Moto: Stars put boot into Millennium Stadium track

Jun 30 2008 by Andy Howell, South Wales Echo

SPEEDWAY bosses put the boot into the price of hotel accommodation in Cardiff before the British Grand Prix.

And the sport’s stars were on the warpath following an incident-packed fifth round of the world championship.

Winner Jason Crump, son of 1970s Newport legend Phil, led the chorus of disapproval for the shipped-in temporary surface at the Millennium Stadium.

Their anger wasn’t directed at stadium officials, but at track builder Ole Olsen, the former world champion rider.

Crump and his colleagues were united in stressing the GP should remain in the Welsh capital because, in their view, the venue is the best of the 11 rounds.

“I love coming to the Millennium Stadium, but we really need to look at doing something with the track because it is getting rougher every year,” said the 32-year-old Australian.

“In my opinion, it’s probably bordering on dangerous to some extent.

“But we are still putting our necks on the line and providing amazing entertainment for the 45,000 crowd.

“We have to sort out the track for next year because it can’t be this bad again.”

Genial runner-up Greg Hancock, from the United States, joined in the plea to organisers of the GP series.

“I’m not knocking this place at all because this is the best venue by far, but it has still got to be safe,” he said.

“I hope the Cardiff GP is still going to be here next year, but the track must be put right.

“Ole knows that and I’m sure he knows how to get it better because, this year, it was beyond being bad – it was dangerous.

“You don’t want to see a track like this which can take the some of the best speedway riders in the world and make them look like intermediates.”

Reigning world champion Nicki Pedersen crashed four times, but still made it on to the podium.

His last two tumbles were major shunts and he was lucky to escape unharmed apart from bruising.

Briton Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris, winner of last year’s Millennium Stadium thriller, suffered a suspected broken nose after hitting the air-filled safety fence at high speed following a collision with out-of-control Dane Niels-Kristian Iversen.

Crowd favourite Harris walked away after lengthy treatment and remounted his motorcycle for the rerun, amazingly finishing second and reaching the semi-finals.

“Think of the consequences we would have seen if we hadn’t an air fence,” said Hancock.

“The ambulance would have been needed, that’s for sure.”

Harris’ fellow Brit Scott Nicholls made the final, but was excluded after breaking the start tapes.

Crump’s triumph saw him climb from third to second in the series and close the gap on pacesetter Pedersen to 10 points after five of the 11 rounds.

Hancock also leap-fogged Pole Tomasz Gollob to move into third place in the championship.

Crump was methodical in the way in which he went about finishing on top spot on the podium.

He was top scorer after the heats with 14 points, but was content with qualifying for the final with runner-up spot behind Hancock in their semi-final.

Crump powered into the lead from the tapes, but 38-year-old Hancock looked set to repeat his semi over-taking manoeuvre only to bobble on the rutted surface and lose ground.

Result: 1, Jason Crump (Australia); 2, Greg Hancock (USA); 3, Nicki Pedersen (Denmark)

World Championship standings (after round 5 of 11): 1, Pedersen 80; 2, Crump 70; 3, Hancock 64.

andy.howell@mediawales.co.uk