In his latest column, Ipswich Witches skipper Danny King looks ahead to ‘derby day’ and reflects on a good start to the season for him.
I think it is fair to say everyone at Foxhall has been looking forward to tomorrow night’s meeting for a long time!
The return of a Witches/King’s Lynn local derby was probably one of the first meetings most of us looked for when the fixture list came out earlier this year.
And now it is on top of us.
I couldn’t believe it when I found out the two teams had not met in an official fixture for 16 years. Wow! That makes me feel old because I remember how big those meetings between the two were.
And I can’t wait for this one. Bring it on!
It’s going to be a cracker of a meeting I can feel it.
I hope we get a big crowd because the riders feed off it.
Lynn have the brilliant Robert Lambert in their team of course, but we are in good shape and it’s our home track. We want to make sure he doesn’t go home with a mass of points.
Please make plenty of noise from the terraces because as I said you would be surprised the difference it makes to the boys.
It’s been a good start to the season for me personally and of course the Witches.
I know some people said that Leicester are only a Championship side so how come they pushed us all the way at Foxhall last week? And they are right to a point.
But Scott Nicholls around Foxhall is as good as any No.1 Premiership rider we are likely to see this season. Scotty was in great form and me and him had a couple of great races. So, the Lions were good and I think will have a good Championship campaign.
But at the end of the day we won both meetings, including last Thursday, and remember with four riders who are new to the team and haven’t ridden Foxhall much at all.
I was pleased with my night’s work, apart from heat 15, where I made the start, then made a right mess of turn two and Scotty and Richie Worrall went past.
That annoyed me a lot, having done all the hard work of a great start of grid two.
Still, it was another meeting under my belt and after all the issues of last season and the winter, it’s just great to be back and feeling good.
On Sunday I made my debut for Sheffield in the Championship.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
Great that we won and I got 13 points, but having to cope with the fact my reserve team-mate at Ipswich, Jake Allen, beat me twice!
Jake was in superb form and obviously I was pleased for him.
I’m just glad I got my own back in heat 15! More of that against Lynn will be just what we want, Jake.
Young Drew Kemp was another in great form and although he can’t ride for the Witches in the Premiership yet because his average is too low, it won’t be long!
I was so glad to see Chris Louis and Ritchie Hawkins turn to Drew for our challenge meetings against Leicester with Krystian Pieszczek, our new Polish racer, unavailable. Drew is a huge part of the Witches future.
Talking of Krystian, he makes his debut tonight and I hope he hits the ground running.
He’s a really nice lad and I rode with him a Leicester for a spell last season. Ipswich have had some very good Polish racers over the years, here’s hoping they’ve unearthed another.
I’ve got two good team managers in Ritchie Hawkins at Ipswich and Simon Stead at Sheffield.
It makes the racing more fun. Both are very determined but neither put any pressure on you.
It helps they have raced, so know how it is.
I’m also glad the Witches had a couple of challenge meetings before the serious stuff starts, as it does against King’s Lynn.
I’ve always been a fan of challenge meetings at the start of the season to blow away the cobwebs.
Some riders have not ridden for five months! And are then expected to go and just race!
Still, challenges are all behind us now.
Bring it on, I say (I think I’ve already said that!)
And let’s down those King’s Lynn Stars.
SEE YOU AT FOXHALL
DANNY
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