EVERY speedway fan has felt the horrible knot that twists your insides when a rider crashes.

Your eyes fix on the man on the floor, hoping they leap to their feet. Thankfully, they invariably do.

When you think about it, the fact so many spring up to swiftly alleviate that nasty sensation is miraculous in itself.

Such is the bravery of the heroes of our tracks, it almost becomes the norm.

Anyone who was at Lakeside on Friday will have an all-too vivid recollection of such incidents – how Maciej Janowski escaped far more serious injuries than the ones he sustained when his bike obliterated the perimeter fence is anyone’s guess.

Sadly, Darcy Ward was not so lucky.

The speedway world is now hanging on what happens next but while speculation continues to fly through the ether, let’s not forget two very important things.

Firstly, while nobody knows what the future holds, Darcy has won a battle many might have lost. He is still alive.

Secondly, as eager as we all are to know how speedway’s favourite showman is, our thoughts, feelings and concerns pale into insignificance compared with those of Darcy and his loved ones.

Rumours will do nothing to alleviate the anguish being felt by Darcy’s parents, family and close friends.

His Polish club has asked for 48 hours to provide an update – let’s hope his privacy and dignity is respected.