Central Fife Times | Sport | Showers didn't deter Racewall drivers

Friday, 5th September, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 2nd July, 2008 12:00

Showers didn't deter Racewall drivers

By Jim Stark

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THERE were some heavy rain showers at the Cowdenbeath racewall on Saturday night but that didn't detract in any way from the action on the track.

The start to the meeting was delayed when the paramedic had to attend to someone who was unwell but when the racing started the drivers got stuck in resulting in exciting racing.

Fraser Clark took the hire saloon to a final win whilst David Frame won two stock rod races, the second being the final. There were plenty of shunts in the banger races with Chris Harkess' car getting wrecked at the start of the Destruction Derby.

There was another good turn out of saloons with Shaun Webster and Davy Vaughan the English visitor and including local drivers Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy) and Duncan Welsh (Kelty).

Webster went through to win the opening heat after sending Stuart Shevill Jnr clattering off the wall on the last bend and was followed home by Frankie Cunningham and Chris Lattka. Cunningham then went through to win heat two from Gordon Alexander and Webster with Bethune in eighth place.

Clark spun at the start of the final but the race was red flagged and he was able to restart. Clark went straight into the lead and was pulling away from the field when another pile up stopped the race and the cars lined up behind him in single file. When the race restarted Clark made a good start and began to pull away eventually crossing the line ahead of Lattka and Bethune.

Amongst the local stock rod drivers in action were James Halket (Cowdenbeath), Melv and Wayne Henry (Buckhaven), James Jack (Leven), Ian Ostler (Methil), Graeme Dignan (Leven), Stuart Wedderburn (Methil), Simon Laing (Methil) and Peter Thomson (Kennoway).

Heat one saw Martin McLean go through to win from Thomson, Stewart Armit and M Henry with Wedderburn in eighth and Jack in tenth. In heat two David Frame picked up his first win of the night heading home Kerr Paterson, Robert McDonald, and Thomson with W Henry in tenth place In heat three David Philp picked up his first win of the night when he finished clear of Frame and Tony Lattka with Laing in eighth and Jack tenth.

When the final started Darren McAlpine went into the lead but soon Frame had moved into second place and was closing. The race was suspended after Wedderburn was spun into the wall but on the restart whilst McAlpine was quickly off his mark so too was Frame and at the start of the next lap the lead had swapped hands.

In the end Frame went through to win from Philp with Thomson finishing in third place and Laing in eighth.

There was a field of 18 minis including Jimmy and Micky Galloway from England whilst the locals consisted of Ross Waters (Leven), Laura Sharp (Cowdenbeath) and Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) although the latter required assistance out of his car after a hefty shunt.

Heat one went to Siobhan Martin who went through to win from Watters and J Galloway with Sharp in seventh place. Heat two had an exciting finish with Gemma Russell forcing her way through into the lead and then having to fend off J Galloway and Sharp to pick up her first Racewall win.

Heat three ended with Martin picking up her second win with J Galloway again in second and Liam Rennie in third spot with Sharp ending up in ninth and Watters in tenth place.

Although there weren't too many banger drivers around there was plenty of action. Chris Harkess won the first heat whilst Michael Newlands came out on top in heat two. Pete McVay Jnr went through to win the Banger final before the wrecking started with Harkess' car the first to take a battering. After that cars dropped out quickly before McVay Jnr sent two remaining cars out of the race to win the Destruction Derby.

There is no racing at the Racewall until the 19th July when a very busy few months are in store for the fans and they include the formula II Scottish Championship, the formula II World Championship semi-finals and then the saloon World Final.

In between there is the Hot Rod World Final at Ipswich, the Skegness weekend as well as racing up at Crimond if you wish to travel.

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