Speedway – stress forces Williamson out

Matt Williamson has shocked The Staggs Bar Edinburgh Monarchs by deciding to take a break from the sport.

The 25-year-old made the decision after blowing an engine at Peterborough Panthers and then finding problems with another after the meeting at Lakeside at the weekend.

The Bury-based racer is now faced with a big bill and he admitted that speedway had been getting on top of him.

The stress of racing, he said, had been making him physically sick.

Matt said: “One of my good friends and sponsors said to me, I’m 26 this year and I’ve raced competitively since I was six years old.

“So it’s been non-stop for 20 years and it’s just got on top of me. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, nothing’s going right at the moment.

“It’s making me feel bad. It’s not doing the team any good. I need to have a break to get myself back happy again.

“I’m not a quitter. I’m struggling with speedway as a whole. I need to get myself back together and find my love of racing again.”