The Ipswich Witches begin their 2024 Premiership campaign tonight as they host the Belle Vue Aces at Foxhall (7.30pm).
The Suffolk side finished as runners-up in the top-flight last season and are aiming to go one better this year as the race to put points on the board starts with all seven clubs battling it out to make the top four and qualify for the play-offs.
Ipswich have kept the majority of their 2023 side together with just two changes to the line-up.
2021 British champion Adam Ellis is back at a place he knows well having represented the Witches earlier in his career and he starts the season at number two.
Jordan Jenkins is the other new signing, and he starts the season at reserve and is another rider who knows the club well having raced many laps at Foxhall as a youngster.
The formidable duo of Emil Sayfutdinov and Jason Doyle lead the team again and are sure to provide plenty of entertainment again over the course of the season whilst captain Danny King returns for another year with the club.
Keynan Rew will be looking to continue his development with a year of British experience now under his belt whilst Rising Star Dan Thompson will hope to recapture the form he was showing last season before injury curtailed his campaign with Ipswich.
Witches team manager Richie Hawkins said: “It’s the first night of the season and here we go again!
"I feel like we have built another exciting team for everyone to watch, similarly to last year which proved successful.
"They provided so much entertainment every week at Foxhall so going into the new season I am massively excited to carry that on and entertain.
“Opening night is always tricky but as we have kept the majority of last year’s side who were doing so well at the end of last season and a couple of riders who have good experience at Foxhall, we will hope for a strong start on Thursday.
“Belle Vue have probably been the best team over the last two years in the country and were certainly very good at Foxhall last season.
"We need to be sharp from the off and you couldn’t ask for a tougher test."
IPSWICH: 1. Emil Sayfutdinov 10.10 2. Adam Ellis 5.57 3. Danny King 7.05 (c) 4. Keynan Rew 4.00 5. Jason Doyle 9.12 6. Jordan Jenkins 3.16 7. Dan Thompson (RS).
BELLE VUE: 1. Brady Kurtz 8.51 (c) 2. Norick Blödorn 5.83 3. Jaimon Lidsey 7.86 4. Ben Cook 6.00 5. Dan Bewley 8.00 6. Connor Mountain 3.52 7. Connor Bailey (RS).
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