PREVIEW: Spires launch league campaign at BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium

BETGOODWIN Oxford Spires are involved in their opening league fixture in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership, when they host title favourites Ipswich Witches in a mouthwatering clash at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium on Thursday (April 3) at 7.30pm.

Spires lost home and away to King’s Lynn in the Premiership Knockout Cup last week – but their main target for the season is a place in the top four of the regular league standings which would secure a spot in the end-of-season play-offs.

Witches are very attractive visitors – led by 2017 World Champion Jason Doyle and Russian rocket Emil Sayfutdinov, who is arguably the best rider in the world.

With new Dane Peter Kildemand ruled out by the concussion protocols, Spires will use rider replacement in his place.

Team manager Peter Schroeck explains: “The options regarding guests were very limited, especially since we don’t get the five per cent home increase due to Peter still being on an assessed average. When I looked at it, Charles (Wright) can take a rider replacement ride, so can Erik (Riss), and of course, Francis (Gusts) can take up to seven riders across the night in total. Rider replacement is not always the best option, but on this occasion, we believe it is.

“Peter’s fall last week was just a racing accident. One moment there was a gap, the next there wasn’t. He suffered a trapped nerve, so he’s gone back to Denmark for some physio. He would have been ruled out this week in any case under the concussion protocols, but we’re hopeful that we will have him back next week.”

Ipswich recorded comfortable wins home and away over Belle Vue in the Knockout Cup last week.

Schroeck adds: “We start our ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixtures with what many would see as a tough meeting against Ipswich. Witches do look like the favourites this season – but we know how things can change so suddenly in speedway.

“We never go into a meeting thinking we’ve got no chance. Every meeting can be won, just as every meeting can be lost. All we can do is sort out the issues we had last week and perform to our best ability and see where it takes us. There were positives last week – such as Francis, who did a great job in both meetings.

“We will always go out and try and win every meeting. At the same time, I there’s a great atmosphere at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium and the track produces phenomenal racing. It’s bound to be a terrific meeting, as our boys look to get one over the likes of Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov. It’s not every day we can see riders like that in action, and I hope our fans turn up in numbers and get right behind our lads.”

Tickets are already on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Admission is available at the early bird price of £23 for all adults, which increases to £25 on Race Day. All under-16s go free. A reminder that Oxford Speedway is online ticket sales only – tickets remain on sale on the website until the start-time of the meeting. Spectators are also reminded that they will need to pay £2 if they are planning to park in the Unipart car park.

Teams:

BetGoodwin Oxford Spires: Rohan Tungate, Erik Riss, Charles Wright, Peter Kildemand R/R, Maciej Janowski (C), Francis Gusts, Luke Killeen (RS).

Ipswich Witches: Jason Doyle, Danny King (C), Adam Ellis, Tom Brennan, Emil Sayfutdinov, Dan Thompson, Jordan Jenkins (RS).

PHOTO: Maciej Janowski and Francis Gusts on a 5-1 last week (Image: Ian Wagstaff)