With a win and a second place at Cadwell Park, Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Tommy Hill finished the first nine-round stage of the British Superbikes Championship tied with Ryuichi Kiyonari for the points lead. Hill’s team-mate Yukio Kagayama took two seventh places finishes to lift his standing in the Championship to 12th.

In an exciting day’s racing, Hill was on top form, and after dominating the first race, was challenging for the lead again in the second race when it was red flagged on the 14th lap. In the race one, Josh Brookes took the early lead but succumbed to an attack from Hill on the eighth lap. Hill then maintained a constant 1:27-minute lap pace while his rivals withered, and took the win by 5.116 seconds. In the race two, Hill led for 11 laps and was trailing Brookes by just 0.230-seconds after 13 laps when the race was stopped.

Hill’s point tally from the nine rounds amounts to 287 points, three more than Brookes and six more than Ryuichi Kiyonari. However, with the Showdown phase now beginning, the championship points tally taken so far is cast aside. The championship will now be decided over the final three rounds (seven races) between the six highest points scorers so far, known as the Title Fighters. All the title fighters have their championship point tally put on an initial parity of 500, to which is added only the podium points they’ve scored thus far (podium points have been awarded as three for a win, two for second and one for third). On this basis Hill steps forward into the Showdown as joint leader with Kiyonari on 525 points apiece.

Tommy Hill:
“What a fantastic weekend! To see Yuki coming good as well – it’s been all good. In that first race I just felt really-really good, I could have made the jump earlier but I was interested to sit behind Josh to see what he was doing. In the second race the pace was so fast, something like two-seconds faster than it was last year, and maybe it was that or maybe there was small issue with the rear tire but I had a little bit of chatter to deal with. I still felt comfortable and while Josh had passed me when I made a small mistake on the Mountain I felt comfortable and was setting up to repass him when the red flags came out.

“All in all I feel overjoyed. We get to leave here having effectively won the first part of the season and having beaten the HM Plant team in their own back yard – that’s kind of a bonus. But now its crunch time and to be going into this vital part of the season with a joint points lead is a great position to be in.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“Today was very good for me although for sure 7-7 doesn’t sound like a score I’d want to be happy with. But this was my first racing visit to Cadwell Park since 2004 as I missed the first round earlier this year, so I had no base settings to work from – and I set-up my bike quite different to Tommy. So no top-three for me, but I am happy that my lap times got better all weekend, and my second race today was much faster although the result was the same. And I enjoy riding the bike, my feeling for racing, for set-up, is getting better so I hope in the races to come I can challenge again for the podium.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“The team are buzzing. There’s been so much work gone into this weekend and everyone can see we’ve made a major breakthrough with our set-up and this has really boosted Tommy’s confidence. He could have had two wins today but we’ll never know. The important thing is we’re in the strongest possible position as we head into the Showdown. The GSX-R is the strongest it’s been all season and Tommy’s got all the confidence in the world.

“For Yuki, it’s been a good weekend for him as well. Having that big crash in practice couldn’t have helped him, but in the races he simply got quicker and quicker. He had to fight his way past Alastair Seeley in both races and he was mindful he needed to make a clean pass as it’s so tight here, but once past his lap time was on a par with those ahead, so he’s shown he’s getting his pace back. There’s every probability he’ll be able to fulfill the support role that’s needed as Tommy fights for the Championship.

“So it’s the best feeling for us. We’ve made the breakthrough we’ve been looking for and we even know that wet or dry we’ve a setup that works. We won’t be resting though; we’re going to be pushing for more – as we’re sure all the other teams will be doing.”

MCE Insurance 2010 British Superbike Championship
Round Nine, Cadwell Park:

Race one result:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki)
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +5.116s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +7.092s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +12.522s
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +14.623s
6. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +20.822s
7. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +28.158s
8. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +28.533s
9. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +34.523s
10. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +34.945s

Race two results:
1. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.230s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.888s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.071s
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +11.719s
6. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +13.178s
7. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +15.712s
8. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +21.347s
9. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +24.287s
10. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.446s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Cadwell Park:

Showdown Title Fighters:
=1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 525
=1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 525
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 524
4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 510
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 509
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 505
12. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 74

Round 6 of the AMA Pro Hillclimb Series took place in Canaan, N.H. this past weekend; the first time the series has visited the state. Shawn Farnsworth won the Unlimited Class with the fastest time of the day with a wild crash at the finish line. Nate Redmann scored a win in Xtreme Class and strengthened his lead in the series points, while 16-year-old rookie John Koester won his second in a row in the Pro Sport Class. In exhibition Verti-Cross, Ryan Thibault took the trophy.

