IPSWICH Evening Star Witches can go back to the top of the Sky Sports Elite League speedway table tonight if they become the first away side to win at Belle Vue this season.

By Elvin King

IPSWICH Evening Star Witches can go back to the top of the Sky Sports Elite League speedway table tonight if they become the first away side to win at Belle Vue this season.

They travel to Manchester level on points with the Aces - and with Peterborough, who ride tomorrow night.

Reading and Swindon both have 18 points - one behind the top three - and it is turning into one of the most competitive Elite League campaigns.

Ipswich will be looking to Pole Robert Miskowiak to show more consistency as they attempt to beat an Aces side that contains 2006 world champion-elect Jason Crump.

Miskowiak, 22, cannot ride at home to Eastbourne tomorrow because of a Polish Championship quarter-final. But he intends to score freely tonight at a track where he scored six and then two points on his visits to Kirkmanshulme Lane in 2005.

Miskowiak's roller coaster campaign has left the rider baffled. “I don't know how I can win one race and then come last in the next,” he said. “I am giving 100 per cent in every heat and Pepe (Protasiewicz), Mark (Loram) and Chris (Louis) are giving me plenty of advice.

“Overall I am happy with my season, although I have been having trouble with engines.”

Ipswich, who switch the riding order of reserves Daniel King and Jan Jaros tomorrow, are at full strength and they will pocket their fourth aggregate bonus point of the season if they lose by less than ten points.

Jaros made his Elite League debut with Belle Vue and will be seeking a return to form after failing to score in last Thursday's home win over Coventry.

The Aces include Simon Stead, who has been given the wild card berth in the British Grand Prix at Cardiff on Saturday week.

Stead said: “This is what I was working for during the winter and through the early part of the season.

“The Grand Prix is where I want to be and this is my chance to show I deserve to be up there on a regular basis.”

Belle Vue are unbeaten in seven home matches and include Stead, who was missing through injury in the corresponding meeting at Foxhall.

Kenneth Bjerre misses out after injuring himself riding in Sweden last night.

Aces boss Ian Thomas said: “It is already tight at the top and anyone apart from Oxford can make the play-offs. Ipswich have got a decent team and Mark Loram goes well at our track. Every bonus point will be vital.”

Tonight's line-ups

Belle Vue: Rider replacement, J Screen, S Stead, J Wright, J Crump, P Morris, TP Madsen.

Ipswich: C Louis, K Jansson, R Miskowiak, P Protasiewicz, M Loram, J Jaros, D King.

THERE was a big response to the Evening Star's competition to win a pair of tickets for the Fiat Vans British Speedway Grand Prix at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday, June 3.

To find out the ten lucky winners of a pair of tickets each see tomorrow's Star.