of heat 12 with Dan Thompson coming in for Jenkins and he duly won the race with his partner Ellis following him home for a 5-1 that put Ipswich 39-33 ahead.
Another maximum followed in heat 13 courtesy of Sayfutdinov and Doyle as Rob Lyon brought in Kvěch as a tactical substitute in heat 14. The first staging of the race was stopped with Brennan falling and all four riders called back for a second attempt. Kvěch made no impact at the back as Thompson picked up another win in the re-run in another heat advantage to the hosts. The icing on the cake was a Doyle and Sayfutdinov maximum in the final race of the day as Ipswich celebrated a 13th consecutive win over their local rivals.
RITCHIE HAWKINS REACTION
Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches team manager Ritchie Hawkins reflects on Monday’s win over King’s Lynn…
“It was a really tough meeting for us, tougher than the scoreline suggests. We started the meeting slowly, not helped by losing the coin toss. It was one meeting where the coin toss was significant, but we weren’t good enough to start with. After the heat seven break we really turned it around and stepped up a gear or two and I was really happy with how convincing and good the boys looked in the second half of the meeting.
“Track conditions were tricky and different; it is hard not to have a slick track when the weather has been so hot for a daytime meeting. It played a part but isn’t an excuse, we weren’t good enough to start with, but it shows we have it in our locker to step up and look convincing in the second half.
“Jordan didn’t complain but you could see he is uncomfortable on the bike, but I am really pleased he showed such commitment to ride through the pain barrier today and contribute important points to the team, that really pleased me. Danny took a knock in his crash and when I saw him on the deck, part of me was worried he was done for the day which would have made our task even harder. He stepped up and contributed really vital points after that, so both of them showed true commitment which is what we are all about.
“It was great to see so many people here, we appreciate it, and it is what this team deserves for a bank holiday occasion. It’s a local derby and you should be getting good crowds, we needed everyone’s support today and the atmosphere was great once we kicked on. We have a break from team action until a really tough test at Sheffield in 10 days but before then we have four boys in the British Final and we look forward to that.”
TRU7 GROUP & RN EUSTON RIDERS OF THE DAY
Tru7 Group chose Doyle after he top scored with 12+2.
RN Euston went for Thompson who scored nine from reserve.
WHAT IT MEANS
Ipswich pick up another two points as they remain top of the table whilst King’s Lynn stay fifth as the search for their first points away from home goes on.
NEXT FIXTURE
The Ipswich ‘Tru7 Group’ Witches travel to Sheffield to take on the Tigers on Thursday 15th May in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership. Tickets can be purchased on the gate.
Press Officer at Ipswich Speedway