FIM World Championship Speedway Grand Prix Series
Round S: Marketa Stadium
win a race and looks to have lost his
chance of challenging for the 2002
title.
While Hamill, winner of the Czech
GP in each of the last two seasons,
was joint fifth on the night after being
knocked out in the semi-finals for the
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HIPKISS
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBUC, JULY 20
mericans Greg Hancock and
Billy Hamill conjured up their
best Grand Prix performances of the
year at the Marketa Stadium in
Prague, but Australian Jason Crump
did likewise, coming away with his
first Grand Prix victory of the season.
Crump's victory in Prague also
made up ground at the top of the
leaderboard on Tony Rickardsson and
Ryan Sullivan, who were fourth and
third respectively in The Final, and
now share the leadership on 112 points
apiece. Rickardsson produced some
trademark passing to reach the final,
but came last when it mattered to allow
Sullivan to erase the pre-meeting, twopoint deficit between the pair.
With four rounds remaining,
Crump is still within striking distance
on 95 points, having moved into third
place ahead of a subdued Tomasz
Gollob.
The Pole, backed by thousands of
fans who had flocked across the border to support their favorite son, had
six rides on the night, but failed to
8
AUGUST 7, 2002'
cue
I
third time in this season's six rounds,
Hancock followed up his third place
in Stockholm by finishing runner-up,
behind Crump, and leapfrogged
Hamill in the overall series rankings.
Hancock, fast putting a sluggish
start to his campaign behind him, is
now eighth, on 62 points, while
Hamill remains in ninth place, on 56.
Both Americans are just in the frame
of the top 10 who will requalify for
the 2003 Grand Prix Series, with
Czech youngster Lukas Dryml now
10th, on 50 points.
There is now a six-week interlude
between the sixth and seventh
rounds, essentially to accommodate
the week-long World Team Cup in
England between August 4-10. Both
Hancock and Hamill will be representing the USA in that event, and
much will rest on their shoulders,
especially with Sam Ermolenko a
doubtful starter after recent surgery
on a hand injury. Their qualifying
round is at Eastbourne on Tuesday
August 6 against Poland, Russia and
Slovenia, with the last-chance semifinal and the final both at Peterborough's East of England Showground
on August 8 and 10.
Rickardsson (1) saw his points lead
erased once again after his fourthplace finish In The Final. He Is now
tied with Ryan Sullivan for the lead, on
112 points.
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