To welcome hillclimbers on their first visit, New Hampshire served up the best weather of the summer: clear blue skies, low humidity and an uphill breeze to clear away the dust. Ridge Runner Promotions, the event hosts, created a very technical hill. The flat section at the start line rose to a jump over a rough pit and then got progressively steeper with each jump. The approach to the crest from 300 to 375 made quite an impact with bikes and riders.

First up were the Verti-Cross riders with four heats followed by two semi-finals. Colby McCutcheon faced Thibault, and Walter Strank raced against Vinny Nuzzolilli. Thibault and Nuzzolilli advanced to the final, held at intermission between pro bike runs. Thibault took the win with a crowd-pleasing style over the crest while Nuzzolilli flipped his bike over backwards at the top in a side by side finish.

In the first run of the Xtreme Class, the advantage clearly went to the early draws. Redmann drew third, picked a good line and held on for a 5.922-second ride that set the bar for all who rode later. Phil Libhart and Robby DeBusk followed, and both rode in the high sevens, and Alex Benner exhibited his all-out style for a 6.901 second ride, propelling him solidly into second at the half. Thibault edged Libhart out of third with a 7.488-second ride in the middle of the order.

In the Xtreme Class, six riders bettered their performance. Most notable was Thibault who who improved his time by three tenths, but didn’t have enough to move up. Redmann sat out and watched as no one came close to his time. The finish was Redmann, Benner and Thibault in 1,2,3 on the podium.

Points leader Josh Lingle lead off the Pro Sport class with a 9.026. Koester followed with an 8.674 second time to jump ahead. Ian Lau laid down a respectable 8.889 second ride for second at the half.

In second half Pro Sport action, the order remained the same. Koester sat out and never needed to defend his position. The Pro Sport podium had Koester on top, Lau in second and Lingle in third.

Thibault blasted to the top of the hill and the front of the Unlimited Class in the first run with a 6.800 second ride. Jay Sallstrom crested very smoothly in 6.947 seconds, just behind Thibault. Shane Green let it all hang out for a 7.090 second ride with an over-the-bars inverted flip at the finish line. The impact broke half the spokes in his rear wheel forcing him to scratch for the second half.

Second half Unlimited action sure lived up to its name. Riders, desperate for a win, threw caution to the wind and one after another hit the “wall” at 350 feet until it and they bore the scars to prove it. Matt Luna crashed over the finish line, temporarily in second with a 6.920 ride. Shawn Farnsworth hit, crashed, flipped and landed on his feet over the line for fast time of the day at 5.676 seconds. Sallstrom battled back into second place with a 6.613 E.T. Then, late in the order, Benner stopped the clock at 6.126 seconds to snatch the number two spot from Sallstrom. At the finish it was Farnsworth, Benner and Sallstrom in 1,2,3 for the Unlimited Class.

Series points leaders, first through third, are: Unlimited- Colby McCutcheon, Benner and Scott Campbell; Xtreme- Redmann, Libhart and Chris VanHyning; and Pro Sport- Lingle, Hoke and Mosko.

Round 7 of the AMA Pro Hillclimb will be hosted by the Bushkill Valley MC at Freemansburg, PA on September 12.

Results
U/L: 1. Shawn Farnsworth (H-D); 2. Alex Benner (Hon); 3. Jay Sallstrom (Yam); 4. Ryan Thibault (Hon); 5. Matt Luna (Kaw).

Xtreme: 1. Nate Redmann (Yam); 2. Alex Benner (Hon); 3. Ryan Thibault (Hon); 4. Phil Libhart (Tri); 5. Robby DeBusk (Yam).

