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Hancock, going onward and upward at Prague, was delighted to have bettered his display in Sweden a fortnight earlier in reaching a runner-up spot on the rostrum. "Things seem to be getting better for me all the time," the 1997 World Champion said, "and I am really pleased to have got the ball rolling again in the last two rounds. It was good to fmally start in the Main Event for the first time this season, and it meant I was far more relaxed and not panicking about the early races. It was still tough, but I met the challenge, and I had to do some aggressive racing along the way. I was hard on Mikael Karlsson at one stage, but no harder than he would have been on me. That's the way things are in the Grand Prix these days. "I was so excited to have got gate two in my semi-final as it was working so well," Hancock continued. "I would have recommended it to anyone on the night. It is a pity I then got the inside in the final rather than gate two again, but I made a good start, only to see that Jason Crump had made an even better start. I feel back in the swing of things now and I am looking forward to every meeting and every race. It has been flat out in recent months with so many Grand Prix rounds, but at last I feel as if I am back on song and ready to keep going forward. I have finished third and second in the last two GPs, so I will be looking to go that one step further by winning in Gothenburg at the end of next month. That has got to be my goal." Whereas Hancock, who failed to make a Grand Prix final in 2001, was exempt to the Main Event for the first time this year following his rostrum finish in Stockholm, Hamill again had to battle his way through from the early heats, and he did so without too many hiccups. Having finished second in heat two, he had his third two-rider race in two rounds when Coventry Bees colleague Andreas Jonsson jumped into the tapes at the start of heat seven, and Norway's Rune Holta was excluded for coming off. Left with only Denmark's Nicki Pedersen to race, Hamill blasted away from the start to win. Having reached the Main Event, he was then third in heat 13 behind Crump and Gollob, and faced Jonsson in an eliminator in heat 17, with Sloven ian Matej Ferjan, in the Main Event for the first time this year, and Holta sat on their outside. The clever money was on a "Coventry 5- 1," and though they both gated, Holta put the cat amongst the pigeons by hooking up into a surprise lead down the back straight, with Jonsson losing the lead and Hamill pushed back to third. Hamill looked on his way out as his Coventry teammate kept a decent distance ahead, but as the last lap began the highly rated young Swede dropped a primary chain to exit with a mechanical mishap for the second successive round. Jonsson's mishap reprieved the fortunate Hamill and he then finished second in heat 22 behind Mark Loram to qualify for his third semi-final appearance of the season. Hancock had reached the last eight courtesy of a second place in front of Jonsson in heat 15 and another second in 20 with a brilliant cutback to see off Mikael Karlsson and Gollob. Hamill got the inside gate, with Hancock on two in the first semi, but Crump made a big swoop around the outside to push Hamill back to third. "It was an okay meeting for me, but I still don't feel as if 1 am showing my true colors in the Grand Prix Series," Hamill said. "I am still capable of doing much, much better and, in one sense, I am looking forward to the six-week break before the next round in Gothenburg. I haven't been feeling too great in myself in recent weeks and the gap between the sixth and seventh rounds gives me the opportunity to recharge the batteries a little. I believe it will do me the world of good and I can come back refreshed and ready to make a big impact in the next round. I am also looking forward to my first trip back home this season. I am riding at both Victorville apd San Bernadino and it will be good fun to be back to see my folks and friends: (Top left) Greg Hancock (foreground) had his best GP outing this season, finishing In the runner·up spot to land his second conseutive podium. Billy Hamill (background) was stout at Prague, finishing in a tie for fifth. (Top) Ryan Sullivan (4) refuses to give up his fight for the title. A third-place run at Prague tied him with Rickardsson for the series lead. (RIght) Hancock, Crump, and Sullivan (left to right) enjoy the spoils of the podium. Crump stili has a solid shot at taking his first World Championship crown this season. Hancock took the checkered flag in his semi-final ahead of Crump, but then drew the inside gate in the final. Crump this time got the drop from the tapes from gate two, but Hancock kept ahead of Sullivan and Rickardsson for a worthy runner-up spot on the night. It was his best finish since he was runner-up to Hamill in the last Grand Prix of the 2000 season. Crump, with three fourth-places finishes this year, admitted that he was desperate to win, especially after drawing the gate he wanted in the final. "I have no luck with the draw for gate positions in previous finals," said the Aussie, who finished as World number two behind Rickardsson last year. "Three times I have had the outside position and finished last each time. I wanted an inside gate, got it and won. "My season got off to a bad start through injury and you cannot compete at this level unless you are 100 percent. I have taken a while to get going but this win is what I wanted and needed - and I wanted and needed it desperately: With tile last round of this year's series in Australia on October 26, cue I • Crump will want to narrow the deficit even further in the next three rounds in the hope of giving himself the opportunity of taking the title in Sydney's Stadium Australia. At the other end of the qualifying frame, Hancock and Hamill will be determined to continue their improvement, and thus avoid the need for any late heroics to maintain their place in the series for 2003, especially with the safety-valve of the Grand Prix Challenge meeting no longer in the World Championship equation. I:N Martlob Sbdium 'ngue, Czech Republic Results: July 20, 2002 (Roand I of 9) S.E.MJ 1 (Top 2 transfer to The Final): 1. Greg Hlllncock; 2. Jason Crump: 3. Billy Hamill; 4. Lucas Dryml. SEMI 2 (Top 2 transfer to The Final): I. RYlIn Sullivan: 2. Tony Ricke.rdsson: Mark Loram: 4. Leigh Adllms. THE FINAL: 1. Jason Crump; 2. Greg Hancock; 3. RYlm Sullivan: 4. Tony RJckerds50n. FlM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX SERIES STANDINGS (After 6 of 9 rounds): 1. (TIE) Tony Rickard"on (112/2 wins)/Ryan Sullivan (112/2 wins): 3. Jason Crump (95/1 win); 4. Toma.. Gollob (79/1 win): 5. Leigh Adams (79); 6. Mark Loram (78): 7. Mika.1 Karlsson (72): 8. Greg Hancock (62): 9. Billy Hamill (56): 10. Lukas Dryml (50). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Chorzow, Poland, September 14 Round 8 - Vojens, Denmark, September 28 n e _ s 'AUGUST 7, 2002 9