Speedway: Sheffield star Tai Woffinden updates on his return to action and Grand Prix return hopes
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00:00Ty, first of all, how's your elbow?
00:05Yeah, it's really good.
00:07Obviously a long off-season for me, which was super nice.
00:11I was able to do a lot of stuff that I don't normally get to do.
00:14So, yeah, pretty happy to be back racing again.
00:16You might add to that question, what's it like being semi-retired?
00:19You know, like 11 months off pretty much.
00:21Yeah, it was a long one.
00:23Like I said, it was great.
00:24Heaps of time to do whatever I wanted and didn't have to answer to anyone.
00:27It was good.
00:28Do you feel completely back to normal now?
00:31Yeah, man, yeah, I feel great.
00:32I'm excited for the season.
00:34I've done a lot of testing in Poland in the last three days
00:36and fly back out there tomorrow.
00:38I've got another four days on the bounce and then, yeah, come back for Thursday.
00:43How does it feel to be back on your bike?
00:45Yeah, great.
00:46Like I rode in Aussie about probably a month ago, I reckon.
00:49Thanks, mate.
00:51Yeah, it was a great feeling to just have that buzz again.
00:59Has it been difficult being out for so long?
01:01Not really.
01:02Like I said, I've enjoyed doing stuff that I haven't been able to do
01:06and it's kind of given me a bit of a new lease of life, I guess you can say.
01:11I had a real long pause.
01:13I know that I want to ride a speedway bike, but it was just that.
01:16It probably made you miss it.
01:17Yeah, yeah, I miss it a little bit.
01:18Watching all the boys race and being a bit bitter about that I can't.
01:22But, yeah, it's good fun.
01:24Do you feel back to your best?
01:25Yeah, I feel really good.
01:27This season has been, or the start of this season,
01:30it's a whole new set up for me.
01:32Obviously not in the Grand Prixs.
01:34New team in Poland, new team internally with the mechanics and whatnot.
01:39So, yeah, I'm super excited for this season.
01:42And obviously it's going to be the first time in a long time
01:45you've not been in the Grand Prixs.
01:47Are you looking to get back in?
01:48Yep, I'm doing the GP qualifiers, racing in the European Championships.
01:51So if we win that, then we're straight in.
01:54I'll potentially have a wildcard spot for Manchester GP,
01:59depending on how the British final goes.
02:02So that's another opportunity to prove myself and then get a wildcard.
02:05So there's plenty of ways in for me.
02:08I've just got to go out there and enjoy riding my bike and do a good job.
02:11Ty's been doing it for long enough now to know his own body.
02:14I think the winter off has done him the world of good.
02:18He's been at home in Australia and had a lot of rest
02:23and sort of settled himself and given his body enough time to heal properly.
02:28And I think that was the really important thing that he needed to do.
02:32I know last year he was chomping at the bit to try and get back.
02:35It just wasn't achievable.
02:36So he's done the right thing, given himself plenty of time to recover properly
02:40and heal properly.
02:41And I think now he's sort of chomping at the bit
02:44and really got that dog look in his eye
02:48because he's out to prove some people wrong
02:50who think that might be one injury too many.
02:52And I for one know that he's going to certainly turn heads again this year.