Pro Spt: 1. John Koester (Suz); 2. Ian Lau (Hon); 3. Josh Lingle (Yam); 4. Scott Hoke (Suz); 5. John Mosko (Hon).

Verti-Cross: 1. Ryan Thibault (Hon); 2. Vinny Nuzzolilli (Hon); 3. Colby McCutcheon (Hon).

Jordan Szoke uncrated his new Raga Gas-Gas 300 just one short week before Rounds #2 and #3 of the Canadian Motorcycle Association Observed Trials Championship held in Tweed and Arden, just a few kilometers from Belleville ON.  At the end of the two day event, a new CMA Trials Champion was crowned.  Szoke once again, attempted to become the slowest man in Canada on a motorcycle and follow up his 2009 CMA Trials Championship.

Jordan Szoke, photo courtesy of u-vu.ca

The backyard of Dave Cordy in Tweed ON hosted Round 2.  The last time an event was held at this location it was a prestigious World Event.  The organizers carefully laid out a 10 section four-loop competition for the Nationals.  The CMA competitors adjusted to what seems to be the norm in Trials competitions – a small amount of moisture decorating the sections.  Around noon on Saturday, Szoke strapped on his Shoei and starts out on his new Raga Gas-Gas for his first loop.  In Trials competitions the goal is to achieve the lowest score by keeping your feet off the ground and yourself on the motorcycle, while negotiating through a series of sections placed within a loop.  Szoke scored most of his points in the first and second loop as he familiarized himself with the proper lines, finishing the day in third and giving him one small point lead in the championship.  When asked about his third place finish, Szoke replied, “I was riding really well today and I love my new motorcycle; although unfortunately we had some mechanical problems kept us out of it today.  Tomorrow doesn’t come soon enough”

Large staircases and huge rock walls welcomed the Expert CMA competitors Sunday morning at the 400-acre home of Dave Southam in Arden, ON.  “This area is just awesome.” says Szoke “It’s really tough, but that’s just the way I like it. ”  10 modern, carefully laid out sections in a three-loop event was all that stood between Szoke and his second CMA National Trials Championship in two years.  A spectacular ride in section five of the second loop, Szoke was leading the event just a few points ahead of his closest competitor, Will Duggan of Victoria, BC.   “That was the ride of my life.” says Jordan.  Szoke collected a few extra points in the third loop and finished the event in second place, enough to earn him another CMA National Trials Championship for the second consecutive year.  Second was Jordan’s good friend Jonathan English, and Will Duggan earned third place in the three round championship.

“What an amazing year for us.” says Jordan “To earn not only a perfect season and a National Championship in Superbike, a National Championship in Sportbike and to follow it up with another National Trials Championship is just a dream come true.”

What is Observed trials?

After all but counting himself out, Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing pilot Bryan Staring was able to produce a near perfect lap to claim pole position for the fifth round of the Viking Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway.

Staring struggled in today’s two 30-minute qualifying sessions and was hopeful of simply securing a front-row start. Midway through Motul Superpole, Staring’s split time suggested he had found some extra pace, and it was confirmed as he stopped the clock with a 1:10.379 lap of the 3.12km circuit, the fastest lap of the day.

Wayne Maxwell came agonizingly close to knocking Staring from the top spot, lapping just nine-hundredths of a second slower than his fellow Honda rider. The Demolition Plus GAS Honda pilot claimed provisional pole after a solid showing in this afternoon’s second qualifying session, and was encouraged despite missing out by such a small margin.

KTM Superbike Team rider Shannon Johnson enjoyed a welcome return to form, qualifying his RC8R in third position with a tidy Superpole lap.
“Qualifying has been a dream run in comparison to the last round, last time we were here we only did 3 laps in qualifying – this time I find myself in third,” said Johnson. “It’s the first time all year we’ve made Superpole and we improved a handful of positions on top of qualifying. It’s a huge credit to all involved in the outfit including KTM and ESG (Evolution Sports Group).
After the last round I was really questioning myself but we worked hard, tried a few things at a test which yielded positive result and here we are.
This is the best the bike has felt all year; it feels good in the turns, which was its weak point in the past. Over race distance this will be a strong point, too.
I’ve already exceeded my goal for the weekend and – who knows – we might just be in a position to take a podium which would be amazing.”

