This season to be Western Australian's last in Europe.
Multiple Australian champion Bryan Staring splashed to a rewarding second position on the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup podium at Lausitzring in Germany on Sunday, following five months off the bike with a broken leg.
Staring smashed his right leg in a motocross incident during April, forcing him out of three rounds in the season’s mid-stages. The weather played into his hands at EuroSpeedway for a first podium since 2012.
The result has come as a timely one for 29-year-old Team Agro On Benjan Kawasaki rider Staring, who revealed post-race that 2016 will be his last in Europe. It’s not been confirmed if he will continue racing elsewhere next season.
“I’m really happy for the race,” Staring said. “I came from 19th on the grid, qualified 20th yesterday, and I stayed on the couch for the last five months at home with a broken leg. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve visited the podium in any category and any race.
“I’m very happy to have the race that I just had – the sport’s given me a good time and such a hard time over the last five years. It’s been difficult to see the way, but anyway, for what’s going to be my last year in Europe, I’m so happy to have this podium and really make a big result today.
“Thanks so much to my team, who have kept believing in me the whole time that I’ve been away and at home, all my personal sponsors and everyone in Australia and Italy who have been so good to me over the years. I’m really happy for this result.
Staring will now aim to continue his progress into Magny-Cours in France at the end of this month, but is well aware he and the team have further challenges ahead in dry conditions during the final two rounds.
“Not too much is going to change for us,” he added. “We got lucky with the conditions today, but in the dry we’ve got a long way to go. Anyway, we’re going to arrive, there’s no doubt. We lost so many months and with the development of the bike, everything got put on a stop, so we’ll be there in Magny-Cours and we’re going to be strong, sooner rather than later. We need some more time.”