The Kings Lynn Stars have confirmed that their captain, Tobiasz Musielak, will not be returning to ride for the club this season after completing his 28-day SCB suspension.
The club released the below statement about Tobias’s decision:
“It is with profound regret and disappointment that we confirm Tobiasz Musielak’s decision to withdraw from our team.
“Tobiasz crashed while riding for the PSH Environmental Stars in May, breaking his collarbone and damaging ligaments in his left ankle.
“His return to action in Poland resulted in the club being granted a 28-day facility for Tobiasz, who felt he was not able to commit to racing in the UK during his recovery. It was anticipated he would be fit enough to return at the end of that period.
“However, we later received a phone call to say that Tobiasz would not be returning to UK racing this year, contrary to what he had said in a media interview released in that same week.
“We questioned that but Tobiasz was quite clear that his ankle ligament damage was serious and will require surgery in the winter.
“He feels that he can manage riding one meeting per week in Poland, where tracks are not as tight or technical, while having physiotherapy to alleviate problems in the meantime.
“For the club, it is a hard pill to swallow, losing our No 1 on the back of losing Vadim Tarasenko earlier in the season and now Nicolai Klindt to a season-ending injury.
“However, we have to accept Tobiasz’s decision and look to the future.
“We don’t want to see him put at risk if he feels he cannot ride safely but our disappointment centres around the general principle that if a rider is not fit, that is typically the case across the board.
“We are not medics but when any rider takes to any track, wherever that is, they are signing to say they are fit.
“We do not know if there are any other influences at play, and we certainly hope not, but the answer to that cannot come from us. We just have to get on with handling the consequences of the situation as it stands.
“Our facility for Tobiasz expires on July 14, after which we will only have 75% of his average to work with when booking guests.
“We have been scouring everywhere for alternatives since the club was informed. We have approached at least 19 riders in that time without getting over the line but rest assured, we will keep trying – we have to.
“The only other hope we have is that the authorities look at this, see how we have lost riders and, if nothing changes between now and then, extend the facility for Tobiasz based on the situation being beyond our control, the efforts we have gone to in order to source a replacement and the fact that there is simply nothing more we can do.
“We want to be competitive for obvious reasons but it is not just about our position in the league and our own fanbase, this impacts on other clubs, their fans and their businesses. A weaker team going anywhere is not good for anyone, from a business or sporting perspective.
“Hopefully our continued efforts will bear fruit but if not, King’s Lynn Speedway will seek and offer pragmatic solutions that serve the best interests of the club and the sport.”
Feature Image courtesy of Mark Lee Sing
