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the top riders in the Grands Prix this year despite all his problems last time around, and some bookies in the U.K. are making him the favorite after h is good start to the season in Sheffie ld and an impressive performance in the Gold Bar meeting in Vojens, Denmark. "It's so important to do well because I think that the' Grand Prix is the future of speedway racing," Ermolenko said. "It's the best way to gain exposure on TV in Europe and also to win sponsorship, which is also a vital part of any professional sport in this da y and age , I can 't wait to get started, and it will be vital for all the guys to get a good start in Poland. H an s Nielsen may be the champion, but we all start level now." Speaking of sponsorship, Ermoleriko's Californian colleagues Ha ncock and Hamill have already received a ma ssive boost on the eve of the Grand Prix schedule with the announcement of a deal w ith Exide Batteries. Both riders were present at a press conference last week to form "Team Exide" - th e first ever team in Grand Prix competition. But Hancock issued the following warning: "Billy is a grea t friend and a great rider, b u t I am determined to win the world title, and if that means doing it at the expense of Billy, then tha t's the way it must be," Han cock sai d. "We are both a part of Tea m Exide, but we are also very kee n to become World Individual Champion, an d that means one of us has to be at the other. If I bea t Billy, that's great, bu t if Billy is champion, then I' ll be the first to congratu late hi m ." Hancock, fou rt h in the 1995 World Individual Championship Series , is still captain of the ever-popular Heathens Speedway team - which has been forced to move fro m its traditional- Dud ley Wood home to Stoke for the 1996 season , a nd h e bel ieve s that a busy British League sche du le keeps you sharp. "You need to be competitive all the tim e, and the British League is the best way to stay competitive, altho ugh it can be ha rd at times," Hancock said . "I race in Pola nd, Sweden and Britain, and the Bri tish League is th e toughes t in the world, w h ich is good for m y fitness. (Above left ) American hopeful: Armed with a new sponsorship deal, 1995 Brit ish Grand Prix winner Greg Hancock will be as determ ined as ever to bring home hi s fi rst Wor ld Champ ionship . (Above) After struggling with his equipment In the early GP rounds last year, Sam Ermolenko came on strong to finish t he year In third place. Ermolenko has backed away from a full British League schedule to g ive more concentra t ion to th is year's effort. (Left) Like Hancock, Billy " The Bullet" Hamill got a taste of GP success with a win last year at the Austrian Grand Prix. The wil d young charger will no doubt be hungry for more in '96. And now that the laid-down engines are allowed, it can on ly be good for us . The Team Exide Sponsorship deal is also a big boost for both Billy and me an d it's more important than ever to have a professiona l setup for Grand Prix racing, because you can't afford to lose a po int. "I wo uld like to think that other riders can look tow ard Billy and me and perhaps try to do something similar, because I know Exide are delighted with the exposure they have go t from this deal already," Hancock said. As for Hancock's title hopes, he believes he has just as good a chance as any of his rivals. "A lot of Grand Prix racing is down to consistency," Hancock said. "But as we all saw with Tony Rickardsson last year, he was in great form and ye t he had one or two crashes which prevented him fro m challenging for the title with Hans Nielsen. If I can avoid bad lu ck, either through injury or bike problems, then I think I can do as well as anybody else in the Grand Prix." Mea nwhile, 1996 fifth-place finisher Hamill is just as confident of success in the sport's ultimate prize. Hamill finished on t o p of the British Pr em ie r League points averages last season as well as bringing hom e the firs t-ever Grand Prix victory by an American at the Austrian Grand Prix . He has again done well at the start of 1996, but he admits it wi ll be a tou g h test of his World Championship credentials. "It's gone very well for me so far this year, a nd I' m part ic ularly pleased beca use for th e first time in years I stayed away from speedway during the winter to get a fresh start," Hamill said. "Now that the Gran d Prix is here I feel as fresh and keen as eve r, and I think I can have a goo d series, but it's the tou ghest test in the world, an d I know all the boys w ill be just as keen as me." Meanwhile, like Hancock, H amill is delighted with the for mation of Team Exide, and he agrees wi th Hancock's thoughts on individual competition. "Greg and me have put a lot of work into forming Team Exide, bu t the bottom line is th at the Grand Prix is an individual event," Hamill sa id . "If that means me putting Greg into the di rt to force him wide, then that's the way it is. We have great respect for each other and our competition - to be better than each other can on ly be good for both of us. It can also benefi t Cradley Heath and Team Exide because we both have the same goal, and tha t's to reach the top. "I have a belief that bo th Greg an d me can be World Individual Champion," Hamill said. "It's just a shame we can't do it at the same time! If Greg does it befo re me, I'll be in ther e to .congratulate hi m be fore anyone else, and I'm sure the same ap pli es with Greg." 0>1 1996 World IndividualChampionship Series Schedule Wroclaw, Poland, May 18 Lonigo, Italy, June 1 Pocki ng, Germany, July 6 Linkoeping, Swe den, August 10 London, England, August 31 Vojens, Denmark, Sep tember 21 Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Rnd3 Rnd4 Rnd5 Rnd6 1996 Grand Prix F ield "Hans Nie lsen Tony Rickardsson Sam Ermolenko Greg Hancock Billy Ha mill Mark Lorarn Chris Louis Henka Gustafsson Jason' Crump Leigh Adams MarvynCox Peter Karlsson Tommy Knudsen Joe Screen Gary H avelock Craig Boyce Andy Smith "Reigning World Champion Denmark Swe den USA USA USA England England Sweden Australia Aus tralia England Sweden Denmar k Engl and England Aus tra lia England