American Speedway
American Speedway: Hancock - “I want the World Title again.”
By Admin
Apr 25, 2008, 23:15

Since the inaugural season of the Grand Prix Speedway Series in 1995, Greg Hancock has been the only rider to compete in every single round competing in over 100 high octane meetings around the World. 

Yet, the American superstar still has the hunger to carry on competing with the elite of World speedway and puts his body on the line every season to recapture the title he won in 1997.

Growing up in Southern California, Hancock had always dreamt of being the best rider in the world and on a late September evening in Vojens, Denmark, the superstar completed that feat by pipping fellow American Billy Hamill to the World title. 

Hancock recalls: “It was really the greatest feeling in the World (except for having kids but that is totally different!).  To achieve something like this, that you have set out to do from a young age, it’s absolutely awesome.”

Hancock, who now lives in Sweden with his wife Jenny and son Wilbur, remembers vividly how he first got a taste for speedway.  “After watching speedway with my father, starting at the age of about 6, I remember seeing the junior speedway riders for the first time at our local track in Costa Mesa, California.  After that, I could not stop bugging my Dad to get me a bike.  I never looked back from that point and started racing when I was 9,” he explained.

Speedway has to be one of the most exhilarating, high-danger sports around with bikes reaching speeds of over 70 mph and having no brakes so it would be most parents nightmare to let their children take up the sport but for Hancock it was different. 

He said: “My father was the biggest influence in the beginning because he always said that he would support me as long as I really wanted to do it.”  “He was a fan of the sport and began taking us as kids and then became involved as a friend and sponsor to Bobby Schwartz,” explained Hancock.

Schwartz, who was a two-time US national champion, a feat Hancock has achieved six times in his career, was the perfect role model.  He said: “Bobby Schwartz really showed me the way to be professional and work hard.  Following his career at a young age just gave me the ambition to be a professional.”

Hancock had continued to compete as a teenager on the local circuit but his big opportunity came when he signed up to a leading British team .  “My first major break came when Colin Pratt from Cradley Heath called me at the end of April 1989 and offered me a contract.  I was 18 years old and only just riding my second year in the professional ranks in Southern California,” recalls Hancock.

His dream had come true as this was a team that Schwartz had been a rider for in the late 1970’s and he now had his chance to emulate his idol.

His career went from strength to strength from that moment on and he has been part of the British speedway scene for nearly two decades.  It is a career that Hancock looks back with fond memories. He said: “I have had the chance to race with some of my heroes as well as win the World Pairs and World Team titles for my country.  The sport has also taken me all around the world to some pretty incredible places.  Those memories will never be erased!”

Nevertheless, there is still one thing that Hancock wants to get his hands on again.  He emphasised: “I want the World Title again.”

Article reproduced by permission of the author - Steve Chambers (steve.chambers1234@hotmail.co.uk)