Tai Woffinden makes emotional retirement decision after latest injury setback
Speedway legend Tai Woffinden has announced his retirement from racing
Three-time Speedway Grand Prix world champion Tai Woffinden has officially called time on his glittering career, following another injury setback.
Woffinden is the UK’s most successful Speedway Grand Prix racer ever, with his last world title win achieved in 2018.
Woffinden’s first world title came in 2013, making him the eighth British rider to win the world title.
That achievement also resulted in Woffinden becoming the first rider to hold the British Championship and World Championship in the same year since Gary Havelock in 1992.
Woffinden then won his second world title in 2015, while the 35-year-old finished twice as runner-up in 2016 and 2020.
Over the course of his career in the world championship, Woffinden amassed a total of 108 race wins.
The British rider was also a finalist on 47 occasions and secured 11 overall event wins. Woffinden also helped the UK secure the team world championship in 2021, which was the first for Great Britain since 1989.
Away from his success on the world stage, Woffinden also ended his career as a three-time British champion.
Woffinden announced his retirement during an emotional video, saying:
“After more hospital scans yesterday, I have been told I need surgery following my latest crash in Poland.
“After a lot of thought, I have come to the decision that it’s time to retire from professional racing.
“To be honest, this isn’t an easy thing to say. For many years, this hasn’t just been what I do; it has been a huge part of who I am as a person.
“When I look back, I see five world titles, Grand Prix victories, national titles and team championships.
“But more than the trophies, I see the people, the friendships, the laughs, the tough days. The moments that tested me, and the moments that remind me exactly why I fell in love with the sport.”
While Woffinden’s success has made him one of the sport’s greats, the speedway star has suffered from various injuries of late, which includes an accident in March 2025 that sidelined him for the rest of that season.
The crash meant that Woffinden was left in an induced coma before being cleared to leave hospital on April 18, 2025.
