Young speedway ace Tai Woffinden will come out fighting in next year’s world championship – with help from boxing great John Conteh.

The 19-year-old got the inside track on the preparation needed to reach the sporting heights and met the former WBC world light-heavyweight champion at the Copthorne Hotel in Birmingham.

Woffinden, who gets his first taste of the Grand Prix series next season, said: “John was world champion for four years and spoke about the physical and the mental approach required to be the best.”

Conteh, world champ from 1974-78, was guest speaker at a sporting business lunch run by Gray Promotions.

Wolves asset Woffinden was a guest of one of his sponsors, Wolverhampton Skips, and spent some time chatting about his ambition to be world speedway champion with Conteh.

Woffinden is due to talk soon with Wolves with a view to signing a 2010 contract and is looking to expand an already impressive sponsor roster that includes SB Waste Management, Parrys International and Frog Vehicle Rental.

He said: “I am grateful for the corporate support. I am in talks with more local companies who have agreed to be part of my support team. One is a construction company and the other is a major retail outlet.”