Workington Comets’ young Australian rider Fraser Bowes pulled out of last night’s prestigious individual meeting in Poole.
Later he published an emotional message to the fans on social media.
Bowes has been a popular rider in his first season with the Comets, and had been invited to ride in a major individual event at Poole because of his performances there with Workington.
He said: “This isn’t something I want to write, but after copping a lot of flak recently, I feel like it’s time to say something.
“Speedway isn’t just a job to me – it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. All I’ve ever wanted was to race in the top leagues across Poland, Sweden, and the UK and achieve my best in the sport.
“At the start of the season, I got the call to race for Tarnów in a sparring match against Kraków.
“After that, I was offered the U24 spot and took it. Many people warned me about going there but I believed racing against high quality riders would help me grow as a rider.
“This year has been non-stop. I’ve been racing for four clubs each week across Europe. It’s taught me so much – on and off the bike. But it hasn’t been easy.
“Lately, I’ve been under a lot of criticism, especially after comments made by Marek on TV.
“I’m the first to admit that Saturday in Łódź was a tough day.
“But unless you’ve lived this life, I don’t think people understand what it takes: Four to five meetings a week, sleepless nights, back-to-back travel, and financial stress.
“There have been multiple times this year I’ve shown up to a match after 30-plus hours without sleep, waiting in airports or driving through the night.
“On top of that, many clubs are struggling financially, and riders often go unpaid for months – taking out loans just to afford engines, equipment, and mechanics.
“What gets me the most is seeing some of the comments online – and other riders receiving death threats over a bad match.
“Before you post a comment, remember: We’re out here risking our lives, chasing a dream. Speedway is a sport, but no one should be told to kill themselves over it.
Lastly, I would have loved to be in Poole, racing in such a prestigious event.
“But for reasons out of my control, I won’t be attending although I’m in the UK and everything was ready to go… and with that, my season in Europe comes to an end.”
