MICHELSEN SEALS THIRD EUROPEAN TITLE & 2024 SPEEDWAY GP QUALIFICATION

Danish racer Mikkel Michelsen has guaranteed his place in the 2024 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series after securing his third Speedway European Championship in Pardubice.

The 2019 and 2021 SEC winner regained the crown after scoring eight points from his opening three rides at the final round in the Czech Republic, which was curtailed after 16 heats due to heavy rain.

With 2022 champion Leon Madsen finishing fourth in his opening ride, Michelsen’s victory in heat 11 meant he had done enough to be certain of becoming the first triple European champion of the 21st century, as well as earning a spot in the 2024 Speedway GP series.

Michelsen topped the podium on 52 points, with Madsen taking the silver medal on 44. The world No.2 reeled off three wins from his final three rides to take third place in the meeting on nine points, overhauling Michelsen in his final outing to make the Pardubice podium on countback.

The event was won by Poland’s Janusz Kolodziej on 11 points as he secured the bronze medal overall on 42, despite missing the opening round in Czestochowa due to injury.

Poland’s Patryk Dudek scored six points on the night to end up fourth overall on 33 – level with Latvian ace Andzejs Lebedevs in fifth, who scored five this evening. 

Both riders did enough to secure the top-five finish needed to guarantee their SEC spots for 2024, joining Michelsen, Madsen and Kolodziej in gaining automatic qualification.

DeWalt FIM Torun Speedway GP wild card Dominik Kubera finished second in the Pardubice round on 10 points. 

But having sat out the opening round in Czestochowa following his crash in Orlen FIM Warsaw Speedway GP Qualifying Practice on May 12, he narrowly missed the top-five cut on 30 - along with Germany's Kai Huckenbeck in seventh, who also ended on 30.

FINAL SPEEDWAY EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 Mikkel Michelsen 52, 2 Leon Madsen 44, 3 Janusz Kołodziej 42, 4 Patryk Dudek 33, 5 Andzejs Lebedevs 33, 6 Dominik Kubera 30, 7 Kai Huckenbeck 30, 8 Kacper Woryna 27, 9 Antonio Lindback 25, 10 Dimitri Berge 24, 11 Adam Ellis 22, 12 Andreas Lyager 20, 13 Szymon Woźniak 18, 14 Vaclav Milik 16, 15 Grzegorz Zengota 16, 16 Jan Kvech 13, 17 Niels-Kristian Iversen 9, 18 Maksym Drabik 9, 19 Timo Lahti 5, 20 Norick Blodorn 3, 21 Petr Chlupac 1, 22 Kacper Pludra 1.

PARDUBICE SCORES: 1. Janusz Kołodziej 11, 2. Dominik Kubera 10, 3. Leon Madsen 9, 4. Mikkel Michelsen 9, 5. Vaclav Milik 7, 6. Kai Huckenbeck 7, 7. Andreas Lyager 7, 8. Grzegorz Zengota 7, 9. Patryk Dudek 6, 10. Antonio Lindback 5, 11. Andzejs Lebedevs 5, 12. Adam Ellis 4, 13. Dimitri Berge 4, 14. Jan Kvech 2, 15. Kacper Woryna 2, 16. Petr Chlupac 1, 17. Hynek Stichauer DNR, 18. Matous Kamenik DNR.