BELLE VUE ACES v IPSWICH WITCHES – SGB PREMIERSHIP @National Speedway Stadium, Belle Vue
Belle Vue will look to rebound against Ipswich on Monday night after a mixed road performances, where the Aces took six points from three away games and feeling aggrieved at not picking wins in all three. Despite beating title contenders Peterborough for the second time this season, the Manchester side also found themselves six points up at King’s Lynn before losing 46-44 to the bottom-of-the-table Stars, and then suffered another late collapse where they lost out 48-42 to Wolverhampton last Monday.
While the side has picked up points in every meeting except their last home meeting against Wolves, certain misfiring riders in the line up have cost them in the process, and the side will need to be on their game for the possible final visit of the Witches to Belle Vue on Monday night, as the Suffolk side looks to pick up points to boost their playoffs hopes with less than half the season remaining.
Ipswich trail the Aces in the Premiership standings by seven points, despite having ridden two more meetings, so a win would boost their chances of finishing in the top four and keep Sheffield in fifth at bay. The Witches defeated Belle Vue a couple of weeks ago at Foxhall 48-42 with Sam Master proving to be a thorn in the Aces side once more, though up north, they suffered a 55-35 defeat where a patched up Witches side had Jake Allen leading the way with 11 points and reserve Drew Kemp 9+1 on a night to forget. The Suffolk side had a happy July with three wins out of four, including a couple of wins home and away against locals rivals King’s Lynn, with a late show against Belle Vue, while the only blemish on the month was a 52-38 loss away at Wolves. Monday’s clash also gives three Witches riders some practice for the upcoming British Final on August 16th at the NSS, in former champions Danny King, Craig Cook and youngster Anders Rowe.
Belle Vue are in the strange position of having home feel like anything but home, which is strange to say given that they have struggled in three of their four meetings so far, but taken points in all but one. A draw with Peterborough and that loss last time out to Wolves after a close win over Sheffield and then a good win over Ipswich. The hosts’ gating has been their biggest issue at home so far, with track conditions also catching them off guard, which seems odd being the home side. The Aces will be without their popular reserve Jye Etheridge, as the Australian was hospitalised injured during a three-rider pile-up in the opening race of Berwick’s KO Cup match with Glasgow on Saturday night, as his Bandit’s teammate Dany Gappmaier also was forced to withdrawn from the meeting with the Tigers/Witches number one in former Ace Craig Cook being involved but avoided injury.
Unfortunately for Aces fans, club legend Jason Crump will be unable to ride in the meeting due to a rib injury that he aggravated during a tumble for Plymouth a few weeks ago, so the visitors will use Rider Replacement, which strengthens them. The home side’s line-up also sees changes, with Dan Bewley taking over as the new number one, while Brady Kurtz drops to number five.
BELLE VUE ACES:
- Dan Bewley 7.66
- Richie Worrall 5.32
- Steve Worrall (C) 5.58
- Charles Wright 6.21
- Brady Kurtz 7.46
- Tom Brennan 4 (RS)
- TBC
IPSWICH WITCHES:
- Jason Crump R/R 8.00
- Anders Rowe 5.38
- Craig Cook 7.56
- Danny King (C) 7.10
- Jake Allen 5.15
- Drew Kemp (RS)
- Paul Stark 4.82
A Track With A VUE 