Hancock takes final 2002 GP in Sydney.

Former world champion Greg Hancock ended his season on a high when taking the final GP of 2002 in Stadium Australia, Sydney today.

In doing so, he silenced a partisan home crowd as their hero Jason Crump could only manage third place. Britain's Scott Nicholls had his best GP to make the final for the first time and finish in second place. Norwegian Rune Holta was another final debutant and finished fourth.

With the world title already won by Tony Rickardsson the real race in Aus was between Crump and compatriot Ryan Sullivan for the overall runner-up spot in the final standings. Crump's third place in the final was enough to edge out Sullivan for the right to call himself world number two as Sullivan's event ended when he rolled in to the tapes leaving the referee no option but to throw him out of the race.

Winner Hancock got better as the event progressed. After an opening ride last place he would be beaten just once - by Crump in heat nineteen - but that mattered not and he gained revenge with interest by standing atop the podium. Nicholls chased him home to underline his breakthrough to genuine world class.

The inaugural Australian GP stared one rider short with Mark Loram's late withdrawal still suffering the after effects of his horror crash at Coventry a couple of weeks ago.

Nicholls served notice of his fine form with an all the way win in the opening heat in which Mick Poole moved under Niklas Klingberg for third place. Lukas Dryml impressed with his heat two victory from Sebastian Ulamek, who forced his way past Todd Wiltshire. Leigh Adams became the third rider to enjoy the advantage of gate one by blasting away to win heat three. Andy Smith loomed up to challenge along the back straight but was collected by Andreas Jonsson. The collision threw off Smith's chain and the unlucky Brit knew it meant an elimination race for him next time. A desperate post-race plea to referee Tony Steel cut no ice. Matej Ferjan found speed out of nowhere and executed a quite brilliant first turn in heat four to slice under Steve Johnston (a late replacement for Carl Stonehewer) and Mikael Karlsson to guarantee himself a place in almost uncharted territory for the Slovenian - the next stage.

Home wild cards Mick Poole and Jason Lyons extended their participation by taking easy first and second places in heat five. Bo Brhel spinning out after first forgetting to turn on the fuel flow and then suffering a puncture. Karlsson put his poor first ride in the shade to win the next to go through to the main event. Behind him, Wiltshire, Klingberg and Smith all over each other for that vital second place, which Wiltshire battled on to take to send Klingberg and Smith back to the airport and an early check-in for flights home.

Ulamek got himself all out of shape early in heat seven and slammed in to the air fence. Nicholls having no trouble outpacing Adams and Johnston in the rerun. Dryml then looked good again winning a processional heat eight. Then the big names trotted out for their openers. Tony Rickardsson smoothly taking heat nine from Crump, Sullivan and Holta to send out a warning that although he was already champion, he wanted to win here too. Tomasz Gollob looked equally as good as his rival when winning heat ten.

Then on to the next elimination heats. Johnston hanging on to win heat eleven and go to the main event along with Ferjan who threaded his way through to second place to end the participation of Poole and Wiltshire. Ulamek seemed to have heat twelve well under control until making a huge mistake on the last turn and drifting well off the racing line. Karlsson, who had put in a stormer to cut through from last place, was the beneficiary of the Pole's error and took the flag with Ulamek just getting the verdict for second place by the width of a cigarette paper from a disappointed Cegielski who though he'd just nicked it at the death.

Hancock then rode the perfect line to hold off Rickardsson through all four laps of heat thirteen. Nicki Pedersen the early leader of heat fourteen but managed to make two howling mistakes which sent him reeling to the back of the field. Dryml and Sullivan taking the major places and giving Pedersen time to get himself together for his eliminator. Crump untouchable in heat fifteen from Karlsson, Adams and Hamill. Jonsson won a match race with Gollob in heat sixteen after Hotla came to grief attempting to ride round Johnston who then got himself excluded from the rerun when failing to beat the time allowance.

