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Speedway star Connor Mountain wants to ‘step up’ in 2018 as he delights in Witches return
Connor Mountain, back at Foxhall in 2018. - Credit: Picture: Steve Waller
Ipswich Witches reserve, Connor Mountain, has said 2018 is the time for him to ‘step up’.
Ipswich's Connor Mountain leads Peterborough's Tom Bacon at Alwalton. Photo: STEVE HONE - Credit: Archant
The 20-year-old has been given the opportunity to again show his Witches worth after impressing the Suffolk club’s management in 2017.
Mountain has ridden for Mildenhall Fen Tigers in the National League for the past four years, doubling up with Ipswich last year. But at the moment he’s going it alone with the Witches – and determined to make sure he builds on the progress he made last season.
“It’s just Ipswich for me at the moment,” Mountain said.
“I was in a couple of the permutations of team building at Mildenhall for this season, so I believe. But promoter Kevin Jolly has gone a different route, which doesn’t include me.
Witches promotor Chris Louis congratulates Connor Mountain after a Witches 5-1 last season. PICTURE: STEVE WALLER - Credit: Picture: Steve Waller
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“That’s fine, I really enjoyed my time at Mildenhall. But now I’m going to concentrate on Ipswich and quite honestly it’s about time I worried about getting not just a Championship place with Ipswich, but look for a Premiership place as well.
“I need to step up.”
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Mountain had a decent 2017 after returning to the sport from a broken back he suffered in 2016.
He was controversially part of a team-changing plan by the Witches in July, that saw him and Justin Sedgmen temporarily without a place at Foxhall as promoter Chris Louis and manager Ritchie Hawkins wanted to change the team’s line-up.
It backfired however, when the Witches management got their maths wrong, Sedgmen and Mountain were reinstated, although Sedgmen missed most of the rest of the season with injury.
However, Mountain carried on with the Witches, with no chip on his shoulder over what had happened. He can’t wait for 2018 and is thrilled most of the 2017 team are back.
“It’s great most of the team are back again, we had a real good thing going,” he said.
“Hopefully we can go better and actually win something this time.”
“I’m still looking to get more meetings booked this year and it’s something I’m aware of.
“I would ride in the National League, but I really want to be looking up at the Premiership to be honest.”
The new speedway season starts in March and Ipswich are one of 11 teams in the Championship. Their League Cup group comprises of Lakeside, Peterborough and the Witches. The Witches meet either Lakeside or Peterborough in the second round of the KO Cup. Ipswich had a bye in the first round.
