Wolverhampton's Tai Woffinden wants silencers scrapped

Tai Woffinden leading Brummies heat leader Krzysztof Kasprzak

Wolves rider Tai Woffinden has hit out at the introduction of silencers to speedway bikes from this season.

The 20-year old says the new ruling is extremely costly and might force some riders out of the sport.

"It's going to cost me twice as much in engine bills - the majority of riders in every single league in speedway can't afford to do it," he told BBC WM.

"Either the silencers stay in and a lot of riders start retiring, or they kick them out and let speedway be."

Ironically, Woffinden's early-season performances have shown that he has adjusted well to the new set-up of his bikes, producing three heat victories in his 12-point haul against Birmingham in the second leg of the BBC WM Trophy.

We're seeming to get along with it all right but they're going to get kicked out soon

Tai Woffinden on silencers

"We've sussed out the deal with these silencers, as much as I hate them and everybody else hates them," noted the Scunthorpe-born rider.

"We're seeming to get along with it all right but they're going to get kicked out soon.

"I serviced my engines after every 30 races but I'm servicing them every 15 now because the back pressure's heating up the valve springs, and when you drop a valve into the piston it ruins your engine."

Wolves skipper Peter Karlsson appears to have adjusted well to the new silencers but has some sympathy for riders who are finding it a struggle.

"Yeah, ever so much, it's really difficult to handle.

Myself I'm a little bit lucky, the bike I've been using against Birmingham, home and away, it's been working fine," Karlsson, 41, told BBC WM after recording a 15-point maximum against the Brummies.

"We've got a lot of work to do at home, testing all the stuff and getting it going."

The silencers have been introduced world-wide to reduce the noise pollution coming from tracks and to help safeguard the future of clubs that are close to residential areas.

Planning permission granted to the Birmingham Brummies to remain at Perry Barr Stadium is dependant on silencers being successfully deployed within three years.