Oxford Cheetahs star Lukas Dryml was an ace away from a place in the Australian Grand Prix final when he crashed out in the semis at Sydney's Olympic Stadium on Saturday (October 26).

The Czech ace was in majestic form and had won all his four previous races in great style, but in the semi-final he was off one of the unfavoured outside gates.

Greg Hancock got away well with Mikael Karlsson upside, when Dryml drove hard on the outside of Karlsson. The pair touched and Dryml locked up badly as he took evasive action, smashing into Karlsson and putting him into hospital.

Dryml was as fast as anybody on the day until that decisive moment that ended his and Karlsson's hopes of glory.

In the end, Dryml finished a creditable eighth on the day and eighth in the series - a magnificent achievement by the Cheetahs youngster.

American Hancock upset the Aussie party when he won the final from England star Scott Nicholls and former Cheetah Jason Crump, who was distraught at losing out in his home country.

Cheetahs No 1 Leigh Adams, who had high hopes of making the top three, disappointed after a good start, finishing fourth overall, while teammate Steve Johnston, making his GP debut, had the crowd on their toes with a superb last-snatch second place in heat 18 to get within a heat of the semi-finals.

Sadly, Cheetahs asset Todd Wiltshire bowed out after heat 11 and failed to qualify for next year's series.

Meanwhile, world champion Tony Rickardsson, who had already tied up the title in Denmark last month, suffered when he was drawn away from the inside gates.

Sixteen races were won from the inside trap and four from gate two.

The Swede was happy to finish among the also-rans, before picking up his fifth world trophy.

England's former world champion Mark Loram missed the event after undergoing an operation in Sydney. A recent back injury was causing him to lose a pint of blood every other day and the Australian doctors decided that prompt action was required.

Australian result: 1 Hancock, 2 Nicholls, 3 Crump, Holta, Karlsson, Jonsson, Sullivan, Dryml, Rickardsson, Gollob, Hamill, Johnston, Pedersen, Ferjan, Adams, Ulamek, Wiltshire, Cegielski, Lyons, Poole.

Final standings: Rickardsson 181pts, Crump 162, Sullivan 158, Adams 127, Karlsson, Hancock 122, Gollob 117, Loram 97, Dryml & Hamill 95, Holta 80, Pedersen 73, Nicholls 72, Jonsson 70, Wiltshire 63, Cegielski 55, Ulamek 39, Kilingberg 37, Stonehewer 30, Smith 29.