The Valvoline-backed entry of Glenn Allerton made it three Honda CBR1000RR racers on the front row, with the 2008 champ recording a 1:11.300.

CJC Racing Superstock entrant Craig Coxhell made it in to Superpole for the second round in a row and showed the might of the 1000cc BMW machine on Queensland Raceway’s two long straights. He was fifth quickest and heads up the second row of the grid, followed by The Natural Aprilia Racing’s Dan Stauffer, Team Mack Trucks Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden and Ducati Motologic’s Jamie Stauffer who made a small mistake on his flying lap.

Read more…

Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring has salvaged a surprise pole position at Queensland Raceway, the host of the fifth round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship. Staring, the premier class points leader, admitted he was struggling for pace early in the piece and would have been happy with a front row start.

His flying lap of the 3.12km circuit was close to perfect, and stopped the clock as the fastest of the day. The 23-year-old Gold Coast-based rider was surprised by the result and said it set him up for a good shot at race victory tomorrow.

“Before I’d even begun I’d taken myself out of the equation, after a slow day I really didn’t think I stood a chance,” said Staring. The lap felt okay, there were a few little mistakes that felt like half a second each time but turned out to be a tenth or less – they are always much more pronounced in your mind because you only get one shot at the lap.
The conditions have been tough all weekend, yesterday didn’t give us too much to go on and the whole field was struggling for pace earlier in the day.
The whole team has been trying really hard and we’ve finally got there with our fourth shot at it (pole position) – it’s a great feeling and a good reward to those that have worked so hard and backed us.”

The result maintains the momentum for Staring at Queensland Raceway, who recorded debut race and round wins here in June and now adds a debut pole position. The Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing CBR1000RR and rider are revved up for a strong showing on race day with two 16-lap races to contest. A good result tomorrow can add further weight to Staring’s claim for a maiden Australian Superbike Championship victory. He currently heads the class by 4.5 points.

Superpole Results, Viking Australian Superbike Championship Round 5, Queensland Raceway
1. Bryan STARING (QLD) / Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing 1:10.379
2. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing 1:10.470
3. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / KTM Superbike Team 1:11.262
4. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Valvoline Superbike Team 1:11.300
5. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / CJC Racing 1:11.744
6. Daniel STAUFFER (QLD) / The Natural Aprilia Racing Team 1:11.850
7. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Mack Trucks Suzuki 1:11.888
8. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Ducati Motologic Racing 1:12.469

After writing history at Atlantic Motorsports Park with an unprecedented perfect season and seven Canadian National Superbike titles, Waznie Racing’s Jordan Szoke repacked his championship CBR1000RR’s and pointed the rig south to once again challenge North America’s best in the ranks of AMA Pro Racing’s American Superbike class at VIRginia International Raceway.

With Thursday practice canceled, Szoke had his work cut out for him with a small 50-minute practice window before the first qualifying session began.  The heat and humidity hanging over the 1,200-acre site near Alton, Virginia had Szoke and his Waznie Racing crew sweating – not only due to the high temperatures, but also the pressure on Szoke to get his bike set up just right since his equipment is built around the Canadian National Series rules.  “Getting your bike set up perfectly is so important for us,” said Szoke. “We don’t have the luxury of electronics to help during the race, so if I don’t get it just right, fatigue can play a major role when the tire starts to go off.”

With two chances to get it done, Szoke nailed down his best performance on his ninth lap in the second qualifying session, landing him on the third row of the grid for Saturday and Sunday’s grueling 23-lap race around the 2.25 mile, 17 turn road course.

During race 1, Szoke rocketing to the front with a killer start on his Honda CBR1000RR. Szoke cranked out fast, consistent lap times during the first quarter of the race; however, tire wear and fatigue set in midway to the checkered, and Jordan finished in 10th place.  “I can get the fast laps out there,” said Szoke. “What we’re struggling with is consist lap times.  After 23 laps without any electronics, it’s tough to wrestle a superbike around for that long.  Nailing the set up is crucial for us to be successful, luckily we have a ton of help from the guys at K-Tech Suspension to get it just right.”

