Tai Woffinden given shock Speedway return just six months after horror crash left him in a coma with 15 broken bones

TAI WOFFINDEN has been given a shock return to the Speedway Grand Prix series – just six months after being left fighting for his life in a track crash. 

The most successful British rider of all-time was announced on Monday as one of the three wild card picks for the SGP in 2026 alongside Australians Jason Doyle and Max Fricke.

Woffy, 35, was airlifted to hospital and left in a coma with FIFTEEN broken bones after a horror crash in Krosno in late March.

The Scunthorpe-born ace got caught in a three-rider and bike pile-up and smashed into the airfence at high speed while racing for Rzeszow.

But now remarkably he will return to the top table of world speedway after getting the wild card pick from the governing body FIM and new SGP rights holders Mayfield Sports. 

Woffinden, who won golds in 2013, 2015 and 2018, said: “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to be back in the World Championship. 

“The only reason I haven’t been there is because I’ve been injured every year. 

“They obviously see where my level is at and what I’ve achieved. They and I believe I can do it again. It’s nice to have that support from whoever makes these decisions. 

“I’m just looking forward to getting out there. My last World Championship win was in 2018.

“Every single year since then I’ve been injured. I know that if I get an injury-free season I’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Woffinden has been back on a bike in Wroclaw, Poland for the first time since his huge crash and reveals that his body is now almost back to fitness. 

He also insists that he’s not been mentally affected by the catalogue of injuries sustained. 

He added: “The people close to me saw what I went through when I was in a coma.

“But to me it was just another injury. I don’t feel it was different to any other injury. 

“Mentally I’m probably stronger than last year. That’s all that matters now. 

“It’s just one of those things, physically it takes time. I’ve ridden a bike. But obviously there’s riding and there’s racing. 

“But the body is doing everything that it should do, everything is on track and healing as it should be healing. Thankfully I didn’t need another operation on my elbow, which was a huge positive. 

“I just need a bit more time because I got a lot of injuries all at once. The surgeons had to work overtime to get me right.

‘Not 100 per cent healed’

“I’m not 100 per cent healed yet but I’m fairly close to being that way.”

Woffinden has already signed a two-year deal with Polish club Ostrow and hasn’t ruled out a return to British speedway having missed last season with Sheffield due to his crash. 

He added: “I’ve signed a two-year deal with Ostrow, that’s all I’ve done right now. 

“On returning to British speedway, I don’t know. No one has approached me about next year. But my phone can always ring, I never say never as you know. 

“I was so hungry this year, I was feeling really good on the bike. The accident happened, it is what it is. 

“I’m back in Australia and I’ll probably ride in my dad’s meeting [Rob Woffinden Classic] in February. Then I’ll be racing from then on.”