SEC | LEBEDEVS TOPS PODIUM AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OPENER IN HUNGARY

Latvian ace Andzejs Lebedevs made the ideal start to his bid for Speedway European Championship No.2 after winning the opening round of the series at Hungarian track Debrecen on Saturday.

The Speedway GP star, who lifted the SEC trophy in 2017, cruised straight through to the final on 14 points, before taking the chequered flag in the final to top the standings with 17.

The winner of the four-round SEC series will earn automatic qualification for the 2025 Speedway GP series. And with Lebedevs currently 13th in the SGP World Championship on 22 points – 27 short of the top-six automatic qualification places – a big performance in the continental championship could offer him another route into Speedway GP for next year.

Another rider seeking a Speedway GP return is 2022 SGP bronze medallist Maciej Janowski. He finished second to Lebedevs in the final after scoring 10 in the heats, before winning the semi-final ahead of Jacob Thorssell.

The double Swedish champion went on to finish third in the final – some result for Thorssell, who only received a call-up for the event after French international Dimitri Berge withdrew due to injury.

Janowski left Debrecen with 12 championship points, while Thorssell accrued 11. Former world No.2 Patryk Dudek took fourth place and 10 championship points. He joined Lebedevs in gaining automatic qualification for the final after beating Janowski, Thorssell and reigning champion Mikkel Michelsen on countback after they all tied on 10 points after five rides.

Michelsen finished third in the semi and also claims 10 championship points, with fourth-placed semi-finalist Kacper Woryna of Poland scoring nine. He pipped Danish star Anders Thomsen and Poland’s Piotr Pawlicki to the last semi spot after they tied on nine.

Swedish international Timo Lahti scored eight, former Danish champion Rasmus Jensen collected seven, Czech charger Vaclav Milik scored six and two-time SEC champion Leon Madsen registered five along with Latvia’s Jevgenijs Kostigovs.

DEBRECEN POINTS AND SEC STANDINGS: 1. Andzejs Lebedevs 17, 2. Maciej Janowski 12, 3. Jacob Thorssell 11, 4. Patryk Dudek 10, 5. Mikkel Michelsen 10, 6. Kacper Woryna 9, 7. Anders Thomsen 9, 8. Piotr Pawlicki 9, 9. Timo Lahti 8, 10. Rasmus Jensen 7, 11. Vaclav Milik 6, 12. Leon Madsen 5, 13. Jevgenijs Kostigovs 5, 14. Bartlomiej Kowalski 4, 15. Norick Blodorn 4, 16. Norbert Magosi 0.