Sam Masters is relishing being the main man at Monmore

Just 10 days after surgery, he was back on his bike. He’d already been racing for several weeks with a broken foot. Anyone needing a reminder of why speedway riders are a rare breed, can find it in those sentences.

Yet as Masters, who tomorrow celebrates more than a decade racing in the UK with a testimonial at Monmore Green, explained this week, it is not only physical toughness required.

“The sport is pretty brutal. You need to be headstrong,” he says.

“I think a lot of fans, or people on the outside, don’t understand what we go through.

“I’m riding with a snapped collarbone and yeah, I may not win a race. But sometimes you get abusive messages and think: ‘If you only knew what I was feeling, you wouldn’t go to work, let alone ride a motorbike’.

“Sometimes people don’t understand it and I get that, because they don’t do it. But they need to realise speedway is hard. There are four guys on the track and everyone is trying to win. Sometimes, you are the guy that finishes last.”

Hearing a public figure say they have been targeted by online trolls has become such a common occurrence in recent years, there feels a danger of becoming desensitised. Yet it is jolting, listening to Masters – who admits to largely steering clear of social media these days – relay his experiences, not least because of the risk he and his competitors take on every time they race in the name of entertainment.

The good news is the overwhelming majority of interaction he experiences with fans is positive and as he prepares for a seventh season racing for Wolves, he admits to never having loved the sport more.

Tomorrow will be a special occasion at a venue which has become like a second home to a rider born more than 10,000 miles away.

Just as at Edinburgh, where Masters rode in the Championship from 2014 until switching this season to Oxford, something clicked when he first arrived in Wolverhampton eight years ago. He and his partner Tegan are hoping to buy their first home in the region later in the year.

“We started off on the right foot at Wolves, winning the league in 2016, so that helps,” smiles Masters. “But I think it is just the vibe of the place. I experienced a similar thing at Edinburgh when I went there back in the day.

“I felt like I was at home and belong here. Chris Van Straaten and Pete Adams are awesome to work with. On top of that, the track suits me as well and I have a lot of friends in the area. You just come to love the place.”

Masters, who is nine points away from joining the top-10 on Wolves’ all-time scorers list, will again captain the team this season. Promoter Van Straaten this week claimed the 31-year-old is getting better with age.

He topped the Premiership averages last season prior to breaking his collarbone and still finished second on the list racing through the pain barrier.

The influx of big-name riders at rival clubs for the 2023 campaign presents a challenge he is relishing.

“Compared to the last couple of seasons, it will be harder,” he says. “But it shows British Speedway is going OK, with riders coming back into the league.

“It is a good thing and hopefully I can beat some of these guys. I’m the No.1 for Wolves, so I need to be able to beat everyone in the league.

“It’s taken me a few years to get to where I am now but I feel I can keep pushing on. I enjoy it more than ever.”

Wolves open their Premiership campaign at home to King’s Lynn a week on Monday but first there is fun to be had. Current Monmore team-mates Luke Becker, Rory Schlein and Ryan Douglas are part of a 16-strong field for his testimonial which also features Chris Harris, Freddie Lindgren and Jacob Thorssell. The action gets underway at 3pm.

“Hopefully the weather plays fair. A lot of planning has gone into this,” says Masters. “This will be my 13th season racing in the UK and it has gone quickly.

“A lot has happened but it doesn’t feel like a long time at all. Hopefully the next 10 years don’t go so fast.”