The fine form shown by Nicholls stayed with him as he won heat seventeen from Holta, who sliced hard in to second place past both Adams and Pederson to extend his event and end theirs unusually early. Hamill got it together to take the next. Ferjan had second place tied up but Johnston stayed focussed and determined to be close enough to take advantage as Ferjan drifted slightly wide out of the final turn. Both hurtled to the line at full throttle with Johnston fractionally the quicker.

Crump's trademark clenched fist celebration to the fore when he was too fast for Hancock in heat nineteen. Jonsson a fast starter in heat twenty only until Dryml sneaked through a very narrow gap left by the Swede with the surprise of the race being Rickardsson at the back and unable to make any impression. The five time world champion was out again in the next heat needing first or second to stay alive. Sullivan came good to win with Rickardsson looking good for second place but not even the great man could hold off the charging Nicholls who burst through and sent Rickardsson spinning out with just eight points - his worst GP performance of the season.

Heat twenty-two won by Karlsson and he was joined in the semi-finals by Holta, who stalked Gollob for three and three-quarter laps before moving inside and leaving the Pole tapped for toe on the run-in to the line. Gollob thought he'd just hung on and looked slightly bemused to find out he hadn't.

The first semi had added significance as Crump and Sullivan faced each other still locked in battle for that overall runner-up position. Sullivan blew his chance by rolling in to the starting tapes meaning that all Crump had to do was finish first or second in the restart to be world number two for the second consecutive year. But that looked in danger as he was stuck behind Holta and Jonsson. Holta cruising away to win and secure his debut in a Grand Final and Crump rescuing himself thanks to a Jonsson mistake.

Drama in the second semi final. Hancock smartly away but Dryml got himself in to a bit of a mess trying to block Karlsson. He almost ran in to Hancock, pulled a huge locker and then lifted right in front of Karlsson with both riders and machines clashing in an untidy heap. Dryml adjudged at fault and excluded despite his protests. The dazed Karlsson unable to take his place in the rerun which left Hancock and Nicholls able to ride round for four laps knowing both would be in the final.

That pair lined up against Holta and Crump for the final with Crump certainly the crowd favourite to claim victory on home shale. Hancock was chased to the flag by Nicholls, who may well have caught the American with another half lap or so.

A clearly delighted Hancock commented about his win: ''We have been working so hard this yea. I have a completely new team with me this year and perhaps there is something in that clean Swedish air. I have been based there this year and it seems to have paid off.''

Australian Grand Prix, Sydney:

Result
1. G. Hancock
2. S. Nicholls
3. J. Crump
4. R. Holta

Scores from Sydney
G. Hancock 25
S. Nicholls 20
J. Crump 18
R. Holta 16
M. Karlsson 13
A. Jonsson 13
R. Sullivan 11
L. Dryml 11
T. Gollob 8
T. Rickardsson 8
B. Hamill 7
S. Johnston 7
N. Pedersen 6
M. Ferjan 6
L. Adams 5
S. Ulamek 5
T. Wiltshire 4
K. Cegielski 4
M. Poole 3
J. Lyons 3
N. Klingberg 2
B. Brhel 2
M. Loram 1
A. Smith 1

Final 2002 GP standings
T. Rickardsson 181
J. Crump 162
R. Sullivan 156
L. Adams 127
M. Karlsson 122
G. Hancock 122
T. Gollob 117
M. Loram 97
B. Hamill 95
R. Holta 80
N. Pedersen 73
S. Nicholls 72
A. Jonsson 70
T. Wiltshire 63
K. Cegielski 51
S. Ulamek 39
N. Klingberg 35
C. Stonehewer 30
A. Smith 29
G. Walasek 25
M. Ferjan 22
P. Karlsson 21
P. Protasiewicz 18
L. Richardson 17
B. Pedersen 10
L. Gunnestad 6
J. Screen 6
K. Laukkanen 6
J. Hampel 6
F. Eriksson 3
R. Pedersen 3
B. Brhel 3
M. Poole 3
J. Lyons 3
D. Ruud 2
S. Tihanyi 2
I. Santej 1
H. Andersen 1
A. Dryml 1