The reigning Danish European champion Leon Madsen can enjoy a home-grown scent when on Saturday, August 10, along with a number of the world's best speedway drivers, guests of the Vojens Speedway Center. Leon Madsen and star shooter Mikkel Michelsen are secured participation in this year's SEC series, while Nicki Pedersen awaits the possibility of participation on the wildcard.
Danish speedway fans can seriously screw up the joyous expectations for the upcoming season. In the late autumn it was clear that the Danish World Cup grand prize will return to Vojens after a number of years in the Park and Horsens.
Shortly before Christmas, news hit that speedway legend Ole Olsen handed over the operation of the acclaimed speedway mecca to his son Jacob Olsen, who will regain his position as the world's leading permanent speedway facility.
With the agreement on the European Championship, the Vojens Speedway Center offers a great international race even more, already in the first year of the re-creation.
– We are in a hurry, but we are pleased to also be able to present the SEC series on the European Championship, already in our first season. One Sport operates with wildcards, and it is conceivable that Nicki Pedersen is invited to this year's series, thus joining Vojens on August 10, says Jacob Olsen.
The individual European championship in speedway is run by Polish One Sport, which has acquired the rights of FIM Europe. A TV deal with Eurosport on transmission in 71 countries, has since 2013 given the SEC series a significant boost, and heavy weight on the international speedway scene.
– Getting to the legendary Vojens Speedway Center with the SEC Series is extremely exciting and a great honor for our entire team. Denmark is an important country for the development of international speedway, and we are crossing fingers for Jacob Olsen and his plans for the future in Vojens. The new initiative, with an EM division in Vojens, is one of the biggest steps in One Sports history, says Jan Konikiewiecz from One Sport.
By virtue of last year's result, Leon Madsen, Polish Jaroslaw Hampel, British Robert Lambert, Danish Mikkel Michelsen and Swedish Antonio Lindbäck are directly qualified for this year's series. The final field is only known after the Danish World Cup and European Championship qualification at Varde Motor Arena on April 20, and the SEC qualifying final in Hungary on May 25.
The European Championship title has been run since 2001 and three Danes have been able to decorate that title. Jesper B. Monberg in 2005, Nicki Pedersen in 2016, and - as mentioned - Leon Madsen in 2018.