Danish champion Anders Thomsen has opted out of this season’s Speedway European Championship series as Patryk Dudek steps in.
Thomsen finished fourth in the 2024 SEC standings to secure entry for this season’s four-round series, which sees the winner qualify for the 2026 FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.
The Vojens and Gorzow rider’s place is taken by Speedway GP second substitute Dudek, who finished sixth in the 2024 SEC standings. He now withdraws from the SEC Challenge in Stralsund, Germany on May 31, with French international Dimitri Berge replacing him.
Dudek’s unexpected SEC call-up opens the door for him to fight for a Speedway GP return after he missed out on Poland’s three spots in this year’s SGP qualifiers. These were secured by current Speedway GP rider Dominik Kubera, double SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak and Kacper Woryna.
The Torun star raced to third place as a wild card at the Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw last Saturday, and Dudek could still play a role in the remaining eight Speedway GP rounds if he is called up as second substitute, with Denmark’s Leon Madsen the first reserve on the list.
For the time being, Dudek will switch his focus to landing SEC gold as he lines up alongside fellow automatic qualifiers, two-time and defending champion Andzejs Lebedevs, Madsen, Woryna and the in-form Piotr Pawlicki.
Five more entrants will be confirmed at the SEC Challenge, which takes place on the same day as the FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on May 31. The line-up will be completed by five permanent wild cards.
The SEC series launches at Polish venue Bydgoszcz on July 12, before heading to German track Gustrow on July 26 and Polish club Leszno on August 23. The final round takes place as part of Czech city Pardubice’s iconic Golden Helmet weekend on September 19 – less than a week after the Speedway GP title decider in Vojens on September 13.