EDINBURGH’S Aussie new roo-boy Dayle Wood has been given a corking start to his UK career by three-times World Champion Tai Woffinden.
The Great Britain skipper, who was brought up in Australia and is spending the winter Down Under, has sold off one of his most treasured trophies to help racer Wood join the Armadale National League side.
Woffinden, 32, won the prestigious Phil Crump Classic trophy and then stunned fans in the stadium bar at Mildura’s Olympic Park when he decided to auction it off to raise a few bob.
But it wasn’t until the bidding got up to 1,500 Australian dollars (nearly £850) that he sprang another surprise by telling the new owner of the trophy to hand the money directly to a speechless Wood.
Ex-Edinburgh hero Justin Sedgmen, who was runner-up to Woffinden, revealed: “I was second that night and next speech was Woffy.
“He did his speech and said ‘I’m auctioning off my trophy’, it started at 500 dollars and then it got up to 1,500 dollars and got sold.
“Woffy didn’t even break stride, he told the fan ‘make sure you get Dayle Wood’s account details and all the money goes to Dayle so he can kick start his British career.
“That started a chain reaction, everyone was going up to Dayle, giving him 100 dollars, a couple of people gave him 500 dollars, I think he walked away with about 3,000 dollars that way.”
Wood, 27, admitted: “I couldn’t believe what Woffy did, it’s a bonzer help for me on my first trip to race in the UK.”
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning.