Todd Wiltshire is more than likely to swap his speedway kevlars for a Bob the Builder outfit when he quits the sport at the end of the season.

Todd WiltshireThe 34 year-old Oxford Silver Machine No 1, married to wife Linda with two sons, ten-year-old Anders and eight-year-old Logan, is a dab hand at the building game.

It came as quite a shock when the Aussie announced on Monday he was quitting, but many riders around his age will probably applaud his decision.

It's not much of a family life traipsing around Europe for six months of the year.

Based in Sweden, Wiltshire, apart from riding for the Silver Machine, also turns out in Sweden and Poland, and the travelling must have played a big part in his decision.

Linda said: "Our future may well be in the real estate business. We have been buying and renovating houses, and Todd is the perfect tradesman.

"If anything is a millimetre out, he will rip it all down and start again. He is a perfectionist when it comes to building and his craftsmanship is superb."

I caught up with Todd in Sweden.

"The decision has been coming for years," he said.

"It's more for my family than anything else. When you get home and see them just once a week it's no life for anyone, especially when your son asks 'how long are you home for this time, daddy?'

"My family need me more than speedway at the moment, and this decision has been on my mind since the start of the season."

He admits he has had a roller-coaster career - which was punctuated by a five-year absence with a serious back injury - the darkest moment in his long career that began with Wimbledon back in the 1980's.

He added: "My fondest memory is taking third place in the old one-off World final at Bradford in 1990 behind Per Jonsson, and of course being on the podium at Cardiff in the British Grand Prix last year.

"I decided to come back after that back injury as I had some unfinished business.

"I was only 22 when I had the accident and it was kind of an abrupt end.

"I am really going to enjoy the rest of the season and I will take every opportunity offered to ride.

"Reading on Monday night was brilliant and very emotional in the end."

Now the twice-crowned Australian champion hopes to go out with a bang in the Grand Prix.