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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127278
'eSP~EDWAY ----- ..-" WorIdFinai ~ USA's Ronnie Coney and Rick Miller chase Australia's Todd Wiltshire. The Aussie finished third overall. A tie after 20 events forced a championship runoff between Per Jonsson (left) and Shawn Moran. Jonsson prevailed. Jonsson outruns Moran toWorld Championship By John Hipkiss 22 BRADFORD. ENGLAND, SEPT. I ce-cool Swedish rider Per Jonsson, 24, was crowned the 1990 World Speedway Champion after a deciding runoff for first place with I American Shawn Moran at Odsal Stadium. Both riders scored 13 points during the regular 20-event program; thus a . four-lap runoff was held to decide the winner. Jonsson held the advantage going into the first tum, and although Moran chased hard, he could not catch' the flying Swede who stretched his lead with every lap, Jonsson's victory ended a six-year monopoly by Denmark. although the title stayed in Scandanavia. The 1989 champion, Hans Nielsen. was aiming for his fourth win. and in a field decimated by the absence of several of his leading rivals he was a clear favorite. However, the Great Dane lacked his usual sharp edge and was relegated to fourth place after finishing third to Jonsson in his second heat and being beaten by Moran in his last race. It was the first time since 1983 that Nielsen failed to earn a place on the rostrum. Moran's second place was his best in three finals . As winner of the Intercontinental Semi-Final three weeks earlier, he was clearly in with a chance of upsetting Nielsen's hopes of retaining the title. However, Moran got off to a bad start when he was shut into third spot in his opening ride by another Swede, Henrik Gustafsson, and England's Kelvin Tatum. The 28year-old from Lakewood, California. had stripped away all his tear-off's by mistake on the first lap , and with his goggles covered with mud, he could not risk overtaking. Moran eased away to win his next two races, scored a vital win over pacesetter Jonsson in his fourth heat, and then rounded off with an impressive victory against Nielsen. With four successive wins behind him, Moran looked unbeatable, and had the advantage of winning the coin toss for choice of gates in the runoff with Jonsson. Moran chose the outside. but when Jonsson led him into the tum his dreams oftaking the title quickly faded . "1 won the toss; now I wish 1 hadn't," admitted Moran, who was first to congratulate Jonsson on his success. " I was unsure about what gear(ing) to use for the runoff. I obviously picked the wrong one because Jonsson beat me out of. the gate! " , The one consolation for Moran was that the two-week suspension threatened by the AMA if he does not return to the States for his mandatory meet ings has been lifted. Following discussions at Bradford with the AMA's Bill Boyce, Moran agreed to ride in the upcoming U.S. Nationals. . For the first time ' in five years, America had three representatives in the Final. Rick Miller was making his debut and he did well to collect eight points. despite having one deducted after finishing third to Moran and Nielsen in 'his last race. Miller was disqualified from that race because he had been cautioned for a second time for failing to stand still at the starting gate. "I think that was unfair," stormed Miller. "I earned every point. and if 1was to be excl uded then 1 should have been told before the race started, not after 1 had completed four laps." America's third rider, Ronnie Correy, also had an exclusion in his third race when Gustafsson fell as Correy swept wide in the fourth bend. Correy claimed he never made contact with the Swede, and Gustafsson confirmed his statement, but the Dutch referee refused to alter his decision. It was a miserable night for Correy. After tailing off last in his opening ride. he won his second outing only for the race to be declared void . A faulty starting gate resulted in England's Richard Knight being left at the tapes. and it was not until the race was completed that the fault was brought to the attention of the referee, who then ordered a rerun. Correy could only finish third in his second attempt and, thoroughly deflated by the incident, he managed only one more point from the remaining races, finishing at the bottom of the score chart with two points along with three eastern European riders. Cl'i Resu lts WORLD nNAL: 1. Per .jonsson (Sweden) 13; 2. Shawn Moran (USA) 13; 3. Todd Wiltshire (Australia) 12; 4. Han. Nielsen (Denmark) 11; 5. Jimmy Nilsen (Sweden) 10; 6. (TIE) Kelvin Tatum (England)!Henrik Gustafsson (Sweden) 9; 8. (TIE) . Rid Miller (USA)!Armando Castagna (Italy) 8; 10. Richard Kmght (England) 7; 11. Martin Dugard (England) 6; 12. Roman Matousek (Czechoslovakia) 5; 13. (TIE) Ronnie Correy (USA)/Zoltan Odorjan (HunM)!Zdenik Tesar, Antonin Kasper (Czechoslovakta) 2. .