Jason Crump wins third World Speedway Championship
Jason Crump won his third World Championship in six years and becomes one of only eight riders to win three or more World Speedway Championships. Crump also became the most successful speedway rider in Australian history after surpassing the two World Championships won by the late Jack Young in 1951 and 1952.
The experienced Aussie required only eight points at the final round in Poland to secure the title and close the door on his closest challengers and by heat 13 it was mission accomplished – another title to add to his 2004 and 2006 successes.
There were some nervous moments early on, but Crump stayed focused and on course and now well and truly belongs in the pantheon of world speedway greats.
Crump, who won three of this year’s GP’s, said “Five weeks ago I thought my season was over after my crash at Belle Vue, but a fantastic team of people have got me back on track and I have to thank them all.”
“The injury never helped, but things came good in the end and it was pretty special to win heat 13 when I only needed one point. It’s an awesome feeling to be World Champion again.”
The Polish Grand Prix was eventually won by Dane Nicki Pedersen after several controversial on-track incidents in the second semi-final that saw track favorite Tomasz Gollob excluded. Australian Leigh Adams who announced his retirement from Grand Prix competition, finished a creditable second from Sebastian Ulamek and Rune Holta.
But it mattered little to the triple World Champion, who, if he remains fit and motivated, has the tools of the trade to chase the record of six world titles, held jointly by his former nemesis Tony Rickardsson and New Zealander Ivan Mauger.
Crump finished the championship on 159 points, some 15 points clear of Polish veteran Tomasz Gollob (144) and third placed Emil Sayfutdinov (139)
FIM Polish Grand Prix scorers:
Nicki Pedersen (Denmark) 18, Leigh Adams (Australia) 15, Sebastian Ulamek (Poland) 16, Rune Holta (Poland) 14, Andreas Jonsson (Sweden) 12, Tomasz Gollob (Poland) 11, Jason Crump (Australia) 9, Kenneth Bjerre (Denmark) 8, Greg Hancock (USA) 8, Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia) 8, Adrian Miedzinksi (Poland) 6, Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) 6, Scott Nicholls (Great Britain) 4, Chris Harris (Great Britain) 3, Grzegorz Walasek (Poland) 3, Hans Andersen (Denmark) 3.
Final 2009 World Championship standings:
Crump 159, Gollob 144, Sayfutdinov 139, Hancock 121, Jonsson 116, Pedersen 110, Holta 99, Bjerre 98, Lindgren 94, Andersen 91, Adams 81, Ulamek 75, Walasek 66, Harris 62, Nicholls 45, *Antonio Lindback (Sweden) 27, *Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark) 20, *Jarek Hampel (Poland) 9, *Matej Zagar (Slovenia) 7, Adrian Miedzinski (Poland) 6, Grigory Laguta (Russia) 6, *Edward Kennett (Great Britain) 4, *Guglielmo Franchetti (Italy) 2, *Matej Kus (Czech Republic) 1.