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.SPEEDWAY· . . World Individual Championship Series Round 6: Danish Grand Prix World Championship team sponsor Team Exide additionally can boast the number-three rider in the world as Hamill's Cradely Heath teammate Greg Hancock took the final rostrum position at Vojens and placed third overall in the series. "All the headlines will go to Billy, and that's quite right at this stage," Hancock said. "As for myself, I am happy with third place, and one day I believe it will be my turn to take the title. Hopefully pretty soon." QUALIFYING HEATS En tering the meeting nine points adrift, Hamill needed to be totally focused on the meeting while having to rely on the Dane failing to make the A Final. Few believed he could do it, but once Hamill charged te the first heat win of the meeting, the story slowly began to unfold. He cut neatly from the outside and (Left) Billy Hamill was hoisted in victory atter becoming only the fourth American in history to win the World Speedway Championship. Hamill claimed the throne by winning the Danish Grand Prix at Vojens, Denmark. (Below) Hamill (left) came through In the clutch by gating his A Final competitors, including Team Exlde mate Greg Hancock (right) and then storming to victory In a must-win situation. Hancock finished third at Vojens and will also carry third ranking in the world in 1997. By John Hipkiss VOjENS, DENMARK, SEPT. 21 s the Star-Spangled Banner rang out amidst the cold air at Vojens Stadium, there was a warm feeling in the hearts of all Americans when speedway realized one of its most dramatic nights as the 1996 World Individual Championship Series came to a close. The day may go down in American speedway history as one of the country's best performances on a world stage as CaIifornia's Billy "The Bullet" Hamill realized a dream by snatching the World·Championship crown from Denmark's Hans Nielsen after a dramatic victory in the A Final, thus becoming only the fourth American in the history of the sport to claim the prize. "After all the talk about Hans being the favorite in his own country, I felt as though I had been written off by a lot of people," Hamill said. "I went out there and proved them wrong. When I went over the finish line, I knew what I had done: but then I just went crazy and wanted to get to my family as quickly as possible. I've had a great team around me all year. My Team Exide, Blomfeldttuned engine has been brilliant, and I can't thank everyone enough for all their support." fended off a tough first-turn challenge from Australia's Craig Boyce, who, for totally opposite reasons, was desperately seeking points. Former World Champion Tony Rickardsson of Sweden disregarded the bumpy surface and wrestled Neilsen's existing track record from the Dane by three-tenths of a second as he opened his account with three points in heat two. . Team Exide made it win number two in the third heat when Hancock got dear of the pack, which included Nielsen, who found himself at the rear at one stage. Calmly and collected, Nielsen sized up and passed Jason Crump, the young man who had denied him from wrapping up the title in London two weeks earlier, but two Americans headed the way as Sam Ermolenko was comfortably following Hancock. Little did Nielsen know just how crucial that third place was to be. The major shock in heat four was the second place earned by Polish wild card Piotr Protasiewicz behind Sweden's Henka Gustafsson, who by his own admission was just out to enjoy his evening as his GP future was secure but a rostrum place realisitically beyond him. By the end of the second batch of rides, both Hamill and Rickardsson remained unbeaten while Nielsen joined a bevy of riders on four points. It was evident from here on in that this was not going to be any ordinary meeting. There was a hint of Team Exide tactics in heat eight as Hamill went by