WITH their first Elite League victory of the season under their belt, Ipswich Evening Star Witches go to Wolverhampton in the Elite League tonight a bit more buoyed up than they were a week or so ago.

By Mike Bacon

WITH their first Elite League victory of the season under their belt, Ipswich Evening Star Witches go to Wolverhampton in the Elite League tonight a bit more buoyed up than they were a week or so ago.

Wolves were the Witches first League victims of the 2007 season last Thursday, and with a six-point advantage from that Foxhall leg, Ipswich have a realistic chance of racing for a bonus point tonight. Wolves were depleted on Thursday, with skipper Peter Karlsson ill. But they are hoping to include him in their side for tonight's clash, even though as it was a non-speedway related absence, Wolves must now ask for permission to bring him back before the normal seven-day period.

“We're applying for permission to re-introduce PK to the team which is something we have to do because of the nature of his absence from the Ipswich trip last week,” Wolves promoter Chris Van Staaten said.

Former Monmore Green track record holder David Norris has been booked as a guest for Mark Loram, while Zibi Suchecki will make a late decision on whether his shoulder will hold up after crashing awkwardly at Foxhall on Thursday.

Suchecki finds himself in the main body of the team now after three home and three away meetings have been raced by the Suffolk side. That moves Marcin Rempala down to the reserve position where, if he can begin to learn to gate, could be a fruitful few weeks for the young Pole. Over the years Ipswich have no grey areas at Wolverhamptons' tricky Monmore track, either competing confidently throughout, or quite simply, receiving a hiding. Witches fans who make the journey tonight, will be hoping for the former.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Peter Karlsson, David Howe, Billy Hamill, Theo Pijper, Freddie Lindgren, Carl Wilkinson, Magnus Karlsson.

IPSWICH: David Norris, Kim Jansson, Chris Louis, Marcin Rempala, Robert Miskowiak, Zibi Suchecki, Tobi Kroner.

NICKI Pedersen won the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday night, winning his five qualifying races, his semi-final and final. He finished ahead of American Greg Hancock, with Poland's Wieslaw Jagus third. Ipswich-born Scott Nicholls finished with just four points after a thumping crash in his fourth race.