BRITISH SPEEDWAY MARCH 31, 2022
Date: Thursday March 31, 2022
(SPEEDWAY 1)
FORMER World Champion Jason Doyle makes his Ipswich debut in tonight’s (Thursday – UK time) League Cup clash with rivals King’s Lynn at Foxhall. Doyle is back in British Speedway for the first time since leading Swindon to the Premiership title in 2019, with Erik Riss and Troy Batchelor also new faces in a restructured Witches team.
The Stars have also undergone several winter changes, and are now led by Josh Pickering as captain with Niels-Kristian Iversen coming in at No.1 – whilst Richie Worrall and Jack Thomas form a new-look reserve pairing.
Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “We couldn’t have asked for a bigger meeting on opening night to be racing King’s Lynn, our local rivals and a team we are firmly focused on beating.
“Yes, it’s opening night and opening night nerves can come into play, but we are an experienced, professional team and that shouldn’t be happening. We want to make a good start to the season and a good start to the Cup competition.”
Stars manager Alex Brady said: “Obviously it would be nice to start the season with a win at Foxhall, but Ipswich have made changes and brought in Jason Doyle, who I admit we had talks with.
“It’s time for us to show what our new side can do. The pre-season has been good, we’re all getting on well together and hopefully that togetherness will help us achieve what we want to achieve.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
AUSTRALIAN duo Zach and Ben Cook both turned in impressive displays as Poole opened the season with a win in Bjarne Pedersen’s Farewell meeting.
The Pirates defeated a Peterborough septet 55-35 with Zach, who joined from Plymouth over the winter, unbeaten from his first four rides as he scored 10+2, whilst Ben added 8+1 with three unbeaten rides.
Skipper Danny King won three races for the home side to finish with 10 points, whilst former Pirates man Hans Andersen top-scored for the visitors with 10+1.
Pedersen said: “There would be no other place I would have wanted to say goodbye to British Speedway and my racing career than here at Poole.
“I rode ten seasons with them and have so many great memories, too many to single out any one in particular.
“But I wanted to be at Poole to say my farewells to the fans here as they have always been so supportive.”
(FIXTURES)
FRIDAY APRIL 1:
STUART ROBSON FAREWELL: Redcar 7.30
SATURDAY APRIL 2:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Birmingham 7pm, Leicester v Scunthorpe 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 3:
DAVE TATTUM MEMORIAL: Newcastle v Stoke Select 4pm
MATT JONES ANNOUNCED AS CORPORATE PARTNER FOR IKON INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY MASTERS