Debrecen4U
April 30, 2026
U24 Individual European Speedway Cup Finals in Debrecen
On 1 May, the Perényi Pál Speedway Stadium will host a prestigious competition where 16 riders from 13 nations will compete against one another. Details were presented at a press conference held on 29 April 2026.
It is a tremendous recognition for the local motorsport community and the professionals behind it that the U24 European Cup Finals will be held in Debrecen on 1 May, said Mayor László Papp. As he noted, Debrecen is currently the only truly significant stronghold of motorsport in Hungary. The mayor recalled that there had previously been discussion of a larger-scale development in this field, involving the construction of a new speedway stadium in the southern part of the city, where riders would not disturb residents. According to the mayor, this would be a realistic prospect if the city were to regain the funds it had paid as solidarity contributions.
“The city has consistently supported speedway racing—as it has many other sports—over recent decades. In 2019, we concluded our cooperation agreement with SpeedWolf, which is now approaching its tenth anniversary,” he said. He added that, over the past seven years, the city has provided HUF 109 million in support to sustain speedway racing, and this year it will allocate HUF 15 million from the municipal budget towards operational and running costs. The mayor highlighted that young talents from 13 countries will be introduced at the Cup Finals, and that spectators will be able to see who the defining riders of the coming years may be. He also noted that holders of the Debrecen City Card can purchase tickets with a HUF 1000 discount, while young people aged 6–14 can attend the event free of charge when booking tickets online.
Norbert Baráth, Managing Director of SpeedWolf Sportszervező N. Kft., emphasised that this will be their most prestigious event of the year. In this context, he explained that the European federation announced this competition for the first time this year, making it a particularly important professional recognition that Debrecen has been selected as the host. Speaking about the contest, he revealed that 16 riders from 13 countries will take to the start, competing in 20 qualifying heats in which every rider faces each other; the top three will be decided in the 22nd heat. He added that several of the participants have already achieved outstanding results in elite European leagues.
Péter Szabó, Director of the Schaeffler Debrecen Campus, said that Zoltán Lovas is Schaeffler’s first ambassador in Hungary, and expressed confidence that, despite being only 17 years old, he will be able to handle the responsibility of carrying the future of speedway racing in Hungary on his shoulders. He added that they trust Zoltán will delight supporters with several strong heats and achieve a result of which both he and the city can be proud.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
