Radosław Zieliński: SEC 2014 first round will be organised in Germany. How do You feel with that idea?
Torsten Juern: I think that the 2013 SEC series was a huge success and has drawn much interest in Germany. Due to the fact that you could see it live in free TV on Eurosport many people who normally don't attend any Speedway meetings watched it and realized what a great sport it is. For many years years you could not see any Speedway on TV in Germany but thanks to One Sport and Eurosport it is different now.
R.Z: TV audience for SEC events in 2013 were the best in Poland and Germany. How big potential is hidden in German speedway?
T.J: Actually there is quite a big hidden potential of viewers in Germany. There are elder viewers who re-discovered the sport after seeing it live when they were younger as well as completely new viewers who find it attractive because it is presented in a modern way. To be part of this is a great honour and a huge challenge for our club at the same time. Without a doubt it is the biggest and most prestigious event that we ever staged.
R.Z: MC Guestrow celebrated the 50 years of existence this year. Do You want to organise SEC as a gift for Your fans?
T.J: Of course this meeting is a gift for our loyal fans because we are really proud of them. They supported us very well over the last couple of years. The European U21 Final this year was one of the highlights so far but naturally the SEC is a completely new level. During the 50 year history of Speedway in Güstrow we have been quite successful. Before the wall came down we were the dominating team in East Germany but unfortunately our riders were not allowed to take part in World and European Championships. The nineties were difficult for us because there were so many changes from one day to the other. It took us some years to recover but after that we won the German League two times and came runner-up three times. With that we had proven that we still can be successful but on the other side our stadium was in a disastrous condition. Therefore we decided to drop out of the League and to renovate the stadium step by step instead. We do three open international meetings per year and over the last couple of years we had an FIM or UEM meeting every year. Also we stage German Championship meetings as often as we can. To develop some young local riders we have a team in the 2nd Division and apart from some regional competitions we offer training for 80cc and 500cc every week.
R.Z: How much work will SEC organisation demand from You? Do You treat it as a normal meeting or it will be extraordinary year for all of You?
T.J: The SEC cannot be treated as a normal event for us. The past has shown that we can handle big meetings. Our annual “Pfingstpokal” meeting is a huge success and the last two years the stadium was nearly sold out. For the FIM and UEM meetings we were praised by officials and riders alike so I guess we must be doing something right. I have a very motivated team behind me and we all try to give our best in every meeting to make it memorable for riders and fans. To welcome some of the World’s finest riders and being live on Eurosport will be an extra motivation and I’m sure everybody in the club will give 110% to make it a success .
R.Z: How long has the negotiations between MC Gustroew and One Sport lasted ? What are Your expectations from this event?
T.J: We were in contact with One Sport since spring and during the year the talks became more and more concrete. We already talked before the 2013 series started and while on our side quite a few people were sceptic how this would work the guys from One Sport were always sure that it would be successful. They have woken up a sleeping beauty and brought the European Championship where it belongs.
