With two away draws and a slender home defeat to Sedgemoor it had been a case of what might have been for Chalvington in the league this season. Filip Sarka’s (8) struggles—his GSA has crashed from 9.83 to 6.50—the main reason they have been the ‘nearly men’ in the top flight in SL30. However things look to be turning in favour of the Stuart Smith side, a perfect week result wise as they won all three fixtures—two of which were away from home—and qualified for the Division One Cup semi-finals with a first round fixture to spare. It was Sarka’s heat 14 win over home heat leader Bleidilis Vitas (8+1) in the penultimate race which secured their victory in their latest cup tie, a boost for the under-fire Slovak, and reliving the pressure on the brilliant Chiefs top two of Jason Danoff (13) and Per Dalberg (10), who had been relied upon too many times this season. It’s three wins out of three in the competition for Chalvington, this the second one away from home, which means they are all but certain to go through to the last four as group winners, earning them a more favourable knock out tie on paper as they bid to reach their first final in 13 years. They went on to back up that success with another on their travels in the league, they picking up their third and fourth away points of the campaign at Cambridge thanks to a 44-46 win, secured with a last heat Danoff (17+1) and Dalberg (12+3) 5-1. It was the third such score from the pairing in the final five heats of the meeting, with both riders finishing the night with maximums as a result, Danoff now has five to his name in all competitions this season, Dalberg two. Sarka (10) though just pleased to be in double figures.

Holders Whitemoor became the second side into this season’s Division One Cup semi-finals after completing their group fixtures with a 47-43 home win over Cambridge. The home side’s heat leaders led the way, Bernd Hoover (14+1), Deniz Rask (14+1) and Pavel Brabec (11) dropping just one point between them in the success. With a home meeting to come Cambridge still have an excellent chance of reaching the last four themselves, they have been eliminated at this stage of the division one cup in each of their last seven appearances.

Nottingham are out of the relegation zone for the first time since their promotion back to division one. The Red Stars more than doubling their points tally for the campaign with back to back wins, which saw them climb from tenth to sixth. Two of those points returned at Coalville, who slip below them and into the bottom three as a result of the 43-47 loss, inflicted with a last heat Daniel Wedin (12+1)/Skjold Likness (14+1 from six) 5-1. Bolsover replace Nottingham at the bottom after they lost at home for the third time in the SL30 league campaign, heat 11, 13 and 15 Fiske Piehl (15+1)/Odell Espeseth (14+2) 5-1’s earning Bridgwater a 44-46 victory at the Castle Ground. Kings boss Kevin Lilley wasted no time in boosting his squad following the loss, spending £200,000 on Wilmington’s Mattia Novelli at the first opportunity in the SL30 transfer window. Wilmington used those funds—plus £81,000 more—to take untried Danish teen Lars Bove to the Wombats, while Smethwick also spent big on youth, they paying Lenzie £300,000 for 17 year old Vegard Lade.

Division Two leaders Glasshoughton doubled their away points tally for the season with a 43-45 victory at Wilmington. Michael Langhorne scored a season best 17 as the Gazelles completed an 11 point turnaround in the meeting scores in the final five races. The departing Mattia Novelli scored just four points from heat leader in his final meeting for the Wombats. In the Division Two Cup Newington qualified for the semi-finals despite not racing this week, results elsewhere sending last years Division Three Cup finalists through. Plymouth won at Claygate, 41-49, in the other half of the draw. Reserve Tyler Naylor impressed with paid nine for the SL6 winners as they made themselves favourites to reach the last four from their group.

Basement side Stowmarket have managed something 12 other league sides have yet to do this season. Gain an away point. Still bottom of division three, but the Vultures could celebrate at Wordsley, where they claimed a draw in a meeting they had trailed in by six. The point returned despite their riders managing just five race wins between them, two in the final two races from second string Joshua White (8+2) and number one Pasi Kuivasto (15 from six) in turn. Not so good in the Division Three Cup for the club, they going down 41-49 in their latest qualifier at home to Didsbury Village.

Whitemoor’s Bernd Hoover (15) began the defence of his World Championship title with a first round victory at Pori. That part of a Witches double, with Hoover’s team mate at the Sheepcroft, Deniz Rask (12), winning the second of this weeks ties in Warsaw.