Crump wins 2006 Individual World Championship title

AUSTRALIAN CRUMP WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN

Australian Jason Crump has won the 2006 FIM Individual Speedway World Championship having taken an unassailable 71-point lead in the series after the Prague round on the weekend.

Crump's 14-points at the meet made him World Champion for the second time - having won the same championship in 2004, quite a feat with still two rounds of the current championship remaining.

The Aussie only had to finish clear of American Greg Hancock who had a disastrous night -- bundled out of the running when he suffered engine trouble at the beginning of heat 15.

Hancock failed to grab any points in his first two rides before winning race three to claim maximum points.

However trouble reared itself in heat 15 meaning that the points Crump had earned were enough to hand him the title.

Modest in championship victory, Crump admitted that this would not have been the way he had scripted winning his second title, but was overjoyed to once again be at the top of the Speedway tree.

"I didn't want to win it that way and it was cruel for Greg to lose his chance like that, but for me, this is just brilliant and something that I have worked hard for all season," Crump said.

"I take great satisfaction from this, and I want to thank all the people who have helped me to reach the summit."

At the end of the 2005 championship, Crump made some important decisions to restructure his entire racing team -- decisions that the recently turned 31-year-old has certainly seen pay off.

"After losing the World Championship to Tony Rickardsson last year, I knew I had to make some tough decisions if I was to progress. And those decisions have paid off.

"I changed my machinery, restructured the whole operation of the team and set some goals and we have achieved the desired results.

"And to achieve the goals with two Grand Prix rounds remaining makes it all that more satisfying."

Fellow Australian Leigh Adams moved into third place outright in the overall standings, while Ryan Sullivan claimed nine points for the meet having been elevated in as an emergency replacement.

The two rounds remaining in the series are in Latvia and Poland on September 9 and 23 respectively.

STANDINGS: Jason Crump 170, Greg Hancock 99, Leigh Adams 92, Nicki Pedersen 91, Andreas Jonsson 91, Hans Andersen 88, Jarek Hampel 79, Matej Zagar 78, Tomasz Gollob 72, Bjarne Pedersen 68, Scott Nicholls 67, Antonio Lindback 66, Niels-Kristian Iversen 44, Tony Rickardsson 41, Lee Richardson 37, Piotr Protasiewicz 23.

-credit: www.ma.org.au