TRAGIC: Lee Richardson

CHRIS Louis and Scott Nicholls have both paid tribute to their former England team-mate Lee Richardson,who was killed in a track crash in Poland at the weekend.

SPEEDWAY: Chris Louis and Scott Nicholls have paid tribute to their former England team-mate Lee Richardson, who was killed in a track crash in Poland at the weekend.

Hastings-born Richardson, 33, rode alongside both former Witches while in England colours and was a regular visitor to Foxhall Stadium, racing against the Suffolk side on numerous occasions.

He died riding at Wroclaw on Sunday afternoon, after clipping a rider, colliding with the back straight safety fence before been thrown back onto the track.

“It’s difficult to know what to say,” Ipswich promoter Louis said.

“Lee wasn’t a wild rider, he could be hard when he wanted to, but he was calculated and all the riders considered him a safe rider. I rode with him for England and in World Cups. It’s just such a tragedy.”

While Louis no longer rides, Nicholls has to try and pick himself up to continue racing, despite the loss of a rider he knew so well.

“The messages of support Lee’s family will be getting just shows how close the speedway world is,” Nicholls said.

“We were big rivals in the under-21s together and he won the world title in 1999, but we always got on well. The biggest tragedy is that he leaves a wife and three children. He was a good dad and loved his kids.

“And when you are a dad yourself you feel this sort of thing even more.”

Louis added: “Speedway is such a dangerous sport and the riders are all fully aware, but they take huge enjoyment out of performing and doing well.”

Richardson was the current Lakeside Hammers captain and son of former Wimbledon rider Colin Richardson.

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