BELLE Vue fought back from eight points down to overcome champions Ipswich 51-39 in a dramatic league opener at the National Speedway Stadium.
The ATPI Aces made a sluggish start and trailed 11-19 after five races in their first ROWE Motor Oil Premiership match of 2026 – but then they turned on the style to record an impressive victory.
Skipper Brady Kurtz made a triumphant return with a 17-point haul from six rides, with the rest of the Aces chipping in on a night where both sides utilised the tactical substitute facility.
Ipswich’s chief threat came from their opening combination of Tom Brennan and Danny King, with Brennan having earlier been named as wild card for the upcoming FIM Grand Prix of Manchester in early June.
It was King who won the opening race in a three-way scrap which also involved Kurtz and Brennan, and that turned out to be Kurtz’s only defeat of the meeting.
Tate Zischke rode strongly to win Heat 2 and Aces levelled in the next with a 4-2 from Zach Cook and Peter Kildemand.
But there was a big shock in Heat 4 when Dan Bewley found himself in third place and unable to make a passing move on Tobiasz Musielak, who protected Jason Edwards up front enabling the visitors to strike a big 5-1.
Aces’ worries increased when Cook touched the tapes in Heat 5 before Brennan and King shot to another maximum in the re-run to put them eight points ahead – but with the first third of the meeting behind them, the comeback began in earnest.
Kurtz and Norick Blodorn pulled back two points with a 4-2 in Heat 6, meaning the next race was perfect timing for Kurtz to take a tactical substitute ride, and he and Bewley blasted either side of Richard Lawson for a 5-1 to narrow the gap to two points.
Will Cairns produced a superb turn two move to briefly get past both King and Edwards in Heat 8, and whilst King re-took the lead Blodorn worked hard to regain third place from Edwards.
Aces were level with a 4-2 in Heat 9 as Cook made it through on the inside of Musielak, and a big 5-1 followed in the next from Kurtz and Blodorn who saw off Lawson and a scoreless Scott Nicholls to put the home side ahead.
Bewley rode a stormer in Heat 11 to get the better of King in the early stages before then moving inside Brennan to take the win, and Kildemand maintained the advantage as he surged around Edwards for victory in Heat 12.
A superb Heat 13 saw Kurtz and Bewley overcome Brennan despite the Ipswich No.1’s best efforts, which left Ipswich eight points down and making their own tactical move, which did result in a Heat 14 race win for Brennan whilst Cook and Zischke kept Edwards at the back to ensure an Aces victory on the night.
And there was another 5-1 for the Belle Vue top two in Heat 15 to take the margin into double figures, and it was secured with Bewley on machinery borrowed by Cook after his own developed trouble shortly before the start. Kurtz took the win with Bewley just doing enough to keep the ever-trying Brennan behind him.
Aces manager Mark Lemon said: “Ipswich got off to a great start and that was a little bit concerning, I’m not going to lie, and having to use a tactical in Heat 7 wasn’t the plan!
“I wasn’t feeling too optimistic that we could turn it around in a heartbeat, and the resistance that Ipswich put up against us was a good effort.
“But we came good at the end and obviously we had Brady and Dan performing like they have, which is fantastic, but we don’t want to be relying on those guys week in week out.
“The scores don’t really relate to how hard the guys at the lower end are trying, and I thought Kildemand rode his socks off today for six points.
“It was a really good team effort and taking a 12-point lead against the champions is good. We’ve got to go down there and make sure we put on a great performance as we look for the aggregate point, but it’s always good to win the first league match.”
With two points on the board from their first league match, the Aces now have a fortnight off before they host newcomers Northampton in a midday start on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4.
BELLE VUE 51: Brady Kurtz 17, Dan Bewley 10+3, Zach Cook 8, Peter Kildemand 6+1, Norick Blodorn 4+2, Tate Zischke 4+1, Will Cairns 2.
IPSWICH 39: Tom Brennan 11, Danny King 9+2, Tobiasz Musielak 6+1, Jason Edwards 6+1, Richard Lawson 6, Philip Helstrom-Bangs 1+1, Scott Nicholls 0.