THE curtain comes down on the 2002 Foxhall Stadium speedway season tonight (THUR) with the second leg of the final of the Craven Shield (start 7.30pm).

By Elvin King

THE curtain comes down on the 2002 Foxhall Stadium speedway season tonight (THUR) with the second leg of the final of the Craven Shield (start 7.30pm).

And it marks an emotional night for two star riders.

Scott Nicholls will be feted before the start after being crowned British Champion at Coventry on Saturday. The 24-year-old hot property, who has already agreed a deal to stay with Ipswich Evening Star Witches in 2003, flies to Australia tomorrow for the Australian Grand Prix in Sydney on Saturday week.

Nicholls has continued his climb up the speedway ladder this season with a succession of splendid displays in what has been an injury-hit and disappointing campaign for the Suffolk club.

Nicholls has fitted his GP appearances around Witches fixtures and done all he can both on and off the track to bring success to Foxhall.

In tonight's Hunting Hire/Evening Star-sponsored meeting he will be going all out to end on a high note. He has some star names to beat like Billy Hamill, Joe Screen and Peter Karlsson, but he will start favourite to do so.

His meetings with Lee Richardson could be interesting after the British Championship runner-up was involved in controversy at Coventry with Mark Loram needing hospital treatment after a fall in the first attempt to race the final.

For Craig Boyce if may be his last home match in a Witches race jacket. The Australian admitted last week that he does not expect to stay at Foxhall next year.

The Australian has served the Witches well over the last two seasons and wants to stay. "We have not spoken to Craig about 2003 yet but that does not mean he is not in our plans," said Ipswich promoter John Louis.

Ipswich have added a £1 price increase to admission charges tonight both for adults and concessions. Louis said: "There will be three extra heats of speedway and we following the pattern of what other Craven Shield finalists did last year."

The third leg of the Craven Shield final takes place at Coventry on Saturday.

Tonight's line-ups

Ipswich: J Hampel, C Slabon, C Boyce, D Bird, S Nicholls, J Kylmakorpi. Res: K Jansson.

Coventry: B Hamill, B Janniro, L Richardson, T Topinka, J Screen, S Robson. Res: R Fisher.

Poole: P Karlsson, H Gustafsson, A Skornicki, B Pedersen, H Andersen, L Gunnestad. Res: A Compton.