At 44 years old, American speedway racer Greg Hancock still has what it takes to beat the best in the world.
American speedway ace Greg Hancock hasn’t let age slow him down one bit.
In the sport of speedway, where motocross-like aggression, nerves of steel and a heavy throttle hand are requisite attributes in the sport’s top young riders, Hancock has continued to prove that he cannot only hang with the kids, but he can hang it out even farther than them, and he proved it again by claiming his third career FIM World Speedway Championship at the 12th and final round of the World Speedway Grand Prix Series, the 2014 Borygo Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, in Torun, Poland, Saturday, October 11.
Hasncock broke his own record as the sport’s oldest World Champion, at 44 years and 130 days old, eclipsing the mark he set when he won the 2011 title. He still claims the longest timespan between World Championship titles–14 years–, having earned his first way back in 1997, and he is the first American ever to win the World Championship three times, surpassing both his own record and that of his mentor, the iconic Bruce Penhall, who won back-t0-back World Championships in 1981 and 1982.
“Every year I ride, the biggest carrot at the end is to win the World Championship. The first one was fantastic; the second one was amazing and this is unreal,” Hancock said after laying claim to the title. “Being world champ feels sweet every time. It still feels like it’s sinking in. The adrenaline is dropping now, but the actual sensation of being the champ is finding its place. It’s an incredible feeling. It really is.:
But it’s the thrill of that World Championship chase, a chase in which Hancock has devoted his entire life, that keeps him motivated to return, and he plans not only to return in 2015 to defend his crown, but to win a fourth.
“I have all the heart there and the ambition to do it,” Hancock said. “As long as the body holds up, I can do this. The mind is still probably too young for the body, but that’s okay. I keep myself in good shape and I have the desire to win.”
FIM World Speedway Championship Point Standings (After 12 of 12 rounds):
1. Greg Hancock-140
2 Krzysztof Kasprzak-132
3 Nicki Pedersen-121
4 Tai Woffinden-121
5 Matej Zagar-114
6 Andreas Jonsson-103
7 Chris Holder-100
8 Jaroslaw Hampel-98
9. Troy Batchelor-91
10. Fredrik Lindgren-90
PHOTO SOURCE:SPEEDWAYGP.COM
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