There were some nervous moments early on, but Crump stayed on course and now well and truly belongs in the pantheon of world speedway greats.

Crump, who won three of this year’s 11 GPs, said: “Five weeks ago I thought my season was over after my crash at Belle Vue, but a fantastic team of people have got me back on track and I have to thank them all.

“The first half of the season went like clockwork, but I messed up a little in the second half when I became a speedway rider rather than a speedway racer.

"The injury never helped but things came good at the end and it was pretty special to win heat 13 when I only needed a point. It’s an awesome feeling to be world champion again.”

Outgoing world champion Nicki Pedersen won the final round at Bydgoszcz, ahead of Australia's Leigh Adams, who came close to bowing out a winner in his championship swansong.

Sebastian Ulamek was third ahead Rune Holta, while Crump exited in the semi-finals. But it mattered little to the former Mildura rider, who, if he remains fit and motivated, has the tools of trade to chase the record of six world titles, held jointly by his former nemesis Tony Rickardsson and New Zealander Ivan Mauger.

Crump finished the championship on 159pts, ahead of Gollob, young Russian Emil Sayfutdinov (139), Greg Hancock (121), Andreas Jonsson (116), Pedersen (110), Holta (99) and Kenneth Bjerre (98).

Those top eight riders automatically qualify for the 2010 championship, with the rest 0of the grid filed by qualifiers (of which Aussie Chris Holder is one), that enduring oxymoron, the 'permanent wildcards', and a single wildcard at each round.

FIM Polish Grand Prix: Nicki Pedersen (Denmark) 18, Leigh Adams (Australia) 15, Sebastian Ulamek (Poland) 16, Rune Holta (Poland) 14, Andreas Jonsson (Sweden) 12, Tomasz Gollob (Poland) 11, Jason Crump (Australia) 9, Kenneth Bjerre (Denmark) 8, Greg Hancock (USA) 8, Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia) 8, Adrian Miedzinksi (Poland) 6, Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) 6, Scott Nicholls (Great Britain) 4, Chris Harris (Great Britain) 3, Grzegorz Walasek (Poland) 3, Hans Andersen (Denmark) 3.

Final 2009 World Championship standings: Crump 159, Gollob 144, Sayfutdinov 139, Hancock 121, Jonsson 116, Pedersen 110, Holta 99, Bjerre 98, Lindgren 94, Andersen 91, Adams 81, Ulamek 75, Walasek 66, Harris 62, Nicholls 45, *Antonio Lindback (Sweden) 27, *Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark) 20, *Jarek Hampel (Poland) 9, *Matej Zagar (Slovenia) 7, Adrian Miedzinski (Poland) 6, Grigory Laguta (Russia) 6, *Edward Kennett (Great Britain) 4, *Guglielmo Franchetti (Italy) 2, *Matej Kus (Czech Republic) 1.