Sunday’s Superbike warm up session brought another series of major setup changes and propelled Szoke to seventh fastest of the session.  Jordan strategized with Sebastian from Dunlop for his tire compound choice for race 2.  “We chose a soft tire to try to take off with the pack at the beginning.  I’m not sure what’s going to happen at the end of the race,” laughed Szoke before the race began. “But we’re going to put the Honda up there for a bit anyways.”

As Szoke settled into the starting grid for Sunday’s race 2 under sunny skies and raging temperatures, his mind was focused on the first few laps.  It was paramount that he garnered a good start in order to get the first few perfect laps required with his soft tire choice.  Unfortunately, as the lights went out, Jordan found himself bunched up at the start, while the competitors ahead of him pulled away.  Szoke battled past the competition, leading one of the many battles that are fought within the race.  Jordan concluded his second AMA weekend with another accomplished 10th place finish.

“I feel like we are so (so) close.” says Szoke “.I am really starting to get used to the Dunlop tires and finding out how they work.  I want to continue to compete in the remainder of the 2010 AMA season, but we will have to see if financially we can make it happen.”

With some more support, Szoke is hoping to continue competing in AMA American Superbike during Round 9, taking place at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Fresh from his victory in the opening race, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and his GSX-R1000 made it to the podium again at Sunday’s second-leg AMA Superbike Championship race at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia with a third-place finish.

Hayden battled for traction throughout the race but held it together to the finish line. He remains in second place in the standings 11 points adrift of Yamaha’s Josh Hayes. But, with two more rounds of racing to go, he’s well within striking distance of victory.

Hayden started on the front row of the grid and shot out to the early lead in Sunday’s race. He then dropped to second where he held steady until he noticed some chatter in his bike, which is thought to have been due to the grip of the rear tire. With high humidity and thick cloud cover, the track wasn’t as hot and sticky as everyone would’ve liked, but he made the most of the race by riding smart and finishing third.

“I feel good about riding fast in the first five laps, but in the end I didn’t have the speed and the rear tyre couldn’t keep up,” Hayden said. “We’ll go back to work before New Jersey and find more speed.”

Round 9 of the AMA American Superbike series takes place September 3-5 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.

FTR Moto recorded a fifth podium finish of the 2010 Moto2 World Championship as Andrea Iannone finished third on the FIMMCO Speed Up FTR M210 machine in round nine at Brno, Czech Republic on Sunday.

Iannone – starting from second place on the front row of the grid – made a poor start and was forced to battle back from seventh place on the opening lap, eventually taking the lead of the race on the sixth lap from fellow FTR M210 rider Alex Debon.

Yuki Takahashi and eventual race winner Toni Elias closed in and passed Iannone in the closing stages and Iannone was forced to settle for third place.

“Today was a difficult day,” said Iannone who moved into second place in the Championship standings. “I didn’t make a good start then eventually got to the front but the pace of Elias and Takahashi was too much for me in the end.”

Gabor Talmacsi – Iannone’s Speed Up teammate – fought his way through from 16th place on the grid to cross the finish line in a credible sixth place at the end of the 20-lap race, while Debon on the Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team M210 finished in seventh.

Debon put in a spirited ride as he moved from 12th place on the opening lap to lead the race by lap five and eventually take his first podium finish since the British round at Silverstone two months ago. And the Spaniard’s progress was halted by a broken steering damper from the halfway stage of the race.

And there was no dream home race victory for promising Karel Abraham and his Cardion AB Motoracing Team FTR M210 as he was forced to miss the race following crashes in Friday’s practice and Saturday’s qualifying sessions. Abraham suffered minor injuries and mild concussion.

“Overall it’s great to see one of the M210s on the podium again although, at one point, I thought Iannone, Debon and Talmacsi were all heading for the victory.” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “With all three of our machines in the top seven, including Alex with a broken damper, and out of 39 starters I’m more than happy.”

Sunday’s AMA Pro Road Racing finals at the 2.25-mile Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va. to close out the the Suzuki White Lightning AMA Pro Nationals Presented by Foremost Insurance event weekend provided redemption for a couple of riders and also brought a divisional championship to another very deserving rider.

