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World Championship Speedway Grand Prix Series Round . "Polonia Stadium up the ghost after a breathtaking pocket of speedway at its very best. BYDGOSZCZ,POLAND,SEPT.8 It was sensational stuff, and illy Hamill and Greg Hancock Hamill, who had won the previous pulled out all the stops on a night Grand Prix in Prague, continued his of mesmeric World Championship World Championship revival to finish action in Poland on Saturday. The fourth in the final behind Jason two Americans were unable to reproCrump, World Champion elect Tony duce their memorable one-two from Rickardsson and surprise packet last season's Grand Prix in BydMikael Karlsson, and has now jumped goszcz, so instead they conjured up a up into sixth place overall. His place champagne moment that will live in the 2002 series looks virtually long in the memory of all who witguaranteed, and Hamill insists he nessed it. never doubted his ability to banish his Heat 18 in the Polonia Stadium early-season Grand Prix nightmare to last Saturday qualifies as one of best the history books. races since the Grand Prix series was "Even through the lowest points of inaugurated in 1995, with Hamill and the season like the British Grand Prix Hancock booking their place in the at Cardiff, I was still going great in semifinals with a sensational doubleleague meetings in Poland, Sweden pronged assault against Leigh Adams and England," Hamill said. "That was and home favorite Tomasz Gollob, the main reason why I never really who had already won a spectacular lost any faith in my ability, although battle with Nicki Pedersen in heat 14 you do start looking at the way in as a rain-soaked and rutted track which you are riding at times. served up a prime racing spectacle. "I think the biggest thing for me All four riders diced for the lead, was confidence. It hurt a lot when I with the American pair yo-yoing from did so badly in the opening three position to position in a thriUing exhirounds, and that's why I almost gave bition that saw men and machinery up on caring too much and just pushed to the limit in a breathless relaxed in Prague and Bydgoszcz, and battle. They were at the back, the I think the results speak for themfront, the back again and finally the selves - first and fourth, respectively." front once more, with Hancock totally dissecting the inside white line at one Hancock, who ran a third in his stage, before they got the better of opening ride but then looked quick in Adams after Gollob's bike had given winning heats six and 10, had to n _ vv s 40 SEPTEMBER 26,2001 • c u e • e STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HIPKISS B make do with a place in the Consolation final, and will be disappointed to have finished eighth to bank 10 points, when 15 were up for grabs. Starting off gate four in the Consolation final, he tried to cut back off the second turn and almost got into second place at one stage, but he got badly balked on lap two and was unable to recover. It means Hancock is 14th overall (disregarding reserve Grzegorz Walasek, who can't qualify via the 2001 series), and six points adrift of the top 10. He still has plenty of work to do in Stockholm on September 29 if he is to avoid having to ride in the GP Challenge at Krsko on October 13. "I had a lot of stuff work for me, plus a lot of focus," said Hancock. "Things were going to plan, and I just plugged away. I had a difficult first ITop) Billy Hamill (right) and Greg Hancock (left) put on one of the most electrifying perfonnances in Grand Prix speedway history during heat 18 of the Polish Grand Prix In Bydgoszcz. Both riders advanced Into the semifinals, with Hamill going all the way to the main final. (Below) Australia's "ason Crump (right) emerged victorious In the main final. It was Crump's first GP win of the year.