The Ipswich Tru7 Group Witches track title-winning heroes, talented newcomers and a returning club legend as they prepare for their Rowe Motor Oil Premiership title defence.
The Witches have been acquired by Mayfield, parent company of the FIM Speedway World Championships, and the new management team, led by co-promoters Richard Coleman and Andrew Chisholm and team manager Paul Hurry, have assembled a team packed with strength in depth as they bid to build on the club’s 2025 title triumph – their first league championship success since 1998.
Fans in Suffolk welcome home one of Foxhall’s favourite sons as record seven-time British champion Scott Nicholls returns to the Witches one-to-seven for the first time since 2010 in what the 47-year-old admits may be his final season in the sport after over three decades on the bike.
Skipper Danny King, double FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Tom Brennan and Essex-based rising star Jason Edwards all return from Ipswich’s 2025 Rowe Motor Oil Premiership title-winning side.
They are joined by 2019 Ipswich star Richard Lawson and Polish racer Tobiasz Musielak, with Swedish sensation Philip Hellstrom-Bangs making his British league debut as he joins Edwards in a promising reserve duo.
Nicholls is excited to be back at the club where he rose to stardom, playing a starring role in their unforgettable 1998 Elite League treble-winning season alongside the likes of speedway legends Tony Rickardsson, Tomasz Gollob and Chris Louis.
He said: “I haven’t raced for them since 2010, and I didn’t realise it was that long ago actually. But it was the place where I grew up and watched the sport and all my heroes as a kid.
“I haven’t set anything in stone – I am not that type of person – but I have tentatively said that this will be my last season, so it all fits right really.
“After a number of guest appearances over the years, going back as a fully-fledged Witch will be good. It was where my career really started and I had my testimonial. Who knows? Maybe I will have my farewell meeting there, which would be pretty cool.
“Mayfield is taking over. Richard and Andrew seem like really nice people, and they will put their spin on the club. In some ways, it will be like going back to an old house that you lived in, but after it has been redecorated.
“I dare say there will be some new faces involved, but there will still be a lot of familiar faces there too. I know the track, I know the people, and I spent a big chunk of my life there. I lived in Ipswich up until I was in my 30s. I can’t wait to be back and see everyone again.”
Hellstrom-Bangs is excited for his British debut season as the former Swedish Under-21 champion, SON2 silver medallist and SGP2 star bids to take the next step in his promising career.
He said: “I am really looking forward to it. I have been looking for a UK club and when Ipswich called me, I was really glad.
“They made me an offer and we have been talking a lot. It seemed like a good deal, and I can’t wait to come to the UK and race. I think the Ipswich track will fit me pretty well. It’s small and tricky, but I like grippy tracks, as everybody knows. I’m a good outside rider.
“I would like to score the points for the team and be a good rider that everyone can believe in. I want to show the fans what I can do, and how good I am. I want to give them everything they are expecting and be the crazy rider that I am on the dirt line.”
New Ipswich co-promoter Coleman is pleased with a new-look Witches side, assembled amid Mayfield’s takeover talks in recent months. He said: “As I mentioned in my open letter to fans on Saturday, it’s almost impossible to replace Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov.
“But the side we have assembled for 2026 has plenty of strength in depth. We have riders who are vastly experienced as heat leaders in British speedway and a fantastic blend of youth and experience.
“Tom, Danny and Jason are all excited to be back after a fantastic season in 2025, and we are hugely grateful to them for hanging on for us, despite the uncertainty over the club’s plans for 2026 at the time. Their loyalty has given us the chance to build a side with real strength in depth.
“We are also excited to welcome our newcomers. Richard is in the form of his career and Tobiasz is a three-time Premiership winner. We are delighted to give Philip his chance to impress Britain. He displayed huge potential in SGP2 and SON2, the World Under-21 Championship events, and I’m sure his all-action style will make him a Foxhall favourite.
“It’s also a joy to welcome Scott back to Foxhall for the first time in 16 years. If this does prove to be his final season, it’s only fitting that he spends it at Ipswich. I’m sure he will be determined to go out on a high in his hometown.
“After a long winter of waiting for news about the club, we were keen to share news of the side that Andrew and Paul worked hard to assemble in the weeks and months while we concluded Mayfield’s acquisition of the club.
“This was at a time when the other four teams in the league had pretty much already built their teams. Despite that, I feel we have a well-balanced side, and I really hope fans will get behind the Witches class of 2026.”
Words and Image by Ipswich Speedway