FIM SPEEDWAY: THE NEXT GENERATION OF HANCOCKS?
Four-time Speedway GP world champion Greg Hancock admits youngest son Karl is already showing some competitive edge as he takes his first steps into the sport.
The 12-year-old took part in the FIM SGP Academy event staged in Malilla earlier this month as Greg joined six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson and Swedish team manager Linus Sundstrom in coaching the next generation of riders from around the world.
Karl was one of three American riders in attendance and is already well known to speedway fans after frequent appearances on Greg’s social media accounts.
There’s a chance he could follow dad on to the shale and, while Greg built a reputation as one of the calmest riders in the business, he admits Karl is a slightly different breed of Hancock.
“He’s the most competitive in the family,” Greg said. “He gets really frustrated when things don’t go the way he expects. That’s the part that’s a little bit worrying! I was calm and I got frustrated, but I didn’t show it. He shows it.”
Karl’s dedication on and off the track is already impressing Greg. “He has always loved it from a young age,” he said.
“I have never pushed it. I do a lot of coaching and work with a lot of the guys, and Karl is always there. He always asks if he can ride and be part of this. ‘Can I ride? Can I go to the practice with you?’
“The mission is for him to understand and pay attention to his bikes. He prepares his bike, puts fuel in it, puts chain lube on it, changes his sprocket and puts the wheel back in. I always adjust and look over everything, but I spend three or four hours a day at the track with the guys, and I never once have to do anything for him.
“He gets on the bike, starts it himself and goes and rides when we are not riding. When I am with the guys, he is out doing laps and then jumps in with them too. I don’t ignore him, but I don’t need to do much. He does it all on his own.”
It’s nothing unusual for youngsters to try their hand at many different sports and Karl is no different.
Greg said: “He’s really good at everything. He loves American football, golf, basketball and rides his bicycle everywhere. He is willing and able to do a lot of things. It’s just a case of him deciding what he wants to do in the future.”
