Crump to quit world championship speedway

Speedway’s greatest grand prix performer, Jason Crump, has announced his decision to quit the world championship after 144 rounds and 17 years in the competition.

Crump, 37, will take his place in the Grand Prix for the final time in 13 days, but in a typically magnanimous gesture, admitted he wanted to make this statement now and not take away the limelight from the world champion in Poland on October 6.

The Australian rider is the highest GP scorer, top all-time GP finalist, top all-time final winner and 10-time top-three finisher. He revealed that he will be standing down from the top-flight world championship but will be continuing his domestic European racing.

Crump said: "This is a decision I have made with my family some time ago. I am not here to steal anyone’s thunder and I believe by announcing this today will allow the world champion to enjoy their rightful place with all the headlines in a fortnight."

A passionate Australian, Crump said that he felt he couldn’t be standing down at a more exciting time for his country in the sport.

Reflecting on a stunning career in the sport, Crump says stepping down will allow others to create a new era for world championship speedway.

He added: "I have been racing bikes a lot longer than most of the riders in the Grand Prix. But I want a new breed to enjoy what I have been involved in for nearly two decades.

"And I want them to go into the series all believing, like me, that they can win.

"From the moment I got on a bike my goal was to be world champion. The fact I was lucky enough to enjoy the feeling three times is something I will never forget.

"I’ve had my time and been one of the few to reach the pinnacle. Now it’s an opportunity for others to take the stage and enjoy the limelight.”

"To finish in the top three in the world championship for 10 successive seasons is a record I am extremely happy to have.

When Jason Crump takes his place in his 145th Grand Prix in Torun in October 6 and races across the chequered flag for the final time and steps aside, top-flight world championship speedway will be saying goodbye to a true legend who has been a true ambassador and flag bearer for the sport over nearly two stunning decades of oval racing.

TOP FIVE ALL-TIME GRAND PRIX SCORERS
1 Jason Crump 2,001
2 Greg Hancock 1,940
3 Tomasz Gollob 1,865
4 Nicki Pedersen 1,444
5 Tony Rickardsson 1,401

TOP FIVE ALL-TIME GP FINALISTS
1 Jason Crump 77
2 Greg Hancock 64
3 Tomasz Gollob 61
4 Tony Rickardsson 52
5 Nicki Pedersen 50

TOP FIVE ALL-TIME GP FINAL WINS
1 Jason Crump 23
2 Tomasz Gollob 23
3 Tony Rickardsson 20
4 Greg Hancock 16
5 Nicki Pedersen 13

TOP FIVE ALL-TIME GP SCORERS AVE PER ROUND
(Minimum three rounds)
1 Tony Rickardsson 16.68
2 Hans Nielsen 14.70
3 Jason Crump 13.90
4 Greg Hancock 12.52
5 Billy Hamill 12.31

RECORD RUN
2001     2nd
2002     2nd
2003     2nd
2004     1st
2005     2nd
2006     1st
2007     3rd
2008     2nd
2009     1st
2010     3rd

JC’S WINNING ROUNDS
Year     Country            Track
1996     GB                   London
1998     GB                   Coventry
2000     Sweden            Linkopping
2001     Poland              Bydgoszcz
2001     Sweden            Stockholm
2002     Czech Rep        Prague
2003     Denmark           Copenhagen
2003     Czech Rep        Prague
2004     Czech Rep        Prague
2004     Denmark           Copenhagen
2005     Scandinavian    Eskilstuna
2005     Sweden            Mallila
2006     Poland              Wroclaw
2006     Sweden            Eskilstuna
2006     GB                   Cardiff
2006     Italy                  Lonigo
2008     GB                   Cardiff
2008     Latvia               Daugavpils
2009     Poland              Leszno
2009     Denmark           Copenhagen
2009     GB                   Cardiff
2010     Poland              Leszno
2012     Denmark           Copenhagen

JC’S GRAND FINAL RECORD
Finals: 77
Wins: 23 (30%)
Seconds: 19 (25%)
Thirds: 14 (18%)
Fourths: 21 (27%)

SCROLL OF HONOUR
World Champion (3) 2004, 2006, 2009
World U21 Champion (1) 1995
Australian Champion (2) 1995, 2007
Australian U16 Champion (1) 1990
British GP (5) 1996, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2009
Swedish GP (4) 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006
Danish GP (4) 2003, 2004, 2009, 2012
Czech GP (3) 2002, 2003, 2004
European GP (3) 2006, 2009, 2010
Polish GP (1) 2001
Scandinavian GP (1) 2005
Italian GP (1) 2006
Latvian GP (1) 2008
World Team Cup (1) 1999
World Cup (2) 2001, 2002
UK Elite League (2) 1994, 1999
UK Elite KO Cup (3) 1999, 2000, 2005
Polish Ekstraliga (2) 1995, 2006
Swedish Elitserien (3) 1995, 2006, 2010

JASON BY NUMBERS
17 - Jason Crump's first Grand Prix was almost 17 years ago to the day -- Sept 30, 1995 -- at Hackney. He rode in his first GP 6,204 days ago.
18 - At the age of 19, he rode in the last one-off World Championship final in Vojens 18 years ago, scoring six points including a win in his opening ride.
2 - Off track, the 27-year old is married to Mel and they have two children Mia and Seth.
3 - His father, Phil, finished third in the speedway world championship in 1976, behind England’s Peter Collins and Malcolm Simmons in the original one-off world finals in Wroclaw, Poland.
6 - Between 1991-2009 he rode for six league clubs in the UK, starting at Poole in 1991 and including Swindon, Peterborough, Oxford, King’s Lynn and Belle Vue.
4 - He has also ridden for six Polish and four Swedish league clubs and is currently based with Rzeszow in Poland and Vetlanda in Sweden.