A brilliant start to the new campaign has immediately marked out Leeds as the team to beat in the SL31 division one title race. The two-times defending champions were already favourites to retain their crown for a third successive season, those odds shortened again as they added to a 12 point home win over Dudley with their biggest away league victory since the opening week of SL24. Seven years on from that 19 point win at Dudley, they beat Huntingdon 36-54 at the Steeple Stadium, and would have equalled their club record success on the road if, in heat 15, Aaron Macaulay (12) had continued his run of flawless starts which had seen him pick up four wins out of four in the meeting. He missed the break on this occasion, and with the victory having been in the bag since winning a heat 13 4-2 he made little effort to chase down the Hunters pairing. Daniel Lake (14) came out on top to claim his fourth win of the night, matching his veteran number one’s tally, fellow heat leader Neil Burns (8) also earned a race win in the contest, as did second string Steve Wales (7+1) and reserve Ryan Upton (7+3). An all round team effort which will please promoter Darren Evans, vindicating his decision not to add a big name to his squad following the departure of long time servant, Nathan Kay. Meanwhile Huntingdon’s prospects for SL31 in contrast look decidedly bleak, the defeat to Leeds—their third in a row at the venue against the Jaguars—for last years second tier double winners was by far their biggest at home in their 27 plus years in the league.

Like Huntingdon, Dudley were facing their first meetings in the top flight after two seasons away. Unfortunately for them, they too suffered home and away defeats in the opening week of SL31, a loss at Leeds followed by a home defeat to another of this years expected title challenger’s, Stowmarket. They couldn’t have had a tougher start to life back in the top flight, and they almost proved they could hack it against the Witches, leading for a long spell in the heart of the clash following a 5-1 form Dezo Bon (12) and pre-season purchase from Coalville, Garry Kelly (5+2), in heat five. However that was the hosts last heat advantage of the contest, while from heat nine onwards they didn’t even win a heat. The Witches ground down their prey by finishing the meeting with seven victories in a row, the relentless push to success included 4-2’s in heats ten, 11 and 14, in the latter second string Martin Huffman (7+1) becoming the fifth different rider from their septet to win a race. A 43-47 victory for the SL29 and 30 league runners-up was secured by Lasse Classen’s (12) third successive victory of that Witches second half spell, ensuring Bill Jones’s side would extend their strong run of results at the venue to just one defeat in their last six there. No opening week win either for the third promoted side to the top flight, Coventry, they first meeting back at this level since SL7 was a home draw with Wimbledon, it could have been worse however for the Bohemians, they trailed the visitors by four heading into heat 15, in which second string Mika Jaakkola (13) and Jackson Stevens (10+1) picked up a decisive 5-1.

For the first time in 20 years Eastbourne have failed to get through the first round of the club Pairs. The Seagulls—represented by Stig Martinson (16) and SL25 winner Ronnell Hawtin (4)—missing the cut at Calderwood by a point. Eastbourne have lifted the trophy a record five times and had reached the final in each of the last six seasons and 18 of the last 19! Russian duo Oksana Chaplinski (13) and Oleg Gabulov (9) topped the tie standings for the hosts, the Cougars finishing a point clear of fellow qualifiers Wimbledon (21) and Small Heath.

More top flight failures in the other Club Pairs first round ties as third tier sides came to the fore. There’s plenty of experience at that lowest level, and it certainly counted for Cork, whose 36 year old Steve Vitale (18) scored a six ride maximum on his home track to lead Paul Ford (9) to victory. Coventry exited there, while at Bolsover division one sides Coalville and Wentworth failed to make the cut. Matthew McGowan (11) and Daniel Bailey led Claygate (21) to a surprise victory at Bolsover, the Bears had exited at this stage of the competition in each of the previous eight seasons! Kelso (24) have done so in eight of the last nine, but went through to round two on this occasion as meeting winners ahead of hosts Swindon, Zarkis Ljung (13) and Jari Kauppi (11) representing the Kestrels.

Just one side in the lower two divisions managed to pick up an away point in the opening two rounds of league racing. That went to Runcorn, whose last heat 5-1 saw them share the spoils at Beverley.