KOLODZIEJ & BERNTZON AMONG SEC WILD CARDS

Former Speedway GP riders Janusz Kolodziej and Oliver Berntzon both have the chance to race their way back into the series after being handed Tauron Speedway European Championship wild cards.

Injured Kolodziej was forced out of Saturday’s SEC Challenge in Krsko, Slovenia, where the top five riders qualified for the four-round continental series.

But organisers have handed him his opportunity to line up in the SEC series, along with Swedish star Berntzon, Czech charger Vaclav Milik, German rider Kai Huckenbeck and French racer David Bellego.

They join the top five riders from the 2021 SEC series – reigning champion Mikkel Michelsen of Denmark, his fellow countryman Leon Madsen, Polish duo Patryk Dudek and Piotr Pawlicki and British Speedway GP regular Dan Bewley.

Latvian star Andzejs Lebedevs won the SEC Challenge to qualify, along with runner-up Dimitri Berge of France, Denmark’s Rasmus Jensen, Polish racer Bartosz Smektala and Great Britain’s Adam Ellis.

The winner of the SEC series will be guaranteed a place in the 2023 Speedway GP World Championship.

Polish rising star Dominik Kubera has been named as first reserve for the SEC series. He’s joined on the standby list by double Swedish champion Jacob Thorssell, Finland’s Timo Lahti, Danish rider Frederik Jakobsen and Ukrainian youngster Marko Levishyn.

The 2022 SEC series launches at Polish track Rybnik on July 2, with round two taking place at German venue Gustrow on August 6. Polish club Lodz stages the penultimate event on September 3, before Czech circuit Pardubice plays host to the title decider on Friday, September 23 to kick off its famous Golden Helmet weekend.

TAURON SEC 2022 line-up (in ranking order with rider numbers): 155. Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark), 30. Leon Madsen (Denmark), 692. Patryk Dudek (Poland), 777. Piotr Pawlicki (Poland), 99. Daniel Bewley (Great Britain), 29. Andzejs Lebedevs (Latvia), 96. Dimitri Berge (France), Rasmus Jensen (Denmark), 115. Bartosz Smektala (Poland), 299. Adam Ellis (Great Britain), 415. David Bellego (France), 744. Kai Huckenbeck (Germany), 225. Vaclav Milik (Czech Republic), 93. Oliver Berntzon (Sweden), 333. Janusz Kolodziej (Poland). SUBSTITUTES: R1. Dominik Kubera (Poland), R2. Jacob Thorssell (Sweden), R3. Timo Lahti (Finland), R4. Frederik Jakobsen (Denmark), R5. Marko Levishyn (Ukraine).