Ipswich Witches column: Witches in good spirits ahead of facing Sheffield Tigers after away-day KO Cup win at Leicester Lions
Ipswich Witches are back in action at Foxhall Stadium tomorrow night, when table-topping Sheffield Tigers are in town, the Suffolk side cock-a-hoop after another impressive away-day victory, on Monday night.
The Witches bounced back from a disappointing home defeat to Belle Vue last Thursday (more on that later), to defeat Leicester Lions 47-43 (agg 95-85) on their own track on Monday, and make progress into the KO Cup semi-final – where they will race Peterborough Panthers.
Ipswich’s Russian ace Emil Sayfutdinov, who had never seen the Leicester circuit before, duly romped to a four-ride 12-point maximum and smashed the track record into the bargain in his opening race. He was well supported as usual by No.1 Jason Doyle (12+2) and impressive skipper, Danny King, 11.
It was a big statement by the Witches, who have won two meetings on the road now this season.
But they have little time for reflection, turning their attentions to Sheffield Tigers at Foxhall Heath tomorrow night.
The Tigers have made a good start to the 2023 season with home and away wins over Belle Vue in the Premiership. They top the early Premiership table and it’s not hard to see why. They have some quality riders.
They will be led by Australian champion, Jack Holder, who pipped Witches No.1 Doyle in the final round of the Aussie Championships in January, Down Under. Both riders will want to get one over the other tomorrow night and their races should be thrilling – they are likely to meet three times.
Sheffield also include Adam Ellis, the talented Englishman, who rode for the Witches at the start of his career 10 years ago. Ellis always goes well at Foxhall and was a popular rider when he rode in the Witches colours.
Ipswich will hope German, Erik Riss, is back after a viral infection which has laid him low for a couple of weeks. The Suffolk side are certainly the weaker without him, despite their fine win at Leicester on Monday.
Another big crowd is expected at Foxhall, where the atmosphere so far this season has been terrific.
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However, big crowd or not, it was a disappointing result for the Witches last Thursday as they lost their opening home Premiership meeting of the season to Belle Vue.
Missing Riss, the Witches weren’t themselves, Doyle apart, on a track that was greasy, with light rain falling throughout the first half of the meeting.
Despite that, the Witches looked to have got themselves back into a clash they had been trailing in for much of the meeting after Ipswich reserve, Danyon Hume, joined Sayfutdinov in a 5-1 maximum over Grand Prix star, Dan Bewley.
That really had the crowd on their feet and was one of Hume’s best-ever races.
However, it wasn’t to be, and the Aces hit straight back and ran out eight-point victors at 49-41, Doyle top-scoring for Ipswich with 13+1.
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It looks as though any Ipswich Witches fans who travelled to Peterborough three weeks ago to see their side win their opening Premiership clash, also saw the last appearance of Nicki Pedersen in the UK’s top league.
The three-time world champion crashed out on the second turn of lap one that opening night, as the Witches ran out 48-42 winners. But the bigger shock came just last week as Pedersen said he was no longer riding for the Panthers, just one meeting in – this after his headline-breaking signing.
Claims had been made that Pedersen had been asked by his Polish club, Grudziadz, to step down from riding in England, to minimise injury. Something Pedersen refuted.
“Of course, I had a talk with them (Grudziadz),” Pedersen said. “They said ‘we don’t want you to make any more problems, you are our top rider, and we can’t afford to lose you’. But they never said I was not allowed to do this or that.
“I took the decision myself. I cannot afford to miss one or two meetings in the Polish Ekstraliga because that is mostly where I earn my money.”
A short, but brief re-appearance then by Pedersen in the UK – where of course his career kick-started, when he rode for Newcastle Diamonds back in 1998.
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And finally… Ipswich’s young Aussie newcomer, Keynan Rew, is proving a big hit with the Foxhall faithful. Even if he himself knows there is so much more to come.
The Australian U-21 champion, and teenage star, has found life tough at the start of his British Speedway career. But he’s getting there, and his talent is showing through.
At Peterborough on opening night, Rew passed Panthers’ top-scorer Ben Basso from the back to win heat 14 – his first heat win for the Witches.
And at Leicester on Monday night, after a big crash in heat 14 and a difficult night, he picked himself up and raced to victory in heat 15, alongside Doyle, to seal a 47-43 victory for the Witches in their KO Cup win.
“I’m trying to take so much in, so fast,” Rew said.
“I feel like I’m getting there week by week, hopefully I can get better, every single week learning something new, and I’ll get up to where I want to be.”
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Admission for fans on race night at Foxhall: Adults (17+) £22, concessions (65+) £20, children (16 and under) free, car parking is also free.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Thurs., April 20 SHEFFIELD (HOME) 7.30pm, Premiership
Thurs., May 1 KING’S LYNN (HOME) 2.30pm, Premiership
Thurs., May 4 King’s Lynn (Away), 7.30pm, Premiership
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PREMIERSHIP TABLE
(top 4 into play-offs)
Team P Pts
Sheffield 2 5
Belle Vue 4 4
Wolves 2 3
Leicester 1 2
Ipswich 2 2
King’s Lynn 2 2
Peterborough 3 0
