ACES TITLE DEFENCE CONTINUES
BELLE Vue’s Premiership defence continues this coming Monday, June 5 at the National Speedway Stadium when the reigning champions face their Suffolk rivals, the Ipswich Witches.
The ATPI Aces have already made one journey to Foxhall this season where they triumphed 49-41, a feat they hope to repeat on home shale to claim the maximum three points on offer.
It’s a massive night for Speedway in Manchester as former Speedway Grand Prix star Emil Sayfutdinov makes his first league appearance in the city as one of the Ipswich heat leaders.
He has captivated audiences nationwide since the start of the year and there is great anticipation with supporters keen to witness his skills at the National Speedway Stadium.
But the Belle Vue boys have tuned out the hype surrounding their rivals as they focus solely on the task at hand, and there’s no doubt it will be a challenging evening.
The reigning top flight champions are expected to be back to full strength for this crucial clash with Norick Blodorn returning to the team after missing the last two home meetings.
The visitors, likewise, are also tracking a full 1-7 and excitement is building for what is certain to be an epic battle between the current second and fifth in the league.
Aces boss Mark Lemon said: “We are thrilled to have such a world class line-up at Belle Vue for this meeting, not only with the likes of 2017 world champion Jason Doyle but also Emil Sayfutdinov.
“With such strong opposition, Monday will be a huge night for us. We already hold the 49-41 aggregate lead over Ipswich and we are, of course, chasing the full 3 points in Manchester.
“Last week against Wolverhampton was a spectacle for the supporters, but we cannot afford to leave things as late as we did; we need to assert our dominance at home.
“Ipswich will still be mindful of the fact that we defeated them at Foxhall and will be looking to repay the compliment, something we need to ensure doesn’t happen.
“They have some very strong riders, but this team has proved time and again their adaptability and at full strength, around the National Speedway Stadium, they’re more than a match for the Witches.”
Belle Vue Aces: Dan Bewley 8.62, Tom Brennan 5.78, Jaimon Lidsey 7.23, Charles Wright 7.06, Brady Kurtz (C) 8.41, Norick Blodorn 5.56, Jake Mulford RS; TM: Mark Lemon
Ipswich Witches: Jason Doyle 10.13, Ben Barker 4.38, Danny King (C) 6.79, Keynan Rew 5.00, Emil Sayfutdinov 8.00, Danyon Hume 4.00, Joe Thompson RS; TM: Ritchie Hawkins