Rules of British Speedway require the most successful of sides to be broken up at the end of every season. As a result of the GSA restriction, retaining the league championship title is considered one of the most difficult challengers in the sport. Eastbourne have just done that with two meetings to spare. Key riders from their SL29 success Trevor Putnam and Tom Countess were both transferred out of the club prior to the start of the new campaign, while Benjamin Hess left on loan. Marc Labrum’s dealings would ultimately though prove successful, £1million brought a rider in Kasper Larsen who would add nearly one and a half points to his average, the Danish youngster completing his transition from a lowly second string to a number one in all but name in just two years. Having Harry Myers in the same team prevents him—for now—becoming that number one, Myers remaining in that top echelon of riders that keeps the Hyenas at the very highest level. However in pure numbers even he has been out-ranked, by Hess who Labrum brought back late in the season from his spell at Tey Grove, where he’d been averaging 11.21! It was a move aimed at giving the club an extra boost in the run-in, it worked immediately, Hess—who began the year on a mark of 7.03—scoring 14+1 as Eastbourne picked up an away draw at title rivals Timperley. They haven't been really challenged since, and after winning at Greenhill in round 33, defeats for others in round 34 saw them cross the line. That most difficult of challenger’s? Well it’s another one completed for Eastbourne.

The injury picked up by Benjamin Hess last week meant that Eastbourne were unlikely to add to their SL30 League and European Cup success in the 4TT. It was fourth place again for the Hyenas after missing a key rider—Harry Myers was out last season—with Swinton (109) the ones to benefit in this years final. The Lions took the lead with their solid quartet of Ryan Webb, Robert Vyskoc, Mario Mueller and Magomed Saitov in their home first leg, the four each racing to two heat wins as combined they scored an impressive 35 points. With 29 division two leaders Stone Cross were probably favourites to lift the silverware at this stage, but that six point margin proved a strong barrier, one they eventually broke at the end of leg three. The Crusaders advantage didn’t last long into the fourth meeting, Swinton at the top of their game, with their riders winning three of the first five in the decider at Eastbourne to re-take the lead. They scored at least a point in all but one of the remaining 11 races to ease clear of their opponents, remarkably securing the silverware at The Whirlpool with three races to spare in a meeting they went into trailing by four. The trophy is the first won by Swinton and their promoter Steve Pearce outside of the lower divisions, and with top flight survival also confirmed this week, SL30 can by considered a very successful season for one of the youngest club’s in the sport.

A 44-46 victory at Sawley was a case of too little too late for Halesowen whose relegation from division one after a run of ten years was confirmed this week. A later home draw against Swinton sealing their fate and securing the Lions top flight racing in SL31. Auckland’s 12 point defeat at Timperley also ended their fight against the drop, the relegation a record seventh from the top flight for the Rhinos. The battle for the remaining European Cup spots—Eastbourne and KO Cup finalists Southampton have claimed two—is though well and truly alive, with the four teams remaining in the hunt separated by just three points. Rugby are in pole position to take one after picking up their fifth away win of the campaign on their trip to Swinton, 42-48.

A top of the table win at Nottingham secured Stone Cross a first Division Two title in nine attempts. The 43-47 defeat taking the edge of the celebrations of the home fans, who went into the meeting having earned a place in the top flight for SL31 with an earlier draw at Birkenhead. Despite the dropped home point the Bombers remain third in the standings, two points clear of Liden going into the final two rounds of racing. Meanwhile Birstall’s five year run in division three has come to an end, promotion secured for the side that finished tenth last year with a 28 point home win over Denston, Tony Clegg’s side began the week with a draw at Bournemouth.

A second successive individual Grand Prix victory for Soren Soenksen, but it hasn’t added much pressure to World Championship leader Dusan Hobler heading into next weeks final round. For the Rugby man’s success came only after a race-off win over Hobler in Sawley, the two men both adding 14 points to their overall totals. Hobler—with one GP win to his name to Soenksen’s three in SL30—still leads the series by six after the British round.