Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Team Exide's Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock each other, citing Hancock's laydown in the A Final at the Swedish Grand Prix, which ultimately allowed Hamill to take the victory, as a perfect example. The whole situation is something the riders simply laugh about. "Those people are just jealous," Hamill says. "Greg and I are great rivals on the track, and we look after ourselves in Grand Prix racing. Those guys are just sad, and that's all I can say on the subject because they are not even worth talking about: There has always been a lot of talk about Greg and me being great buddies, and that's true, but Greg wants to beat me just as much as I want to beat him. That's great competition for you. Now try telling me we help each other. We even had some shirts printed after Greg was accused of laying his bike down in Sweden to help me in the rerun - the printing said. our only laydowns were 500cc engines." Hamill said that the team has no worries on the subject, and that anyone who suggests otherwise is insulting their professional integrity. '1 would always invite them to say it to our face," Hamill said. Meanwhile, Hancock totally agrees with Hamill in that the Exide deal is the best thing that could have happen to the two Californians. By John Hlpklss \0 0\ 0\ ,...., -..D I-< Q) hen Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock combined to launch the first-ever team partnership in Grand Prix speedway racing, it caused plenty of interest. And it may be why they landed Exide Batteries - a company recognized throughout the world - which responded to the great professionalism of the two Americans as well as the tremendous exposure that the fully televised World Championship Individual Series affords throughout Europe by signing the two to a lucrative sponsorship deal which has already reaped rewards for both parties. Hamill, the newly crowned World Champion, is quick to point out that other Grand Prix riders will soon follow in Team Exide's footsteps. Already there is speculation about other riders on the Grand Rrix trail who may team up in similar style to that of Formula One car racing. Hamill, who worked as hard as anybody to set up Team Exide with Hancock, is delighted with the pioneering year. "It's the best thing we couId have done," Hamill said. "Both Greg and myself got together toward the end of last season, and we looked at various companies to target, but Exide were already involv.ed in the sport, and they were more than happy to join us. We were helped by the fact that we had the promise of great TV exposure through Sky Sport, which is getting more and more popular throughout the UK and Europe." Hamill reports that Exide has been happy with the exposure that the duo was able to give the company in its first 1 z 20 (Above) Americans Billy Hemlll (left) end Greg Hencock put together e meJor sponsorship deel tor their 1996 World Champlonehlp speedwey Meson by paIring up to form Teem Exlde In e pioneering exemple which may redefine the limits of sponsorship within the sport. (Right) Hamill, shown here at the ltallen Grend Prix, cerrJed Exlde colors ell the way to the World Championship. The teem logo Is highly visible on both his Iesthers end his motorcycle. year as the team worked hard to create as much publicity as possible right off the bat, thus proving.that they had what it took to make a major sponsorship of this sort work in the sport of speedway. "We organized a press conference to launch the project at a plush hotel in the Midlands (of England)," Hamill said. "We had all the TV cameras there and national newspapers. We hired a local radio guy to present the press conference and laid on a buffet for. the press guys - that got our team off to a great start. And the whole team turned out with our transport to make for some great color photographs. All the local newspapers and magazines gave us some great coverage, and we also had a guy who collected the cuttings to present as a portfolio for next year. Yet once the racing got under way this year, the team was not without its share of controversy as there were plenty of accusations of "team riding" in the "individual" Grands Prix. Supporters and people within the sport pointed fingers at Hancock and Hamill with charges that the pair cheated by helping "We can't thank them enough," Hancock said. "Both Billy and I agree that there is no way we could have acheived our success like this without the help of the sponsorship deal. But it's a two-way thing, and 1 would like to think that we have increased the exposure of their product, because we have realized the importance of sponsorship and have tried to increase that exposure at every opportunity. "I don't think we can ever expect anything for free," Hancock continued. "And we have had to work hard to get:=

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