Ipswich Witches 2025

[RoundTheBoards]

1 hour ago, LagutaRacingFan said:

I have an important exam next week, so my time on the BSF has been restricted.

Remember, it's    Person.... woman.......man.....camera......TV

Edited November 1 by RoundTheBoards

[Col]

11 hours ago, 89buttons said:

How did belle vue fair against Ipswich in the playoff semis 2023 when we had our top 2 available? 👋👋 Even with an unfit riss and weak replacements at 7.

Doyle & Sayfutdinov are two years older & more battered, Bewley & Kurtz are two years more experienced.

[89buttons]

6 hours ago, Col said:

Doyle & Sayfutdinov are two years older & more battered, Bewley & Kurtz are two years more experienced.

It’s about 3 years now since you were adamant max fricke would be the top rider in the league and Jason Doyle was in decline how’s that looking!?

start of this season Doyle was right in the mix for a world championship challenge before he was injured, this happened in 2016 and in 2017 he was world champion! So we’ll see older yes, but I’m sure he’ll return with the bit between his teeth again in 2025.

Emil looked just fine upon return from injury for Toruń.

[89buttons]

15 hours ago, ouch said:

Was that when we were missing Wright who had scored paid 19 at Foxhall and we got 3 from his replacements?

We did beat you twice on aggregate that year when we had a full team and you had your top 2. 
 

Don’t think I’ve ever seen wright score more than about 7-9 points at Foxhall but maybe your memory serves you better.

[Aries]

18 minutes ago, 89buttons said:

It’s about 3 years now since you were adamant max fricke would be the top rider in the league and Jason Doyle was in decline how’s that looking!?

start of this season Doyle was right in the mix for a world championship challenge before he was injured, this happened in 2016 and in 2017 he was world champion! So we’ll see older yes, but I’m sure he’ll return with the bit between his teeth again in 2025.

Emil looked just fine upon return from injury for Toruń.

You can double that. It’s Col’s favourite pastime predicting the demise of Doyle every winter. I mean, he’ll be right eventually! It’s been several years now that he predicted Doyle to be demoted to fourth best Aussie behind Kurtz, Fricke and Jack Holder. 

13 minutes ago, 89buttons said:

Don’t think I’ve ever seen wright score more than about 7-9 points at Foxhall but maybe your memory serves you better.

Think he was adding both of Wright’s Foxhall scores together from this year. He did ride well in those meetings in fairness. No idea why people do this though. It’s impossible to use a riders scores from selected meetings to try and prove what he would have scored in meetings he was missing. Wright has also had some Foxhall shockers. 

[ouch]

2 hours ago, 89buttons said:

Don’t think I’ve ever seen wright score more than about 7-9 points at Foxhall but maybe your memory serves you better.

Speedway updates. 

[ouch]

1 hour ago, Aries said:

You can double that. It’s Col’s favourite pastime predicting the demise of Doyle every winter. I mean, he’ll be right eventually! It’s been several years now that he predicted Doyle to be demoted to fourth best Aussie behind Kurtz, Fricke and Jack Holder. 

Think he was adding both of Wright’s Foxhall scores together from this year. He did ride well in those meetings in fairness. No idea why people do this though. It’s impossible to use a riders scores from selected meetings to try and prove what he would have scored in meetings he was missing. Wright has also had some Foxhall shockers. 

Agreed. He tried to make out having the top two in place this year would have secured a league title when as you rightly say it’s impossible to use a riders scores from selected meetings to try and prove what they would have scored in meetings they missed.

A poor original post tbh. 

[ArchiePelago]

On 11/1/2024 at 7:48 AM, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Anyone here going to the end of season dinner tonight? 
 

If you hear anything interesting be sure to share on here, hopefully Emil is there too.

Any news from the end of season dinner, Fri 01/11

[Tom Thumb]

2 hours ago, ArchiePelago said:

Any news from the end of season dinner, Fri 01/11

Don't expect many changes from 2024 team.   Announcements will start in a couple of weeks (after AGM I would think).

All riders in attendance bar Jason who was ill.

 

[Col]

15 hours ago, 89buttons said:

It’s about 3 years now since you were adamant max fricke would be the top rider in the league and Jason Doyle was in decline how’s that looking!?

start of this season Doyle was right in the mix for a world championship challenge before he was injured, this happened in 2016 and in 2017 he was world champion! So we’ll see older yes, but I’m sure he’ll return with the bit between his teeth again in 2025.

Emil looked just fine upon return from injury for Toruń.

I did genuinely think Fricke would become the best rider of those in the league that year, but he's not progressed since qualifying for the GP's.

