Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

overhaul Crump, and fo r a lap and a half of t he secon d sem ifinal, even th e five-tim e Wo rld Cham pion's lingering bid was on the line. But Rickardson managed to pass j arek Hamp el for second place and leave Cru mp sw eating for another fortnight . H ancock follow ed a last place in heat 10 with t hird places in heats 13 and 17. " T he dream is over, and I am disappointed and deflated," H ancock said. " W e were so sure of ourselves before the meeting, and per haps we were a bit too sure . N othing went wrong, and alii can say is tha t I didn't flow with the bike. Th e bike was fine, but the track was a lot different to what it was like at practice. It was only one line and it was all out of the start . I had high expectations before the start, and I felt I could still challenge j ason. For sure, I believed I still had a chance. I knew it was not going to be easy and you can't say any, thing bad against jason. H e nearly has it now, and he deserves it . But I have proved to myself I can run w ith t he best, and I wi ll be go ing for it again in 2005." Rickardsso n was ph ilosophical as he saw the gap grow in his quest fo r a record-equaling sixth World crown. " I' m reasonably pleased, " Rickardsson said. " I kn ew I needed to beat jason, but it just was not to be. I' m happy with the w ay everything w ent but I've been th ird many times this year, and a couple of more points in t hose GPs and it could have been a different story." It is not just th e World title t hat is at stake at th e final r ound at Hamar on October 2. ju st eight riders automatically qualify for a place in t he 2005 series, and Denmark's Bjarn e Pedersen is cur rently holding down eighth place, leading co unt rym en A ndersen and H ampel by just one point , w ith Lee Richard son, the top British ri der, a furthe r t hree points behind the m. Scott Nicholls is next in line but is 15 points behind Pedersen, w hile Ryan Sullivan, who was crowned Wo rl d numb er three in 2002 , is now 18 po ints below the cutoff po int . his participatio n in the ser ies in seri ous jeopard y. O nly 15 ri ders - plus a wild card in each rou nd - will compete in next year 's series, in additi on to the eight automatic qualifiers. Both Ant onio Lindback (Sweden) and Tomasz Chrzanow ski (Poland) have won thro ugh from the qualifying final. Sullivan, wh o has progressed to the last eight only twice in eight rounds this season , will t herefore have to w ait and see if he gets one of the five special " invites" put out by Benfield Spo rt s Intern atio nal at the end of th is season . Br itain's Mark Loram, the 2000 Wo rld Champion, is in a similar positio n. BSI chief execut ive j ohn Postle thwai te says that the ser ies w ill no t expand beyo nd nine ro unds in 2005 but could includ e some new venues. " We are t alk ing to a numb er of peopl e right now , and I w ill be putting the final calendar to th e FIM Congress in O ctober, " he said. " C ardiff and C openhagen have already been announced fo r 2005, but it loo ks unlikely t hat there w ill be a round at eith er of this year 's two Sw edish venues, Stoc kho lm or Gothenburg ." eN BYDGOSZCZ S PEEDWAY B YDGOSZCZ, POlAND R ESULTS: S EPTEMBER 18, 20 0 4 (ROUND lRCnRE A DNiSION OF INCAC SUSPEN E I 8) Stra ightforward approach for racer, dads, tuners and eng ineers SEMI I: I. Toman GoIlob ; 2. Rune Hclta: 3. l eigh Adams: 4. Nicki Pedersen. SEM I 2: I. Jason Cru mp; 2. Tony RKkardsson ; 3. jare k Ham pel; 4. Scott Nicholls. FINA L: I. Tomasz Go/lob: 2. Jason Crum p: 3. Tony Rickan::lsson : 4. Rune Holta. FIM W ORLD INDIVIDUAL SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSH IP PO INTS STAN DINGS (Afte r 8 of 9 rounds): I. Jason Cru mp (1-47); 2. Tony Rickardsson ( IJO) 3. Greg Hancock (1 17): 4. leigh Adams (115); S. Nicki : Pedersen ( 100 ): 6. Toman Gollob (95): 7. Andreas Jonsson (84 ); 8. Btame Pede rsen (75); 9. (TIE) Hans Andersen (74)IJare k Hampel (74); I I. l ee Richardson (7 1): 12. Scott Nicholls (60); 13. RyanSullivan (57); 14. Rune Hoha (49); 15. Piotr Protas iewia (48); 16. Mik.ael Max (41); 17. Mark Lo-am (36): 18. jesper B. Jen se n ( 12): 19. Bo Bmel (3 1): 20. Lukas S UBJ ECTS COVERED FO R DIRT AND ST REET Suspension theory and testing Spring theory and testing Suspension Fluids Hydraulics . . Damplng and dampmg curves Valvlng systems and theory Gold Valve- Theory and Installation D

• Cover