The three sides that filled the top three final league placings last season have all opened the new campaign with home and away wins, just as they did in SL25. Win doubles for defending champions Don Valley, last years runners-up Manor plus Denaby all completed with road-trip victories, the latter’s returned at their bogie track Ramsgate, where they’d failed to win on all eight previous visits. In former Rams number one Shane Goodwin (14) the Devils had a trump card to play, following three wins and a second the 31 year old was brought into heat 15 by Steve Pearce to secure the victory alongside fellow England international Callum Osborne (12+1), in recording their side’s second 5-1 of the meeting they did so with points in hand, Denaby winners by six. Just as Don Valley were at Brighton, the holders first away points of the campaign secured with a race to spare when 19 year old reserve Olesia Kowalczyk (8+1) beat Bombers’ second string William Thomson to record his second heat victory of the meeting. Not all good news though from the clash for the Vipers, with Taylor Barber suffering an injury that will keep him out the side for two months. Barber was paid for seven from reserve in the Vipers earlier 11 point home win over Merseyside. Manor meanwhile enjoyed a very productive first ever visit to top flight rookies Dumpton, pre-season loan signing Joseph Wall (13+1) topping the scoring in the 39-51 win, a result which matches their best ever victory on the road in a top flight fixture. Wall was part of a heat leader trio which combined provided ten race wins, reserve Teodor Lovrencic (7+1) picked up another for the Miracles.

Fortunes have turned for Ramsgate since winning the league and KO Cup double in SL23. They were lucky not to be relegated a year later and are without a trophy since. SL26 has not proved to be the fresh start Phil Watmough was looking for, so far at least, they getting the new season underway with three straight defeats in league and cup as well as suffering an opening round exit in the Club Pairs for the first time in 16 years! The three-times winners finished last in the qualifier at Hull (23), a tie won by the third division hosts with their on loan pairing of Wlod Szczepanski and Adam Cox, the former looking to take the title for the second successive season having won the competition with Birmingham in SL25. Nottingham (18)—back in the league after a decade absence—held on to qualify through in third spot despite suffering a late 5-1 reversal against Hull, top flight Dumpton (22) split the two third tier sides. More division three success in the meeting at Border (23), where the hosts’ Dusty Cronin and Waltr Bartik were somewhat surprise podium toppers ahead of Denaby (22)—who continued their proud record of always reaching at least the second round of the competition—and SL19 and 20 winners Cradley Heath (21)—a side looking to reach the final for the eighth time in nine years. In big money pre-season addition Waclaw Kozlowski plus Dale Bailey, Brighton (25) have the highest averaged pairing in this years competition, and their class showed as they topped out their first round tie at Liden by five points from fellow top flight side, Merseyside (20), Wednesfield took the third qualifying spot there. California (23)—represented by Shane Towler (16) and Nils Mogensen (7)—topped the final first round meeting at Sankey, where Whiteley (22) and Manor (21) took the remaining qualification spots to round two as top flight Laceby exited at this stage of the competition for the 11th time in 14 years.

Don Valley’s Taylor Barber (13) began the defence of his BU21 title with a victory in semi-final at Hertford. A race-off win over Jake Little the deciding factor in the tie, Barber’s win the fourth in his short WSO career. Although now injured, Barber should be fully recovered in time for the final, which takes place well into the second half of the season at Brighton. Tottenham’s Dan Cooke (14) dropped just a point to win the second of the semi-finals at Dumpton.

Quantock made a winning start to their first season back in division two after 13 years at the higher level. 18 year old reserve Tonda Kalis (12+1) matching his number one Federico Castellini’s (12) tally of three race wins as the visitors to Buxton claimed an opening round 44-46 victory, the two winning the final couple of races of the meeting in turn to secure the points. The Rangers currently sit top of the second tier standings from Whiteley on points difference, the Heathens winning their opening away fixture at Sankey by the same score as their heat leaders dominated proceedings, dropping just a point apiece in the fixture. In division three Stobswood’s opening night at the Brickworks was ruined by Benfleet, who were 37-53 winners at the league’s newest venue. Bojan Kraka (15) scored a maximum as the Bees racked up a club record away victory.