On 8 June, Debrecen will host the first final of the Speedway Euro Championship (SEC), as announced by the organizers during a press briefing on Wednesday, introducing the 2024 season of Debrecen’s dirt bike racing events.
The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) established the individual Speedway European Championship in 2001. In 2013, the series was renamed Speedway Euro Championship (SEC) by the new promoter, One Sport, transitioning from single-day finals to four rounds deciding the championship title, as outlined by the organizers’ background presentation. Norbert Baráth, the CEO of Speedwolf Sports Organization, emphasized during the press conference that such a prestigious Speedway event has not been held in Hungary since the sport’s inception. He highlighted Speedwolf’s proven track record in organizing numerous qualifying races, including those scheduled for this year. Additionally, the training camps held in Debrecen for various national teams have boosted the city’s reputation in the sport.
Five riders have secured their spots in the final, including defending champion Mikkel Michelsen from Denmark, his compatriot Leon Madsen, Polish riders Janusz Kolodziej and Patryk Dudek, and Latvian rider Andzejs Lebedevs. They will be joined by the top five qualifiers from the SEC Challenge, five permanent wildcard holders appointed by One Sport, and one wildcard entry for each location. Following Debrecen, this year’s series will see finals in Grudziadz, Poland, on 20 July, Güstrow, Germany, on 24 August, and Chorzów, Poland, on 21 September, as revealed by Norbert Baráth. In presenting the race calendar, the CEO also highlighted that Debrecen will not only host the SEC final but also one of the qualifiers, kicking off the 2024 dirt bike season in the city with the European Championship qualifying race scheduled for 1 May.
Furthermore, he mentioned that on 20 May, there will be another race this year, hosting the Grand Prix World Championship qualifier. This will be followed by the aforementioned European Championship final, after which, on 6-7 July, fans of the sport can witness the semi-finals and finals of the 250cc youth European Championship. On 20 August, riders will compete for the 49th Debrecen Grand Prix, while on 12 October, the Perényi Pál Speedway Stadium will host the flat track World Championship final.
During the press briefing, Deputy Mayor Lajos Barcsa emphasized that since handing over the organization and operation of the stadium to Speedwolf in 2019, the city has seen prestigious events every year. Last year, five races were held, with an average attendance of three thousand spectators per event, and over five thousand attended the 48th Debrecen Grand Prix. This demonstrates the significant interest in the sport, not only from Debrecen and its surroundings but also on a national and even international level. Last year, the city allocated 11 million forints to support speedway sports, and this year, the municipality aims to support Speedwolf in a similar manner. However, discussions are still ongoing regarding the city’s budget, so specific details about the amount of support will be provided later, according to the deputy mayor.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