Doyle should have been World Champion in 2016, cruel injury, but did fo so in 2017 which pleased me.  Hancock kept going into his 40's but didn't have the injuries Doyle's had and was a much steadier rider.

I still do not think there is any improvement on starting averages for Sayfutdinov & Doyle, so yes, probably the best spearhead in the league but to win a title the improvement in averages has to come from elsewhere in the team.

 

[StarBoy]

8 hours ago, Col said:

I did genuinely think Fricke would become the best rider of those in the league that year, but he's not progressed since qualifying for the GP's.

Doyle should have been World Champion in 2016, cruel injury, but did fo so in 2017 which pleased me.  Hancock kept going into his 40's but didn't have the injuries Doyle's had and was a much steadier rider.

I still do not think there is any improvement on starting averages for Sayfutdinov & Doyle, so yes, probably the best spearhead in the league but to win a title the improvement in averages has to come from elsewhere in the team.

 

To be fair to Ipswich they do have 3 riders whose only trajectory is up - Rew, Thompson and Brennan. If they keep Ellis his average should improve also

[mikebv]

On 11/1/2024 at 12:51 PM, Steve0 said:

Lets be honest - they would have easily won the league this season if it wasn't for their injuries.

Won the league but not convinced they would have won the play offs..

With Bewley, Kurtz and Lidsey on the form they were in this end of season I would have fancied the Aces to keep within 12 or so at Ipswich...

And then given the Witches their usual beasting at the NSS...

[Arch Stanton]

https://x.com/ipswichspeedway/status/1853135400555917801?s=61&t=WGGG_bqEEeOH78cfmD9Reg

[cowboy cookie returns?]

Will we find out the whole line up this week? 

[Arch Stanton]

11 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Will we find out the whole line up this week? 

I doubt it personally, it’s risky to do so when they haven’t had the AGM. Sounds as though they’ll be announcing a few though so we’ll see. 

[Col]

15 hours ago, StarBoy said:

Rew, Thompson and Brennan.

Rew yes, was good in SoN 2. Jury out on the two Brits. Brennan is leaving the solid income of second tier racing in the UK, which is a good thing for him, showing ambition. Spreading shale on the continent more is a good thing but ... 

Not winning races can drain confidence & his equipment needs to be top notch to compete which is expensive.

Make or break year for Brennan on a new home track. Working alongside Doyle & Sayfutdinov could help though.

Thompson out of RS berth needs time to adjust.

[szkocjasid]

45 minutes ago, Col said:

Rew yes, was good in SoN 2. Jury out on the two Brits. Brennan is leaving the solid income of second tier racing in the UK, which is a good thing for him, showing ambition. Spreading shale on the continent more is a good thing but ... 

Not winning races can drain confidence & his equipment needs to be top notch to compete which is expensive.

Make or break year for Brennan on a new home track. Working alongside Doyle & Sayfutdinov could help though.

Thompson out of RS berth needs time to adjust.

Dan spent a large part of last season in the top 5. Dropping back to number 6 should see his scores increase again even if he's not at 7.

[Aries]

6 hours ago, Col said:

Rew yes, was good in SoN 2. Jury out on the two Brits. Brennan is leaving the solid income of second tier racing in the UK, which is a good thing for him, showing ambition. Spreading shale on the continent more is a good thing but ... 

Not winning races can drain confidence & his equipment needs to be top notch to compete which is expensive.

Make or break year for Brennan on a new home track. Working alongside Doyle & Sayfutdinov could help though.

Thompson out of RS berth needs time to adjust.

Jury is out on Dan Thompson and Tom Brennan being on an upward trajectory? You’ve gotta be kidding here surely??

[Panthers99]

6 minutes ago, Aries said:

Jury is out on Dan Thompson and Tom Brennan being on an upward trajectory? You’ve gotta be kidding here surely??

Agreed, both will add at least 0.50 to their starting average which could be critical come the end of the season.

[Aries]

12 minutes ago, Panthers99 said:

Agreed, both will add at least 0.50 to their starting average which could be critical come the end of the season.

Thompson in particular will add a point as an absolute minimum, due to being on a 25% reduction. He’s also back at reserve rather than at number 2. Brennan will be riding in an easier position than he was at Birmingham where let’s be honest, he was carrying the team until Freddie arrived. He won’t get near the 1 or 5 berth with Doyle and Emil in the side. Expecting big improvement from both, as well as Rew. 
 

I don’t really understand Col’s point about lack of improvement in Doyle or Emil either. Of course they won’t, and they’re not expected/needed to. They’re points scoring machines, they do what they do at the top of the team on a consistent basis. It’s the younger riders lower down that you want/hope for improvement from, and we have that.