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World Championship Speedway Grand Prix Series Round 3: Vojens Speedway series after again failing to make the semi-finals. Hancock is currently 13th - three places and four points adrift of the VOJENS, DENMARK, JOLY 28 ony Rickardsson's second successive Grand Prix victory at Vojens leapfrogged him into the lead over Tomasz Gollob at the halfway stage of this year's World Championship, with the super Swede now seven points to the good in his bid to collect a fourth World crown. Americans Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock, meanwhile, have been forced to reassess their Grand Prix priorities after another futile World Championship round in Denmark. Challenging for the 2001 title is no longer the main aim for the two crestfallen Californians; instead they must now target a place in the top 10 if they are to avoid having to fight for their futures in the cutthroat GP Challenge meeting in Slovenia in October. While Rickardsson (66 points) and Gollob (59) dominate proceedings at the top of the leader board, Hancock (19) and Hamill (12) remain in perilous territory below the cut-off point for automatic inclusion in the 2002 T 22 AUGUST 15, 2001 • eye I who finished second in the world behind Mark Loram last year is even worse off, in 20th place after adding only four points to his running total. qualification frame - after banking just five points in Vojens. Hamill, STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HIPKISS Both former World Champions remain perplexed by their erfor- lTop) Tony Rlckardsson races up the inside against Jason Crump (foreground) en route to victory at the Danish Speedway Grand Prix. The win moved the Swede Into the points lead as the series reached its halfway point. (Right) Rlckardsson (3) displaced Tomasz Gollob (71 in the series standings. Gollob finished fourth in the Final at Volens. e n e _ s mances in this year's Grand Prix series. "What can I say and where do I start when it comes to talking about my latest disappointment? I'm almost lost for words," said a clearly dejected Hamill. "I'm starting to accept that I may need to go to the GP Challenge in Slovenia to get into next year's series, but I don't want to do that unless I really have to. I'm really enjoying my speedway this year, but only before and after Grand Prix meetings. After Denmark I went to Poland on Sunday and scored 15 points on the same engine, so how do I explain that? I can only presume it's down to me and I can't offer any excuses. Obviously the Grand Prix format leaves no room for error and if you're struggling early on then you are staring the exit door in the face before you know it." It has been a difficult season for Hancock as well, both emotionally and mentally, as he he has been unable to put his finger on where things are going wrong in the Grands Prix. "It is just not my year, Hancock said. "Maybe I am trying a little too hard, but nothing seems to work for me. I am doing well enough in my league speedway, but I seem to be on a roller-coaster in the Grand Prix series. I can't stay on the top level, but I need to stay focused and try and find some consistency. I don't know where it has gone this season, but it is just not there. Perhaps things just aren't meant to be and my target now is to finish in the top 10. I do not want to find myself in the situation of having to ride in the GP Challenge in Slovenia. I need to get my act togeth. er, but there are still three rounds to go. Three wins would be nice and I am going to stay positive in my bid to climb the ladder." Hamill, whose IS-point maximum for Zielona Gora the day after the