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SPEEDWAY Series Round.6: Danish Grand Prix Individual Championship Wo~d (Above) Sam Ermolenko (right) ballied his way Into the A Final to meet with his best result In the '96 series, a fourth place. But the 1993 World Champion finished ninth overall in the series and must now requallfy through the Grand Pnx Challenge at Prague in the Czech Republic. (Above) Hamill celebrated his triumph with a standing wheelle after pulling off the A Final victory and taking the championship. (Left) Nielsen (left) congratulates Hamill (right) on a Job well done. The "Main Dane" has vowed to reclaim the championship next year, (Left) Hamill (center), Hancock (right) and Danish GP runner-up Mark Loram of England (left) let the bubbly fly on the victory podium, The Brit's second-place finish clinched a berth In next year's Grand Prix series, (Right) America's champion: World Speedway Champion Billy Hamill, with wife Christina and daughter Margaret surely the other Americans would not stand in his way even though Ermolen.ko was still not certain of a topeight slot, and neither was Loram. GRAND PRIX HEATS The 0 and C Finals were won by Australia's Leigh Adams and England's Louis, respectively, and had little influence on the final positions, save to put Louis on a critical 54-point score and thus save him from having to go to Prague. But the meeting was to warm up. Nielsen did what was asked of him, as he outgated the three Swedes from the outside to win the B Final. Little did he know that his decision to use ga te four was to infl uence Hamill. As for the three Americans and Loram - who needed better than fourth place to avoid a run'-off against his brother-in-law Louis for that all-se-critical eighth-place overall - ielsen could just ponder. Hamill, prompted by Nielsen's win, from the outside, took the same position at the gate. Hancock went to the inside while Ermolen.ko opted to keep Loram away from Hamill by lining up in g~te three. When the tapes went up, Hamill made the turn from the outside with his compatriots following him. But Loram was not content to sit back and watch Hamill win the title in a walk. The Brit pulled himself from last place to second and breathed hard on Hamill's shoulder. By now Ermolenko had effectively resigned himself to having to go to Prague as Hancock hi t back to give his teammate Hamill some prC?tection. _ "It was a tough night, and I was pleased to get through to the A Final," Ermolenko said. "But to miss out by a couple of points was disappointing. Having said that, I know that [ can still mix it with the top guys, and I'm confi- dent of getting through from the GP Challenge." Incred1bly, Loram still had enough left to sneak second, but that was elementary by now. Hamill had held on, and ielsen was left to make a solitary walk back to his number-one pit slot for the very last time. "I think I have the hunger to come back and win it next year," Nielsen said. "Well done to Billy Hamill. I think I lost it (the championship) in Sweden where I had a bad meeting." In 1997 that number-one pit position will be occupied by the new king of world speedway - Hamill, who has now joined the late Jack Milne, two-time winner Bruce Penhall and fellow competitor Ermolenko as a World Speedway Champion from America. "This will take some time to sink in for me," Hamill said. "It's such a great feeling, but right now I am struggling to take it all in. When I do I will remember it for the rest of my life." 4':'1 Danish Grand PrIx vojens, Denmark Results: September 21, 1996 (Round 6 of 6) Qu.iliIy;ngH.... OIA POINTS, 1. Bmy HamiD (13~ 2. Creg Hancock (12); 3. Sam Ermolenko (12); 4. Mark Loram (11); 5. Hans Nielsen (10); 6. Henka Gustafsson (10); 7. Peter Karlsson (9); 8. Tony Rickardsson (9); 9. Craig Boyce (7); 10. Jason Crump (6); 11. Joe Screen (5); U. Chris Louis (4); 13. Leigh Adams (4~; 14. Piotr Protasiewicz (4); 15. Tommy Knudsen (3); 16. Marvyn Cox (1); 17. Andy Smith (O~ 18. Tomas>: GoUob (0). Grand Prix Heats o FINAL: 1. Le.igh Adams; 2. Piotr Protasiewicz: 3. Tommy Knudsen; 4. Marvyn Cox. C FINAL: 1. Chris Louis; 2. Craig Boyce; 3. Joe Screen; 4. Jason Crump. 8 FINAL: L Hans Nielsen; 2. Henka Custafsson; 3. Peter Karlsson; 4. Tony Rickardsson. A FINAL: 1. Billy Hamill; 2. Mark Loram; 3. Greg Hancock; 4. Sam Ennolenko. WORLD INDIVTDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES STANDINGS (Alter 6 of 6 rounds): 1. Billy Hamill (113/2 wins); 2. Hans Nielsen (111/2); 3. Creg Hancock (88); 4. Tony Rickardsson (86); 5. Henka Custamon (80): 6. Peter Karlsson (62); 7. Mark Loram (58); 8. Chris Louis (54); 9. Sam Ermolenko (52); 10. Jason Crump (45/1); 11. Tommy Knudsen (44/1); 12. Tomasz Gollob (43); 13. Joe Screen (38~ 14. Craig Boyce (30~ 15. Leigh Adams (28); 16. Cary Havelock (27); 17. Andy Smith (19); 18. Marvyn Cox (15); 19. eerd Ris. (12); 20. Stefan Alfonso (12~