The Coventry Buildbase Bees are the 2007 Sky Sports Elite League Champions.  A packed Brandon Stadium saw the Bees dominate Swindon Robins with a victorious 59-34 point win on the night, and an aggregate score of 102-83, to take speedway’s top title.  At the start of the night the Bees trailed Swindon by six points after the first leg but they produced a title-winning performance to lift the trophy, for the second time in three years.

“We are very proud of the team who produced one of their best performances when it counted most,” says Stephen Thompstone of main sponsors Buildbase.  “Many of our customers and staff are avid speedway fans and support the Bees at most meetings.  This has been a fantastic result and we want to give our warm congratulations to everyone who has contributed to the team’s success.”

A packed Brandon Stadium witnessed a magnificent performance from every member of the team. Although they conceded a 5-1 in the first race, they went on to win virtually every race to the delight of the home crowd.

It was a totally different kind of success to the 2005 win at Belle Vue, even though the tie was officially decided at a similar stage of the second leg. But there was a strange case of history being repeated when compared to the second leg of last year's KO Cup Final, because once again, Bees managed to concede a 5-1 in the first race.

What happened in Heat 1 was all the more remarkable because Sebastian Ulamek had been hit by a stuck throttle when on parade, with his bike actually vaulting the third-bend fence and sustaining significant damage. When the Pole scorched round in 58.5, well ahead of skipper Leigh Adams and even further clear of Scott Nicholls and Billy Janniro, suddenly a ten-point gap to pull back in 14 races looked a much tougher task.

The response, though, was emphatic. Heat 2 was always going to be a pivotal race, marking as it did the Brandon debut of Damian Balinski - but the Swindon reserve had only gone around two corners before he was thrown out for taking the front wheel of Billy Janniro on the exit of the second bend. In the re-run, Janniro trapped just ahead of Andrew Moore, clamped the Robins man and around the outside came Martin Smolinski to set up Bees' first 5-1 of the night.

Again there was fast Swindon gating in Heat 3 as Lee Richardson and Tomasz Chrzanowski attempted to sandwich Chris Harris - but Harris moved past Richardson on turn two and then brilliantly rounded Chrzanowski going into the second lap, expertly blocking any chance of a return move on the inside by his opponent.

Bees then went in front on the night for the first time with a well-worked 5-1 from Rory Schlein and Smolinski in Heat 4 with Charlie Gjedde able to offer no real threat, the Dane riding one day after a crash in Poland and unable to demonstrate the turn of speed he has had in recent weeks. And with Ulamek not able to replicate his fast start of Heat 1, Bees duo Steve Johnston and Harris were content to pack in behind Adams for a 3-3 in Heat 5 - and then take full advantage of the next five races, none of which featured the Swindon captain.
Nicholls showed full commitment to the cause with the bravest of outside passes on Gjedde in Heat 6, just squeezing between the Robins rider and the back straight fence on the second lap, and Smolinski's third place made it 21-15 and all level on aggregate.

Then, a major turning point. Schlein hit the front in Heat 7 but Janniro initially found himself at the back before he, like Harris, found good drive on the third and fourth bends which took him dramatically around both Chrzanowski and Richardson. As Richardson attempted to respond, the ex-Coventry man lost it on the second bend and fell awkwardly - and his participation in the Final ended at that point. With Richardson in third place when he fell and Coventry on a clear 5-1, referee Robbie Perks was able to award the race and suddenly Bees had the aggregate lead.

There was then simply no let-up. Schlein and Smolinski were next to take a maximum heat win in the eighth race, Smolinski picking his moment to force his way inside Balinski for the paid win, and Harris and Johnston romped clear in nine to advance the scoreline to 36-18.

The Final was rapidly getting away from the Robins, and they needed an answer in Heat 10 to give them a glimmer of hope for when Adams would take a tactical ride in Heat 11. And, for a time, they looked to have it as Balinski and Chrzanowski gated on a 5-1. Nicholls' ride was superb, to go around the boards on turns three and four to pass both Robins riders - and the visitors clearly did not learn their lesson, because next time around Johnston repeated the move to go from fourth to second and earn a standing ovation from the main grandstand.

With a 16-point aggregate lead, Bees could afford to let Adams take six points in Heat 11, although he did have to work hard to overcome Janniro, who led him for a lap or so. Crucially Schlein held third from the fading Ulamek, and Swindon's last realistic chance of big points had gone.

The best way to describe Heat 12 would be 'messy' - as Harris and Smolinski initially found themselves chasing Balinski and Moore, Smolinski moved into second place and Moore went too wide and fell on turn two. With the red lights already on, Harris then clipped the fence on the way out of turn four, taking a heavy fall of his own, and it was some time before both riders walked away. With Moore excluded, Balinski took the lead again in the re-start and this time held on to win ahead of Smolinski and Harris, who was riding well within himself.

That meant an advantage in Heat 13 would be enough to clinch the title for the Bees - and it was Schlein who brought home the three points with a rocket start to take the lead. For a time it looked like being a Coventry 5-1, only for Adams - who never stopped trying for his team all night - to forcefully move past Nicholls on the last lap, but the 4-2 was enough to start the celebrations.
There was more to come, however, from the Bees in terms of putting points on the board, firstly in a re-started Heat 14 which saw Balinski go backwards and eventually fall on the second bend, Johnston coming from the back to take the win - and then in Heat 15 Schlein got the better of Adams again with Nicholls passing Chrzanowski for third place.

Then the celebrations got properly underway, a celebration of huge achievement by the six Coventry riders on the night, and of the injured Olly Allen - and of the promotion and management, for putting the team together, believing in the riders, and ignoring those who said they would not achieve the ultimate prize. Swindon were the pre-season favourites, they were the pre-final favourites - but it was Bees who topped the table, and Bees who won the final. They are, undoubtedly, one of the very best teams in the 60-year history of the club.