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(Above) Aussle hopeful: Jason Crump desperately wanted a home country win but ended up third Instead. (Lett) Wortd Champion Tony R1ckardsson failed to make the semis for the first time this season. crashing in the second semi-final, was 10th overall, which means the likes of Todd Wiltshire, Carl Stonehewer and Andy Smith bow out. For Smith, it brings an end to a remarkable run in which he has clung onto his place by his fingertips year after year. He has been involved in all 52 GPs staged so far since the series was launched in 1995 - though he was a reserve in four of them - and that record is only bettered by four other riders: Hancock, Hamill and Rickardsson have ridden in all 52 GPs, while Loram has missed only two. our home country and at such a fantastic stadium.' Billy Hamill finished last in heat 22 to bow out just prior to the semis, having earlier become the only winner off the outside gate in making progress by winning heat 18. Hamill had started in heat 10 alongside Hancock, running third behind Gollob and Nicki Pedersen in that race, and he then finished last in heat 15 after being passed by Karlsson and Leigh Adams. It meant the pressure was on in heat 18,' especially with Hamill starting off gate four. But he cut back to slice through MateJ FerJan and Steve Johnston entering the back straight, and the win took him into heat 22. This time he was unable to make up ground from the back and went out with seven GP points to his name. Hancock finished sixth overall, and Hamill ninth, and so both retain their places for 2003. Mark Loram, the 2000 World Champion and the top British rider in the series, was eighth, despite having to pull out of Saturday's meeting. Loram underwent surgery in Australia the night before the Grand Prix. He had traveled out to Sydney 48 hours after a bad crash at the British Championship final at Coventry two weeks earlier, but he is believed to have been suffering internal bleeding and may have sustained damage to his spleen. Dryml, the young Czech rider who had won all four of his races before Smith was eliminated in heat six after only two rides, but he could count himself very unlucky. He was hit from behind by Jonsson on the back-straight in heat three, and the Swede's foot-rest dislodged his chain. His protestations to referee Steele fell on deaf ears, and Smith, though battling past Wiltshire at one point in heat six, trailed in last to make his exit. Next year's series will expand to 11 rounds, with New Zealand expected to stage its first ever GP, in Wellington, in November. The provisional schedule for next season sees the New Zealand round set for (Above) Crump, Hancock and Nicholls, third, first and second respectively. September 20 - Poland (Venue TBC), October 4 - Norway (Hamar), November 1 - New Zealand (Wellington - Provisional), November 8 - Australia (Sydney). ralstra Stadium Syd.ay, Australia Res~Ils:0ctaller2&,2002 November 1 followed by the Australian GP on November 8. The full SEI'Il I (Top 2 transfer to FInal): I. Run. Hoka; 2. Jason Crump; 3. Andr.as Jonsson; 4. Ryan Sullivan. SEMI 2 (Top 2 transfer to Final): I. Greg program is as follows: May 17 Poland (Venue TBC), May 31 - Sweden (Stockholm), June 14 _ Great Hancock; 2. Scott Nicholls: 3. Mikael Kerlsson; 4. Lukas Dryml. FINAL: I. Greg Hancock; 2. Scott Nicholls; 3. Jason Crump; 4. Rune Holte. AM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPEEDWAY GRAND Britain (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff), PRIX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 10 of 10 rounds): 1. Tony Rickardsson (181/3 wins); 2. Jason Crump (162/1 win); 3. Ryan Sullivan (J58/2 wins); 4. Leigh Adams (127/1 win); 5. (TIE) Mlka.1 Karlsson (122)/Greg Hancock (122/1 win); 7. Toma.. Gollob (117/1 win); 8. Mark Loram (97); (TIE) 9. Billy Harrull (95)/LukasDryml (95). June 28 - Denmark (Copenhagen), July 12 - Slovenia (Krsko), August 23 - Sweden (Gothenburg), September 6 - Czech Republic (Prague), cue I _ n _ .. s • NOVEMBER 13, 2002 67