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SPEEDWAY WC!r1d IndiVidual Championship. Series Final Round: Hackney Stadium • • • • an automatic place in next year's series. He admitted that he felt a little pressure before the meeting to try and secure the spot, but his performance was ice cool, and he hardly showed any signs of nerves. It was a performance which underlined his growing maturity and confidence as a world-class speedway rider. And the night wa al 0 a great one for America's "Sudden" Sam Ermolenko, who had an outside chance of finishing in the third spot in the series standings before the me ting. He managed to pull it off through a combination of great riding and a bad night for England's Chris Louis, who sat in third place overall before the event Ermolenko was not surprisingly a happy man after ascending to the World Championship rostrum for the fourth time as he added this third-place finish By John Hlpldss It') 0\ 0\ ...-I 00 ...-I I-< Q) .g .... u o 24 LONOON, ENGLAND, SEPT. 30 enmark's Hans Nielsen went into speedway's record books as the first-ever winner of the World Individual Championship Series - but it was also a night of celebration for Californian Greg Hancock, who became the second American to carry off a Grand Prix win with his triurn ph in the final round of the series, the Grand Prix of Great Britain at London's new Hackney Stadium. "This is the most special title for me because it has been achieved over six rounds," the jubilant Nielsen said afterward. "1 think the Grand Prix has been a success generally, and if I stay fit, 1 want to do it again next year. Age can catch up with you though, and I do notice it occasionally, especially when 1 look at the young guys going well like Billy (Hamill) and Greg (Hancock)." Nielsen lifted his fourth world crown after completing the formality at Hackney, finishing sixth on the night, which was more than enough to beat nearest rival, defending World Champion Tony Rickardsson of Sweden, whose runnerup finish in the series would force him to be content as a one-term World Champion. But Nielsen, who won the World Championship in 1986, '87 and '89, had been a class act throughout the six Grand Prix rounds, and the London meeting was only the first where he failed to qualify for the A Final. The A Final race was won by Hancock who, at the age of 25, showed enough to suggest that both he and fellow American Billy Hamill could be champion one day soon. Hancock was the most consistent rider on the night, dropping just two points in his five qualifying rides on a water-soaked track which held up well considering the heavy rain throughout the night. ""I've got a taste for success now," Hancock. "And I want to go all the way next year and win the world title itself." Hancock's place'in the top eight was under threat from Sweden's Henka Gustafsson going into the meeting; if the young Cradely Heath skipper had been knocked from the top eight in the final standings, he would not be eligible for (Above) Greg Hancock (4) ~ Into the ftrst tum aheed of Henlca Guaur- (7) and 118r1t Loram (8) while SlIm ErmoIenko (12) runa IlISt In the A FJI18lI1t tha Grand PrIx of Grellt 8rltII1n. Hancock went on to win while Ermolenko pulled off a s.-plng move for second. (Right) All hall tha king: Hans Nielsen (2) ascended to the world title with a secondplace finish In the B Final, becoming the first Danish rider In history to eam four Individual championships. (Laft) Ermolenko'a run~-up ftnleh In the A FJI18l _..-Jghto rwt him world number·three IItIItua for 1996. The mold vel8ran rider of Taam USA Ilfta thewhMlln celebration. to that of his World Championship debut at Bradford, England, in 1985 and followed that up with an identical result at the two-day World Final at Amsterdam, Holland, in 1987. He reached the pinnacle of the sport with his victory in the World Final at Pocking, Germany, in 1993. '1 knew 1 had a chance of third place, but it was a long shot," Ermolenko said. "But when things started to go wrong for Chris Louis, I was there to take my chance." Ermolenko's achievement is all the more remarkable when you consider that he was well below par in the opening rounds. Indeed, before the penultimate stage at Vojens, Denmark, his place in the all-important top eight was in doubt. Billy "The Bullet" Hamill also salvaged what threatened to be a disappointing night after suffering some bad luck at the starts with a victory in the B Final, and his 15 points were more than enough to give him fifth place in the series, once again a great achievement as he started the series in Poland as a ·reserve rider.