SuperBike points leader Josh Hayes reasserted himself at the top of the tables in every way. After what was for him a disappointing third-place result in Saturday’s race, where his main championship rival Tommy Hayden took a well-measured victory, Hayes came back to dominate the 23-lap Superbike race 2.

Josh Hayes celebrates after Sunday's Superbike race 2 win

“I just feel like I woke up, I didn’t like to get beat yesterday,” said Hayes.  “Somewhere along the way I feel like I kind of got lost a little bit, just in my riding.  I wasn’t riding my full potential and I was still capable of racing for the wins.  I think our motorcycle has a lot to do with that, we have a really good motorcycle.  I was just thinking about, what was my mindset last year?  I was racing myself a lot more last year.  These guys ride great, but I put an awful lot of pressure on myself to perform, so that’s what I tried to get back to this morning and today’s race was a race against myself.”

Hayes led every lap on his way to a series high fifth win in the SuperBike class.  Pole position winner Ben Bostrom duplicated his second place from yesterday to round out a solid weekend.

Tommy Hayden battled first with Hayes and then fought Bostrom for second before he finished third to stay close to Hayes in the points chase. Hayden is only 11 points adrift of Hayes with two double header race weekends to go.

“I felt pretty good about stepping up and going faster than I had all weekend there for the first five or six laps,” said Hayden.  “But in the end we didn’t have the pace to go that fast, or cooked the tire a little bit and couldn’t keep up.  That’s the biggest part of it really, we just weren’t fast enough.”

Riding to fourth place was Jordan Suzuki rookie Brett McCormick who easily had the best race of his season in relief of injured teammate Aaron Yates.  Yates did make an appearance at VIR this weekend and quickly showed his mettle with an excellent qualifying effort, but he decided not to race until he was fully confident that he was in race distance shape after his lengthy lay off.

Another rider having a good day was Taylor Knapp who rode to a fifth place-finish after dueling with Jake Zemke and Erik Buell Racing’s Geoff May. Chris Ulrich also ran well today and took seventh aboard his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki.  Zemke ran in fifth place in the early stages of the race but fell to eighth after battling hard to hold onto every position.

Larry Pegram fell from sixth at the start down to 15th on lap two but made his way back to ninth at the flag. Canadian Superbike Champion Jordan Szoke made his second AMA Pro SuperBike appearance of the year after racing at Mid-Ohio and impressed once again with a tenth place finish after a battle with Shane Narbone.

Daytona SportBike

In the Daytona SportBike class, Josh Herrin was able to bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday’s race that ended for him almost as soon as it started.

Read more…

Australia’s three-time Speedway World Champion Jason Crump has recovered well from an operation to repair damage to his upper arm, finishing second at the Scandinavian Speedway Grand Prix in Malilla yesterday.

Photo Credit: Jarek Pabijan

Despite undergoing the operation only three weeks ago, Crump returned to the track last Tuesday and spearheaded Swedish Elite League team Vetlanda to a 49-46 victory over Vargarna.

Crump, who has maintained impressive form following his surgery, took 15 championship points from today’s event and further reduced the point gap to world championship rival Jaroslaw Hampel in second.

“I had a pretty good day and most importantly I felt quite comfortable,” Crump stated. “Having only had the operation three weeks ago I was a little unsure of how strong I would be so it was very pleasing to come away scoring points in all but one race. In the final Rune checked out and I battled with Thomsz for second throughout the race before finally pulling away from him on the last lap.”

After yesterday’s event, he Australian headed straight to Poland for today’s Polish League quarter final where he will line up for Wroclaw when they take on Torun.

Top-Ten Speedway World Championship Standings
1. Tomasz Gollob, 107pts
2. Jaroslaw Hampel, 102pts
3. Jason Crump, 90pts
4. Rune Holta, 76pts
5. Kenneth Bjerre, 75pts
6. Chris Holder, 66pts
7. Hans Andersen, 61pts
8. Andreas Jonsson, 55pts
9. Fredrik Lindgren, 54pts
10.Greg Hancock, 53pts