Kacper Woryna wins SEC round in Rzeszów to share championship lead

Three attempts to settle the final

Kacper Woryna won the third round of the Speedway Euro Championship in Rzeszów on Saturday evening, defeating fellow Polish rider Maciej Janowski in a final that required three separate starts. In the opening attempt, Leon Madsen attempted an inside pass on Janowski at the entrance to the second turn of lap three, causing the Wrocław rider to fall. Referee Tomas Topinka immediately excluded Madsen from the restart. During the second attempt, Janowski went down again on the opening bend after close contact with Woryna, prompting the referee to order another complete restart for the remaining three riders. In the third attempt, Janowski seized the lead from the outside gate before Woryna overtook him on the third lap to claim the win ahead of Janowski and Latvia's Andžejs Ļebedevs.

First continental victory for Woryna

The triumph in Rzeszów marked Woryna's first individual victory in a Speedway Euro Championship round after 28 career appearances in the series. Only Kai Huckenbeck, with 31 appearances, has waited longer for a maiden round win. Woryna became the seventh Polish rider in the SEC era to win a round, following Janowski's victory two weeks earlier in Güstrow. The 30-year-old Rybnik native collected 16 points across the evening on the 392.5-metre circuit, advancing to the final with 13 points from the regular 20 heats. Speaking after the contest, Woryna reflected on his preparation and equipment choices.

Nie miałem nigdy dobrych wspomnień z tego toru. Za każdym razem coś nie grało, coś mi nie pasowało, jak chociażby zła selekcja jednostki na ten obiekt. Można jednak powiedzieć, że lekcje zostały odrobione, bo dzisiaj to była czysta przyjemność rywalizować w Rzeszowie.

He also noted the persistence required throughout his career in the competition.

Trzeba było utrzymać maksymalną koncentrację do końca. Cieszę się, że po tylu latach, mam na koncie pierwsze zwycięstwo w turnieju SEC.

Championship battle tightens at the top

The outcome in Rzeszów left four riders separated by a single point at the top of the general standings with one round remaining. Woryna jumped from eighth to first place, tying Madsen on 34 points after three rounds. Janowski and Denmark's Michael Jepsen Jensen sit tied for third with 33 points each. Defending European champion Patryk Dudek finished seventh in Rzeszów with eight points, leaving him in fifth place overall on 30 points. Jan Kvech holds sixth place on 29 points, one point ahead of Mikkel Michelsen on 28 points.

Deciding round in Pardubice

The fourth and final round of the 2026 series takes place on Friday, 2 October at 17:00 at the Svítkov stadium in Pardubice, Czechia. The overall SEC winner earns a direct qualification spot for the 2027 Speedway Grand Prix series. Woryna has already secured his 2027 Grand Prix place through the Grand Prix Challenge, while Janowski and Kvech require the European title to gain entry on the track. Madsen, Jepsen Jensen, and Dudek can also qualify by finishing in the top seven of the 2026 Grand Prix, which concludes on 26 September in Toruń. In Pardubice, Czech rider Václav Milík will compete as a wild card, with Daniel Klíma and Adam Nejezchleba serving as track reserves.