Witches Move Up After Good Home Win

The Ipswich Witches lifted themselves off the bottom of the Elite League table last night after beating the Belle Vue Aces by nine points at Foxhall.

Earlier the Ipswich Speedway management team had lodged a protest with the meeting referee regarding Belle Vue's use of Rory Schlein as a guest for Peter Karlsson, who was riding for his Polish Club Czestochowa. However he was unable to overturn the ruling that had permitted this facility to be used as it had been permitted by the BSPA management committee.

This spurred on the Witches riders to capture all three league points on offer. Scott & Olly started with an easy 5-1 over GP star, Hans Andersen, in heat one and we had built up a ten point lead after seven heats. Belle Vue's first attempt to use a tactical ride in heat eight came to nothing as James Wright trailed in last with the Witches scoring a 4-2. Rory Schlein then donned the B/W in heat nine and scored the full six points but his team mate came in last so only three points were pulled back. Heat ten saw Scott & Olly combine for their second 5-1 of the night and when Scott & Robert went either side of Hans Andersen on lap one of heat 13 to take maiximum points they sealed the win for the Witches. Ales Dryml's bike died when pulling away from the tapes in heat 14 but the resultant 5-1 to the Aces still confimed that all three league points were going to the home team with a heat to spare.

Dawid Stachyra was awarded 'Man of the Meeting' by meeting sponsors "Steve Smith Electrical". In his interview with Stephen Foster he said he had been using a new engine that Chris Louis had built for him and that it was the best one he had ridden all season.

We also had another ex-Witch from down under visting last night. Ray Harrison, who first rode for the Witches in 1956, was introduced to the riders by John Louis and then later interviewed by Stephen Foster.

Photos from the meeting can be found here

Meeting scorecard

Ipswich Witches: 51											Belle Vue Aces: 42
1. S Nicholls	3	2	3	3	0	-	-	11	0		1. H Andersen	1	2	3	1	2'	-	-	9	1
2. O Allen	2'	1'	1	2'	-	-	-	6	3		2. J Wright	0	1'	0	0	-	-	-	1	1
3. D King	3	3	2	3	1	-	-	12	0		3. P Hougaard	1	0	1	2	3	-	-	7	0
4. A Dryml	2'	0	1'	EF	-	-	-	3	2		4. R/R	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5. R Miskowiak	F	3	1'	2'	-	-	-	6	2		5. R Schlein	3	3	6	0	3	-	-	15	0
6. D Stachyra	3	2'	2	1	-	-	-	8	1		6. R Sweetman	1'	0	0	0	-	-	-	1	1
7. R Hawkins	0	2	3	0	-	-	-	5	0		7. L Lanham	2	1	1	2	0	1'	2	9	2
Team manager: Pete Simmons											Team manager: Chris Morton

Heat Results

Heat 01: Nicholls, Allen, Andersen, Wright 5-1 59.0
Heat 02: Stachyra, Lanham, Sweetman, Hawkins 3-3 8-4 59.9
Heat 03: King, Dryml, Hougaard, Sweetman 5-1 13-5 59.8
Heat 04: Schlein, Hawkins, Lanham, Miskowiak(EX) 2-4 15-9 60.0
Comments: Race stopped after Robert clattered into fence at start of back straight and dislodged a panel - disqualified as cause of stoppage.
Heat 05: King, Andersen, Wright, Dryml 3-3 18-12 59.9
Heat 06: Schlein, Nicholls, Allen, Sweetman 3-3 21-15 58.8
Heat 07: Miskowiak, Stachyra, Lanham, Hougaard 5-1 26-16 60.0
Heat 08: Hawkins, Lanham, Allen, WRIGHT 4-2 30-18 60.2
Comments: Wright on a tactical ride.
Heat 09: SCHLEIN, King, Dryml, Sweetman 3-6 33-24 59.2
Comments: Schlein taking a tactical ride.
Heat 10: Nicholls, Allen, Hougaard, Lanham 5-1 38-25 59.6
Heat 11: Andersen, Stachyra, Miskowiak, Wright 3-3 41-28 60.1
Heat 12: King, Hougaard, Lanham, Hawkins 3-3 44-31 59.8
Heat 13: Nicholls, Miskowiak, Andersen, Schlein 5-1 49-32 59.
Heat 14: Hougaard, Lanham, Stachyra, Dryml(EF) 1-5 50-37 60.8
Comments: Ales' bike went bang as the tapes rose..
Heat 15: Schlein, Andersen, King, Nicholls 1-5 51-42 60.4
Comments: Scott hit tapes and disqualified - goes off 15 metres in re-run.

Heat details courtesy of speedwayupdates.co.uk

25, Jun, 2010