Video: Two speedway riders really collide!
Legendary Cradley Heathens star and speedway world champion Greg Hancock has been involved in a stunning fracas with former Wolves ace Nicki Pedersen.
The American is known as one of the sport's nicest characters but saw red after the pair were involved in a collision in the final heat of a meeting in Sweden last night.
Hancock, riding for Piraterna, appeared to have his front wheel taken away by Pedersen - racing for Dackarna - on the second lap.
The enraged 45-year-old regained his feet before racing across the track to confront Pedersen, knocking the Dane off his bike with a flying clothesline.
Team-mates and club officials pulled the pair apart, with video footage of the incident soon going viral on the internet.
Hancock, a three-time world champion who rode for the Heathens between 1989 and 1996, later said: "I was p***** off at that moment.
"It's not the first time Pedersen's done dangerous things on the track against me. He's also done it to other riders but he's never been given any punishment for it. He does not care about other riders.
"I'd had enough and wanted to give him the punishment myself. It takes a lot for me to get angry but it boiled over.
Hancock went on: "He does it again and again and get away with it. Then he tries to make it look as if it is not his fault.
"He does not like to be defeated. That's when he becomes, what do you call it, a madman. I usually don't respond as I did and it takes a lot to annoy me so much.
"He was messing with my life and I don't like it when people mess with my life."
Pedersen, who is also a three-time world champion and rode for Wolves between 1999 and 2000, has a reputation as a hard rider.
He was later unrepentant, insisting there was nothing wrong with the crash which sparked the brawl.
"I rode past Hancock in a nice way and not so tough," he said. "I do not know what happened to him. I am very surprised at his reaction and what he does.
"There is nothing ugly with this incident and I did nothing wrong. I was faster than him and it was a good race."
Hancock has already been fined for his reaction but could face further sanction from the sport's governing body.
