New-look Witches on track to impress

Elvin King

IPSWICH Witches will have three East Anglian-based speedway riders in their 2010 side.

The Foxhall Stadium-based club announced their Elite League side today and it includes three new faces in Ollie Allen, Claus Vissing and Linus Sundstrom.

Allen hails for Norwich and he will be joined in the side by Ipswich-based Scott Nicholls and Huntingdon-based Daniel King.

Robert Miskowiak after his wonderful exploits in the second half of last season keeps his place, and so does his Polish fellow countryman Dawid Stachyra at reserve.

Carl Wilkinson remains one of the two doubling up riders who will partner Stachyra at the bottom end of the side.

His doubling up duties will be shared by Swede Sundstrom, who will also be riding for Rye House in the Premier League.

Allen moves to Ipswich from Coventry and he will be joined in the main body of the team by Dane Vissing, who was with Peterborough in 2009.

In average order the side will be: Nicholls (8.08), Miskowiak (7.69), King (6.80), Allen (6.29), Vissing (4.53), Stachyra (3.89) plus Wilkinson (3.34) and Sundstrom (3.37).

“I am looking forward to managing this side and it is one that I'm sure will do well,” said Ipswich team manager Pete Simmons.

“We had riders approaching us this winter and this is good to see.

“Work on widening the Foxhall circuit is to begin early in January, and this has helped with riders looking forward to riding on what should be a more exciting track.”

There is no place next year for Tobi Kroner, the young German who has been a member of the side for the past two years or so.

Witches manager Chris Louis is expected to stage a spectacular 'Farewell' meeting at Foxhall next season to celebrate his 21 years as an Ipswich rider.

He has been doing most of the team building work for 2010, although his father John will remain the club's figurehead and promoter.