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World Speedway - Round 2 June 1st, 2003 |
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World Speedway - Round 2 June 1st, 2003 |
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| Ryan Sullivan defied the doctors and stunned his opponents by winning the Swedish Speedway Grand Prix despite riding with a broken collarbone that had been
further damaged in a race fall just a few days earlier. Written off after a brave but ultimately fruitless opening round, Sullivan has now suddenly thrust himself into third place in the world
championship, breathing ominously down the necks of joint leaders Tony Rickardsson, Sweden¹s reigning world champion, and the Czech Republic's Lukas Dryml from whom he is just 7 points adrift. The Melbourne-born 28-year old also had to hold his nerve to win the final at the second time of asking when the race had to be restarted. Sullivan was in a clear lead, but American Greg Hancock brought down Mildura's Leigh Adams, causing the race to be stopped. Yet just as he'd done in his semi-final, Sullivan showed he can make fast starts when he really needs to, romping away to the chequered flag for the third Grand Prix victory of his eventful career. "I really needed this", said a chuffed Sullivan. "Despite the broken collarbone being far from ideal, I was desperate to do well. The team have worked so hard to help set things up for me. I seized an engine in practice and was actually using my No.4 motor tonight, but it was great". He added: "When I was out in front in the final and the red lights went on to stop the race, I momentarily thought 'what do I have to do to get some luck for once and win this bloody thing' but I quickly composed myself. Nothing was going to break my focus". Forced to enter the fray in the qualifying heats by virtue of his injury-affected 13th place in the first GP in Poland, the night's action exploded into life in Heat 4 when Sullivan and young English hope, Lee Richardson clashed going into the last bend of the final lap. In a ferocious shoulder-to-shoulder battle, with very little room available on the outside, Richardson crashed heavily trying to pass Sullivan, his head hitting the safety fence as he parted company with his bike. On the very first corner, Richardson came off the inside to take Sullivan (off gate two) very wide a fact not forgotten by the highly charged Australian, but quite rightly, the referee did not exclude him because he had fairly maintained his racing line and did not cut across his English rival. In Heat 7, Sullivan became the first rider to win a race from the unfavoured outside starting position. American Greg Hancock led going into the first bend, closely pursued by Swede Mikael Max, but in a swashbuckling manoeuvre, reminiscent of his awesome 2002 British Grand Prix victory, Sullivan swept round the outside of both them, showing all the style, speed and determination that brought him so close to winning the world title last year. Heat 20 proved that Sullivan's earlier win was no fluke. Whilst Jason Crump floundered in a Heat 17 elimination, Sullivan let it all hang out with a breathtaking last to first special. Stuck in fourth, Flyin' Ryan rode as wide and as boldly as anyone dares attempt in the Grand Prix wider even than Poland's Tomasz Gollob - just inches from the fence to go past three of the top Grand Prix stars - Greg Hancock (USA), Lukas Dryml (Czech Republic) and Rune Holta (Norway) as if they weren't moving. No such drama in the semi-final. Having seen world champion Tony Rickardsson eliminated in the first semi even though he was riding on his home track - Sullivan made a superb start, leaving fellow Aussie, Leigh Adams and Sweden's Mikael Max way behind. "At this precise moment in time, the collarbone doesn't feel too bad!" joked a jubilant Sullivan with his happy team. "I'd hoped we'd have a long night and we did, with the very best result". Scene of his first ever Grand Prix win, the magnificent Millennium Stadium in Cardiff awaits Ryan Sullivan in the next round of the world speedway championship on Saturday June 14th. Just seven points behind Rickardsson and Dryml, the tension will be unbearable. It's not a question that should be thrown around lightly, but after this outstanding and without doubt courageous performance in Sweden, can Ryan Sullivan possibly become Australia's first world speedway champion since 1952. Don't bet against it.
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