AFTER a space of a couple of seasons the mighty formula I drivers are heading north to the delight of the Cowdenbeath Racewall fans, writes Jim Turner.

This year, whilst Startrax are again the promoters, they are doing so in conjunction with GMP.

Last time the formula Is were at the Racewall it was the then World Champion Tom Harris who dominated the proceedings and not only did he win the World Championship qualifying round but the Scottish Championship to boot!

Whist we again expect to see the present World Champion in action, it is Robert Speak this time, and he has plenty of experience of racing at the Racewall having done so in his formula II over a good few years.

This year there is the added bonus of having at least three Scottish drivers in action and whilst Paul Ford (St. Boswell) will be on the grid so too will Chris Burgoyne (Airth) and Stuart Shevill, Jnr (Motherwell).

Ford has been racing formula Is now for two or three years and has had some really strong outings with the car. Just recently he had a few practice laps at the Racewall as he ran in his rebuilt engine and was reasonably pleased with how his car performed even although the handling needed a “tweek” or two.

Shevill’s first taste of formula I power came after he won his saloon final and down at Skegness he had a run in a formula I car.

It was at the 2014 formula II World Final at the Racewall that triggered the Shevills interest in the formula Is with the then World Champion Tom Harris racing in a saloon. It was not long after that that Shevill took ownership of a formula I chassis.

At this stage neither Ford nor Shevill Jnr have made the World Final semi grids but they could do so if they do reasonably well in the remaining rounds

Shevill won a couple of heats at the British Championship at Skegness and put himself on pole position for the final and managed to finish in the top ten,

Burgoyne has raced a Davidson car down at Birmingham at the shoot-out meetings and has achieved some good results and he will be keen to have a good run this year.

Over the years Eric Brown has had a spell in the formula Is whilst Gordon Moodie contested a few World Championship qualifying rounds a few years but failed to get onto the final grid during the consolation semi-final.

Mind you way back around 1986 Gordon McDougall raced a formula I at the British Championship at Skegness.

There could also be a few of the ex-saloon drivers who are now plying their trade in the formula Is on the grid coming in the form of Todd and Murray Jones and Steve Webster, All three have had plenty of runs in their saloon cars at the Racewall but driving a 7 Litre Chevy powered formula I car and running the other way around will be a totally new experience for them.

The formula Is headed back to Newtongrange, which was being run by Gordon McDougall and the meeting saw John Lund head through to become the Scottish Champion. The following year it was Frankie Wainman Snr who came out on top.

When Newtongrange closed the BriSCA scene shifted over to Cowdenbeath and the exciting Racewall and this track has continued to be one of the most atmospheric in the country. There are always plenty of contact and coupled to the mighty roar from the formula Is produces an exciting evenings racing.

The formula Is returned to Scotland in 2001 where Frankie Wainman Jnr started his love affair with the Scottish Championship winning the title five seasons in a row! Craig Utley then won in 2006 before 391 Andy Smith won the title three times in succession.

The formula Is returned to Scotland in 2014 where the defending World Champion Tom Harris dominated going through to win the Scottish Championship as well as the World Championship qualifying round. Paul Ford was on the grid that day but was sent crashing into the pit bend wall not long after the final started and had to retire.

Leading the qualifying race just now is Dan Johnson who won the shoot out last year and as such races with the silver roof and he has Mat Newson, Frankie then Danny Wainman and Speak as his nearest challengers. Most of these drivers should be in attendance to ensure that they don’t lose ground with the top two points scorers starting the semi-finals from pole position.

Speak was one of the drivers who raced during their return to Scotland and whilst he won the Scottish Championship in his formula II days has as yet to win it with his formula I. Speak will be more than keen to show off his gold roof this year and is planning to try for the double the formula I and II World Championship in the same year!

It is a similar story at the lower end of qualifying where drivers will be looking for a good points scoring meeting to get them onto the grid and if they do some who were at the cut off point drop out.

In the National Points Wainman Jnr has a lead of around 100 points over Newson with Nigel Green a further 40 adrift.

There could well be three Wainmans, Frankie Jnr, Danny and Frankie Jnr Jnr on the grid and perhaps a couple of Harrisons , Paul and Bradley, and at this stage it is estimated that around 40 drivers will make the journey north.

It’s an early start to the racing this week with the main event starting at 5.00pm but during the afternoon the stockarts are in action.