LEBEDEVS IN SGP 2023 QUEST AFTER WINNING SEC CHALLENGE

Latvian racer Andzejs Lebedevs is in the hunt for his second Speedway European Championship and Speedway GP qualification after winning tonight’s SEC Challenge in Krsko.

This year’s Speedway GP first reserve topped the podium on 13 points in Slovenia to take his place in the four-round series, which will see the champion earn a guaranteed place in the 2023 Speedway GP World Championship.

French international Dimitri Berge also booked his spot in the series, winning a run-off with Denmark’s Rasmus Jensen and former World Under-21 champion Bartosz Smektala of Poland after the trio tied on 10 points.

They all take their spots in the SEC line-up, with Great Britain racer Adam Ellis clinching the fifth and final spot on nine, seeing off Polish shooting star Dominik Kubera, who just fell short on eight.

French star David Bellego, German racer Kai Huckenbeck, Czech charger Vaclav Milik and double Swedish champion Jacob Thorssell also missed out on eight points.

The SEC Challenge top five join the 2021 SEC top five Mikkel Michelsen, Leon Madsen, Patryk Dudek, Piotr Pawlicki and Dan Bewley in the field, with five wild cards set to complete the line-up.

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.

SEC CHALLENGE SCORES: 1 Andzejs Lebedevs 13, 2 Dimitri Berge 10+3, 3 Rasmus Jensen 10+2, 4 Bartosz Smektala 10+1, 5 Adam Ellis 9, 6 Dominik Kubera 8, 7 David Bellego 8,  8 Kai Huckenbeck 8, 9 Vaclav Milik 8, 10 Jacob Thorssell 8, 11 Timo Lahti 7, 12 Frederik Jakobsen 7, 13 Michael Jepsen Jensen 5, 14 Marko Levishyn 4, 15 Oliver Berntzon 4, 16 Nick Skorja 1, 17 Valentin Grobauer 0, 18 Daniel Klima 0.