After a stirring final world speedway round in Hamar, Norway, Denmark’s Nicki Pedersen is the 2003 World Speedway Champion. Pedersen, who sat a point behind Australian Jason Crump after the penultimate round, finished second behind American Greg Hancock in the final, taking the title in the process – an 11 position improvement on his 2002 finish.
Crump completed final round hostilities in seventh place, after he was excluded from his semi-final for knocking off local rider Rune Holta on the opening lap. His 11 points in Norway took his season’s haul to 144 points, but it was not enough to hold off Pedersen.
Meanwhile, the two other riders in the 24-rider field who were capable of clinching the title in the final round, Tony Rickardsson and Australia’s Leigh Adams both found the going tough at the Viking Ship Stadium in Norway, with the former bowing out in heat 17, with Adams following two contests later.
Hancock’s victory in Norway enjoyed a touch of déjà vu, because the American also won last year’s final round at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
Results, round nine
1 Greg Hancock America 25pts
2 Nicki Pedersen Denmark 20
3 Bjarne Pedersen Denmark 18
4 Andreas Jonsson Sweden 16
5 Rune Holta Norway 13
Scott Nicholls Great Britain 13
7 Jason Crump Australia 11
Tomasz Gollob Poland 11
9 Leigh Adams Australia 8
Ronni Pedersen Denmark 8
Speedway World Championship (after nine of nine rounds):
1 Nicki Pedersen Denmark 152pts
2 Jason Crump Australia 144
3 Tony Rickardsson Sweden 127
4 Leigh Adams Australia 126
5 Greg Hancock America 121
6 Tomasz Gollob Poland 111
7 Scott Nicholls Great Britain 102
8 Rune Holta Norway 98
9 Ryan Sullivan Australia 94
10 Andreas Jonsson Sweden 76
