IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins has made a tactical switch before facing Oxford, live on BSN.
The Witches, top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership, take on the Spires at Foxhall Heath tonight.
With just six meetings left, Hawkins has one eye on the play-offs as he tweaks his riding order: Adam Ellis moving to two and Danny King lining up at number three.
There couldn’t be a bigger contrast in the fortunes of the sides, the Spires struggling from the off with neither Maciej Makowski or Rohan Tungate able to replicate their European form in Oxford colours while the loss of Riss to illness came at the time when the German was in a purple patch of points scoring.
Their only successes in 2025 are four victories over the one team below them in the standings, Birmingham.
The Spires have declared Victor Palovaara as a new signing to replace Craig Cook, but he misses out due to illness and the visitors call up Mitch McDiarmid from their Championship side to guest.
In addition, Oxford track Richard Lawson in place of long-term absentee Erik Riss, whilst Rohan Tungate has a shoulder injury and is covered by rider replacement.
Meanwhile Ipswich sit on top of the league after Monday’s first-ever league victory at the National Speedway Stadium, coming out on against Belle Vue following a Super Heat in Manchester.
Hawkins said: “We will go into the meeting similar to the last home meeting against Birmingham where we are expected to win and win comfortably. We know from the King’s Lynn cup tie that we cannot let standards slip.
“We put on a brilliant show at Belle Vue and want to keep this momentum going and enjoy our racing.”
As for the riding order switch?
“Danny hasn’t ridden much, if at all, with Tom Brennan this season so we want to see how that partnership goes,” he explained.
“I know Adam and Jason can ride very well together and won a league title together. It’s a great opportunity to change the riding order in case we have to do it again during the play-offs.”
IPSWICH: Jason Doyle, Adam Ellis, Danny King, Tom Brennan, Emil Sayfutdinov, Dan Thompson, Jason Edwards.
OXFORD: Charles Wright, Richard Lawson, Rohan Tungate R/R, Mitch McDiarmid, Maciej Janowski, Peter Kildemand, Luke Killeen.
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Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.