Now there is even more excitement and intensity in the European Championships series. As of this year, the European Championship title will trigger a grand prize place, and Danish European champion Mikkel Michelsen will be given optimal conditions to start defending his title. On Saturday, June 20, the first section of the year will be run at Vojens Speedway Center. Fynske A / S Ovethi - Dansk Dæk Service - has again registered as a title sponsor.
By Ib Søby
Speedway fans will not forget the warm August evening last year when Vojens Speedway Center resurfaced as an international arena. In a breathtaking and enthralling race, Danish comet Mikkel Michelsen founded his overall European Championship title, with an impressive final victory over Polish Kacpar Woryna and veteran Nicki Pedersen.
With this, Mikkelsen followed in the footsteps of Leon Madsen, for whom the European Championship triumph back in 2018, also meant the final international breakthrough.
With the new rule for a safe grand prize place comes more power in the series that Polish One Sport has continued and developed, with increasing success, since 2012. SEC is now very attractive to many international top names, and of course Danish drivers like Hans Andersen and Anders Thomsen, who runs the Danish league for SES - Southern Jutland Elite Sport - in Vojens. But also strong profiles such as Michael Jepsen Jensen and Peter Kildemand, among others, will go a long way to qualify for the European Championships series.
One Sport also has four permanent wildcards, and it is rumored that the 42-year veteran and triple world champion Nicki Pedersen are in play for one of the seats.
Due to last year's rankings, both Mikkel Michelsen and Leon Madsen have already secured participation. This year's European Championship series again consists of four departments, but at present only the opening bracket is known in Vojens and the last department in Chorzow at Katowice, 19 September.
Ticket sales start on Friday, February 14 at. 10.00 on billetlugen.dk
Ovethi covers again
The acclaimed Funen company A / S Ovethi - Dansk Dæk Service - is, as last year, title sponsor at the Danish European Championships.
- We had a fantastic collaboration with Jacob Olsen and his crew last year. Of course we would like to build on this this year. For ourselves, and our many customers, there is a fine synergy between our fields of interest and international speedway, says Thomas Thinggard, Director of A / S Ovethi.
Jacob Olsen of Speed1Way also shares Thomas Thinggard's point of view.
- We know Ovethi from their long-standing commitment to Danish speedway, and we know it is a solid company in strong growth and operations. Ovethi's profile, which sells tires and rims of every size, fits well with the Danish speedway environment, emphasizes Jacob Olsen and refers to Ovethi's involvement in several clubs.
A / S Ovethi - Dansk Dæk Service - was founded in 1954 and today employs approx. 70 employees. The company imports and markets all recognized quality brands of tires, rims and wheels for all purposes, in collaboration with several of the world's largest tire manufacturers such as Kumho.
Behind the company name hides the first name of the company's founder Ove Sørensen and the family name Thinggaard.
EM podiums for the past five years:
2019
1. Mikkel Michelsen, Denmark
2. Grigory Laguta, Russia
3. Leon Madsen, Denmark
2018
1. Leon Madsen, Denmark
2. Jaroslaw Hampel, Poland
3. Robert Lambert, England
2017
1. Andrzejs Lebedevs, Latvia
2. Artem Laguta, Russia
3. Vaclav Milik, Czech Republic
2016
1. Nicki Pedersen, Denmark
2. Vaclav Milik, Czech Republic
3. Krzysztof Kasprzak, Poland
2015
1. Emil Saytfudinov, Russia
2. Nicki Pedersen, Denmark
3. Antonio Lindbäck, Sweden