Having gone 18 months without a trophy Coventry have secured two in as many weeks. The Crusaders longest silverware-less spell in over six years came to an end with their dominant 4TT final victory, seven days on they celebrated League Championship success in the penultimate round of top flight racing in SL36, with the bonus point in a 46-44 loss at Doncaster taking them over the line in the title race. The challenge of three-times defending champions Houston ran out of steam with back-to-back away failures; last weeks 12 point defeat at Blackpool and a draw at Beverley in their final road trip of the campaign. The latter would normally be considered a good result, but a victory was required to extend their slim title hopes into the final day, that denied them by a last heat 5-1 from the hosts. Coventry achieved their bonus point target at Doncaster with a final race maximum of their own, Angus Rogers (15) and John Hawke (12+1) making doubly sure of the decisive point. Both they and third heat leader Anthony Collier (9) have been ever-presents for Dave Hood’s side in the league season, Rogers finished the night having picked up his fourth maximum of the campaign, his fifth followed in the club’s 48-42 final day victory over York, Hawke though top the club maximum standings with nine in division one during SL36. The performances of the top three combined are the main reason Coventry are celebrating their record extending eighth title success, the trio have featured together in the Crusaders side in each of the last five seasons, a sixth is on the cards, as surely are further trophies.

A fantastic first season of top flight racing concluded for Brighton with a first major trophy and a third place league finish. Glenn Martin’s side defeated St Ives by eight in the final to land the KO Cup, winning the second leg decider on home shale 51-39, having hit their target for aggregate success with a 5-1 from Michal Matusovic (10) and Rasmus Wilhelmsen (12+2) in heat 13. The Rockets—who spent the vast majority of the first half of the season in the relegation zone—went on to leap-frog both York and Blackpool in the table to climb to a best ever position of third with a final day 12 point home win over Fort William. Earlier Brighton had beaten York on the road, 43-47, to all but end their opponents hopes of a top three finish and European Cup racing in SL37. Elsewhere Beverley—who had been held to a home draw by Houston—lost at basement side Warley and are relegated as a result, Doncaster also finish in the bottom three, but will remain in the top flight due to the demise of Fort William, who close after nine years in the sport.

Herman Stanic (10) has been crowned World Champion without winning a single round of the eight meeting strong series in SL36. Nottingham’s late season signing took his third runners-up spot of the campaign in the final round in Poland this week, the 25 year old Slovenian defeating Henrik Vargo in a race-off for the minor podium places. Stanic’s second place finish in heat 16 of the Krakow tie ensured he couldn’t be caught in the final standings by overall runner-up, Angus Rogers, who also did not win a GP! John Hawke scored 13 to win the meeting, his second success of the series. Meanwhile Pelham’s Polish teen sensation Waclaw Borkowski (13) beat Beverley’s John Lang in a race-off to win the WU21 title in Blackpool.

The three that went into the final two rounds of league racing in the second tier promotion places finish there. Buxton, Nottingham and Sandwell all go up, the former as champions after both they (at Peckleton) and the Red Dogs (at Pelham) suffered final day six point defeats on their travels. Martin Harvey’s Bandits will race in the top flight for the first time in their 11 years history in SL37, Nottingham are back after a season away. A debut at the highest level too for Sandwell, promotion to the top flight just three seasons into their existence confirmed with a 39-51 victory at Witham, where Kyle Richardson (10+2) was amongst the heat winners at reserve and second string Janis Pouchinsky top scored with 12+2 from five rides. Crucially for Witham they had secured second tier racing for another season with an earlier eight point victory at Rhondda, a result which relegated their hosts. Rhondda did though end the season by securing their first—and only—away points of the campaign, beating bottom side Sneyd Green. 44-46.

St Barts and East Goscote followed up third tier champions Bolsover into division two with final day league wins. The latter won at Boston 44-46 to ensure their tenure at the bottom level would be the shortest one possible, the Gunners were also promoted after being relegated last season, their 51-39 home win over Redhill leaving their defeated visitors down in fourth.