Former world No.3 Emil Sayfutdinov raced to 15 paid 17 points from six races as Esbjerg kicked off the Danish Speedwayligaen season with a 46-38 victory at home to league newcomers Nordjysk Elite Speedway on Wednesday.
Sayfutdinov was beaten only by Aussie racer Rohan Tungate on his first meeting since swapping Britain for Denmark over the winter.
His former Ipswich Witches teammate Jason Doyle raced to 13 points for the Vikings, while Matias Nielsen added 11 paid 12.
Swedish international Timo Lahti racked up 14 for the Brovst club, while Tungate tallied 10 paid 12.
Elsewhere, SGP duo Fredrik Lindgren and Dan Bewley racked up 14 paid 15 points each on their Danish league debut for Region Varde, but they couldn’t save the Outrup club from a 43-41 loss at Holsted.
The Tigers triumphed courtesy of a 12-point total from Nicolai Klindt and 11 from Swedish international Jacob Thorssell.
Latvian ace Andzejs Lebedevs scored 13 paid 14 points for Vojens team Sønderjylland Elite Speedway, but it was not enough to spare them from a 44-40 loss away to Fjelsted.
Danish racer Mads Hansen topped the visitors’ score chart on 14, while Ukrainian rider Nazar Parnitskyi picked up six. But 12-point hauls from former Speedway GP winner Peter Kildemand and Benjamin Basso, plus 10 paid 12 from Frederik Jakobsen saw Fjelsted take the win.
In the day’s other meetings, Danish champion Michael Jepsen Jensen scored 12 points for reigning champions Slangerup, but his side slumped to a 49-34 loss at home to Grindsted.
Aussie international Ryan Douglas continued his fine start to 2026 with 14 paid 15 for the visitors, with Villads Nagel notching 11 paid 12, Tim Sorensen adding 11 and Norway’s Mathias Pollestad tallying 10 paid 12.
For full details of the Speedwayligaen’s opening night results and scorers, CLICK HERE.