Greg Hancock rolled back the years to claim the 10th GP win of his distinguished career in Latvia.
The 39-year-old Californian landed top spot in the FIM Latvijas Mobilais Latvian Grand Prix ahead of Kenneth Bjerre, Tomasz Gollob and Jason Crump to repeat his 2006 victory at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Daugavpils. Crump's fourth place - after he was passed in the final by Gollob - means he didn't extend his overall lead in the series over his main challenger going into the meeting, Emil Sayfutdinov, who was eliminated in the first semi-final. But 1997 World Champion Hancock, who had to see off Bjerre's outside challenge on lap one in the final, now moves ahead of the Russian pretender on 79 points, and is 29 behind Crump (now on 108) with five of this season's 11 rounds left. Hancock, who ended the domination of Crump and Sayfutdinov in winning all this year's previous five GPs, said: "I am always the optimist and have never given up the belief that I could win a Grand Prix again.
"Everyone around me helped and the fact that I have moved up to second place in the World Championship is a huge bonus. "Jason is still a long way ahead but all I can do is keeping performing to my best and seeing what happens."
An unpredictable night saw the first 10 races throw up 10 different winners.
Making the start, and finding the right set-up, proved a test for the majority of the field, though Hancock followed a first-race third place to claim back-to-back wins and go into the interval as joint leader on seven points with Bjerre and Leigh Adams. Series leader Crump, after had just one point to his name after two rides, switched bikes to win his third outing with a determined cut-back on the first two turns, and squeezed into the semi-finals on eight points after another win in Heat 14 and a third in Heat 18.
Gollob matched Hancock in finishing with 11 qualifying points, and zipped to victory off the outside gate in the first semi-final as the fast-starting Bjerre resisted the extravagant and all-action efforts of Sayfutdinov for second place - and his first appearance in a GP final. Hancock also went off gate four to win the second semi, with Crump, muscled out entering the back straight, reeling in Aussie compatriot Adams on the third lap to claim his place in the final. Below the leading pack - which saw the sidelined Nicki Pedersen lose ground to drop into eighth place - Andreas Jonsson bit the bullet to claim five points from his first two rides, which included a real scrap with Gollob in Heat 4. But the plucky Swede, who had crashed heavily in Sweden last Tuesday and suffered a painful back injury, was unable to keep it going and mustered only one more point. Bjerre moved up into seventh place, six ahead of fellow Dane Hans Andersen in ninth place, but Rune Holta and Sebastian Ulamek lost ground in their quest for a top eight finish.
Brits Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls again languished at the rear of the field, though Harris had his moments, and gave Sayfutdinov a real run for his money for third place with a battling ride in Heat 11.
FIM Latvijas Mobilais Latvian GP points:
Greg Hancock (USA) 20, Kenneth Bjerre (Denmark) 15, Tomasz Gollob (Poland) 16, Jason Crump (Australia) 10, Leigh Adams (Australia) 11, Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia) 10, Hans Andersen (Denmark) 9, Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark) 8, Rune Holta (Poland) 7, Grzegorz Walasek (Poland) 6, Andreas Jonsson (Sweden) 6, Sebastian Ulamek (Sweden) 6, Grigory Laguta (Russia) 6, Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) 6, Chris Harris (Great Britain) 5, Scott Nicholls (Great Britain) 3. World Championship standings: Crump 108, Hancock 79, Sayfutdinov 77, Gollob 69, Jonsson 57, Lindgren 55, Bjerre 53, Pedersen 52, Andersen 47, Adams 42, Holta 41, Ulamek 41, Harris 35, Walasek 31, Nicholls 20, Iversen 19, Antonio Lindback (Sweden) 17, Jaroslaw Hampel (Poland) 9, Grigory Laguta (Russia) 6, Edward Kennett (Great Britain) 4, Matej Kus (Czech Republic) 1.
