Sunday, April 13, 2025
OXFORD SPEEDWAY
Oxford SpeedwaySpires

REPORT: Tough night for Spires at Ipswich

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BETGOODWIN Oxford Spires suffered a heavy defeat in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership at Ipswich’s Foxhall Heath stadium last night (Thursday), with the Witches winning by 65-25.

It was the heaviest defeat for an Oxford side since speedway returned to Cowley in 2022. But conversely, Spires became the highest-scoring away team at Foxhall Heath this season, since Ipswich battered reigning league champions Belle Vue by an even larger 67-23 scoreline in their previous home meeting.

Ipswich – very quick out of the start at Foxhall and solid from 1-to-7 – could score 60-plus on a regular basis around their home track this season.

Spires went into the evening missing two riders. Erik Riss – the 20-point hero in the home clash against Witches – was ruled out by a shoulder injury sustained at Workington over the weekend. It is hoped he will be fit for Spires at Belle Vue on Monday. Peter Kildemand is still ruled out with nerve damage to his back.

Even on such a difficult night, which saw Rohan Tungate blew an engine in Heat 11, there were a couple of plus-points for Spires.

Spires’ young Latvian Francis Gusts notched up a very notable victory over Russian Rocket Emil Sayfutdinov – one of the best riders in the world – in Heat 4.

Charles Wright was loudly booed by the Ipswich fans after a confrontation with Adam Ellis following Heat 12, which started on the back straight and continued returning to the pits. Ellis had given Wright a big elbow after some shenanigans at the starting tapes. Wright, again to a cacophony of boos, had the last laugh by jetting away and winning Heat 14.

All the Spires looked completely distraught in the pits following the meeting.

Team manager Peter Schroeck said: ”The boys were working their socks off in the pits, but it just wasn’t happening, while Rohan blew an engine up. Ipswich are a very good side, especially around their home track, but at the same time, it was a poor night from us.

“There were a couple of highlights. Young Francis did a good job, including lowering the colours of Emil Sayfutdinov, which takes some doing around here. Charles also had a good night.

“There was a lot of frustration on our side of the pits. Our riders were very angry with themselves. I’m deflated, because obviously I wanted us to run them closer and put on a good show, but it didn’t happen. We did miss Erik and Peter tonight, while rider replacement didn’t work, except when Charles won Heat 14.

“Spires are on a downer, but we’re not out. I got the boys together at the end and told them to keep on working. That’s the only thing you can do in tough times. You can’t blame this and that – you’ve just got to work through it until things turn around.”

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies take on their biggest rivals, the Poole Pirates in the BSN Series next Wednesday (April 16) at 7.30pm, with Cheetahs gunning for revenge after defeat to Pirates in both the play-off final and Knockout Cup final last October.

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

Ipswich Witches 65: Jason Doyle 9+3, Danny King 14+1, Adam Ellis 10, Tom Brennan 11+3, Emil Sayfutdinov 11, Dan Thompson 6+3, Jordan Jenkins 4.

BetGoodwin Oxford Spires 25: Rohan Tungate 3, Justin Sedgmen (guest) 1, Charles Wright 9, Peter Kildemand R/R, Maciej Janowski 4, Francis Gusts 6, Luke Killeen 2+1.

PHOTO: Francis Gusts, who defeated Emil Sayfutdinov in Heat 4 (pic: Steve Edmunds)