Tuesday 21st August 2012, 15:47

Jason Crump says this year’s world title race “could end up going down to the last heat of the last round” ahead of the FIM Fogo British SGP in Cardiff on Saturday.

The Australian legend heads to the Millennium Stadium third in the World Championship standings on 97 – putting him 14 points behind series leader Greg Hancock.

With four rounds left to race this term, Crump still has time to make a bid for title No.4.

But the Vetlanda-based man knows he isn’t the only one in the hunt and believes any rider down to Andreas Jonsson, who is eighth on 70 points, could make an assault on top spot.

He said: “I think there are probably more than three or four riders in it. Tomasz is definitely not out of it yet and you can go down a little bit further to someone like Fredrik Lindgren or Andreas.

"It only takes a couple of 22 or 23-point rounds from those guys and they’re in the leading group and those guys are back in it as well.”

Crump added: “I think this is about one of the tightest years I can remember, not only for top spot, but for everything else around it – the top eight, the top three.

“A couple of bad meetings for certain riders and a couple of good meetings for others and things could really be shaken up in the order from first place to eighth place almost.

“It’s open, it’s really, really open. It’s exciting for everybody – eight GPs and seven different winners. I feel it could end up going down to the last heat of the last round.”

Crump is trailing Hancock and second-placed Nicki Pedersen, who has 101 points, and knows both riders all too well. The trio have battled each other for SGP glory for more than a decade.

But Australia’s most successful rider is keen to concentrate on his own efforts and ensure he gives his best in the title run-in.

He said: “From my point of view, I try not to look too much at what the other guys are doing. I just try and focus on my game and get the best out of every situation I can.

“At the end of the day, if you get in your vehicle at the end of the Grand Prix, genuinely feel you’ve given it your best shot, but a few situations haven’t gone your way or you feel you made a bad choice with a gate position or bike, if you do your best and someone does better than you, you have to accept it.

“I’m old enough and experienced enough to know when I’ve given my best and left nothing on the table. If you do that and someone goes better, you congratulate them.”

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