FIM World Championship Speedway Grand Prix Series
Round 8: 81 ski Stadium
Nicki Pederson
becomes the
first Danish GP
hero since
Hans Nielsen.
(Left) Nicki Pederson earned his firstcareer GP victory and became the first
Danish winner In three years during
the European Speedway Grand Prix at
Poland's Slaski Stadium.
(Belowlln the Final, Pederson (121
disappeared Into the distance, leaving
Jason Crump (2), Mikael Karlsson (71
and Tony Rlckardsson (11.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN HIPKISS
CHORZOW, POLAND, SEPT. 14
&!I nother first-time Grand Prix win,IT ner, and further proof that the
masterful Tony Rickardsson is surel)"
destined to become the World Speedway Champion for a fifth time in nine
years in the next six weeks - that was
the story of the European Grand Prix
at Slaski Stadium in Chorzow.
Nicki Pedersen became Denmark's
first GP winner in three years - since
the legendary Hans Nielsen won the
inaugural European Grand Prix in
1999 - and Rickardsson, though finishing fourth, opened up a 14-point
lead over main Aussie challenger
Ryan Sullivan with just two of this
year's 10 rounds remaining.
1
(Leftl R1ckardsson (foregroundl nearly
looped out during heat race action.
Many riders voiced concern over the
condition of the temporary racing·
circuit.
Jason Crump, who was second on
the night behind Pedersen, made up
some ground on Rickardsson, but he
is still 20 points behind the Swedish
icon, with Vojens, Denmark, and Sydney, Australia, to come.
As for Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock, neither of America's two former
World Champions reached the semifinals on yet another erratic one-off
Grand Prix track. Hancock, laid low
by illness, missed out on the final for
the first time in four rounds, while
40
OCTOBER 2, 2002'
cue • •
n
•
_
s
Hamill, still troubled by the back
injury sustained at Auburn a month
ago, was just inched out of earning a
place in the last eight when he made
his exit in heat 22.
Hancock, who had finished third,
second and fourth in the three previous GPs, began with a second behind
Crump in heat nine, and then a third in
heat 15, which sent him into an eliminator alongside Hamill in heat 17.
Hamill had battled through from
the early stages, finishing second in
heat four and wirining heat seven,
before then running third in heat 13.
The two Statesiders gated at the
front but were pegged back when
Poland's Sebastian Ulamek fell on the
first turn. In the re-run, they once
