Hancock Is Prepared for His Drive for Five

By MARTIN HENDERSON

Aug. 6, 2004 12 AM PT

He’s the sole American trying to win the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship. He has given up life in Southern California to race in Europe and prove himself among the greats of speedway motorcycle racing.

Tonight in Auburn, Calif., and Saturday at the fairgrounds in Victorville, Greg Hancock hopes to position himself to win a fifth U.S. National championship. Last year, he become only the third racer to win four such titles.

The three-round series won’t be decided until Sept. 24 in Auburn, but Hancock knows the importance of the first two rounds. The championship can’t be won, but it can be lost.

Judging by the season Hancock is having in Europe, the 34-year-old newlywed from Newport Beach will be the favorite at Victorville.

Through five of nine races in the Grand Prix, which is contested throughout Europe, Hancock is in third place behind two Australians; he trails Jason Crump by 19 points and Leigh Adams by five in the wide-open 24-man chase for the World Championship.

With American rival Billy Hamill of Monrovia out of the Grand Prix for the second year in a row, Hancock is left to carry the red, white and blue by himself.

“We’re about a year from having another American in contention for the world title,” Hancock said, pegging Billy Janniro of Vallejo, Calif., as the most likely candidate. “It’s always nicer to have another racer in the championship to share in the exposure of it all. It creates a friendly rivalry and keeps you on your toes.

“But when you’re the only guy there, you feel like you’ve got more weight on your shoulders, but you want to rise to the occasion.”

Four-time national champion Hamill, Janniro and Ryan Fisher of Norco, who also competes in Europe, will be in the field at Victorville. So will Southern California racing regulars such as Mike Faria and Chris Manchester of Reno, and Bobby Schwartz of Costa Mesa.

“There are a lot of other fast guys out there, all capable of pulling off something good,” said Hancock, who competes for teams in England, Poland and Sweden, where he resides. “It’s the biggest race of the year for Speedway in America on merit, on goals and achievements, and the record books. I have a ways to go to equal Mike Bast’s seven, but I’m gunning for it.

“I still like winning races. You’re not going to see Greg Hancock disappear anytime soon.”

NASCAR

Scott Pruett, whose day job has been driving Chip Ganassi’s Daytona prototype sports car with teammate Max Papis in the Grand American Rolex Series, will make his first appearance on an oval since his ill-fated 2000 Winston Cup season when he and owner Cal Wells were NASCAR rookies. Pruett will drive a Dodge on Sunday in the Brickyard 400, in what is now the Nextel Cup series, at Indianapolis for owner James Finch, completing a weekend double that includes the Grand Am’s Mid-Ohio Racing Classic.

In his only other Brickyard 400 appearance, Pruett finished 10th in 2000 -- his only top-10 finish for Wells in 28 races.

In six starts over the last four years for Ganassi’s Cup team, all on road courses, Pruett has three finishes of sixth or better and all better than 12th.

“When deals come along like this, I’m jumping at them,” Pruett said. “If we don’t get too tricky with it, I think we can have some fun with it.”

Pruett will also race twice at Watkins Glen next weekend, in the Grand American race Aug. 13, and the Nextel Cup race -- in which he was second last year -- for Ganassi’s Cup team on Aug. 15.

“I’m very happy, and I’m doing it because I love doing it,” last year’s Trans-Am series champion said. “Nobody’s putting more pressure on me than me, and I’m still achieving those things a top driver achieves -- poles, wins and championships.”

He and Papis, both Champ Car refugees, are in first place after six of 12 races. They have two firsts and two seconds in the last four events.

The Grand American Series concludes Oct. 29-31 at California Speedway.

Trucks

Lee White, senior vice president of Costa Mesa-based Toyota Racing Development, said Travis Kvapil’s Craftsman Truck victory Saturday at Michigan -- Toyota’s first in the series in 13 races -- rivaled Champ Car titles and an Indy 500 win with Toyota power. Unlike other manufacturers, TRD built the entire truck.

“There’s been a lot deeper involvement with TRD than anything we’ve ever done,” White said, “and consequently, it was much more rewarding -- and much more challenging.”

Last Laps

Frank Pedregon will join an already competitive Funny Car class in the debut of Underdog Racing at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Sept. 6.

AMA Supercross will hold three events at Anaheim in 2005 -- Jan. 8, Jan. 22 and Feb. 5. The series visits San Diego on Feb. 19, and concludes in Las Vegas on May 7.

The Lucas Oil Super Late Models headline racing Saturday at Irwindale Speedway. Also on the card are Super Stocks, Super Trucks, Legend Cars, Mini Stocks and a demolition derby. The L.A. Kart Club will race Sunday at Irwindale.

Perris Auto Speedway will have Street Stocks, Extreme Trucks and SUVs, Hornets and Cruisers during its racing card on Saturday.

Shav Glick is on vacation.

This Week’s Races

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP

Brickyard 400

* When: Saturday, qualifying (TNT, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Channel 4, 11:30 a.m.).

* Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (rectangular oval, 2.5 miles, 9 degrees banking in turns).

* Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps.

* 2003 winner: Kevin Harvick.

* Next race: Sirius at the Glen, Aug. 15, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

NASCAR BUSCH

Kroger 200