THE first of the practice meetings at the GMP Cowdenbeath Racewall attracted quite a few new faces to the racing scene although there were a couple of senior drivers who appeared to run in new engines, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

The major news was the start of upgrading the pits where quite a few tons of hardcore have been laid in the top part of the pits and compacted ready for a final layer of tar. This is just the start with the whole of the pits scheduled to be finished during the early part of the season.

The other news was the sponsoring of the formula II Grand National by the pre 67 Ford Club with the final due to be run during the closing stages of October. The Racewall presents a trophy at the Lathalmond show which usually goes to an original car, one which stands out above the others.

There were three formula II drivers at the practice with Ryan Adamson (Freuchie) the only new one to the racing scene. Mark Somerville (Kirkcaldy) has switched from the lightning rods and was using the ex-Peter Henderson car whilst Euan Millar was in an RCE.

Millar has spent the last five years in the ministox where he was one of the dominant drivers and won numerous titles.

Whilst he managed a couple of meetings last year on a day licence he has raced this year in Ireland where he chalked up a win. I would expect to see Millar being one of the pre race favourites to win the Novice of the Year title and pick up quite a few wins over the course of the season.

Millar intends to travel to as many meetings as he can in pursuit of the Novice Trophy and in doing so could well rise through the grades quickly making his challenge a bit more difficult than it should be.

Both Somerville and Adamson proved to be reasonably quick and they will be welcome additions to the formula IIs.

News that Liam Rennie is on the way back is a welcome one and whilst he may not make the start of the season once he does get going look for him making his way into the winner's rostrum on a regular basis.

Kieran Howie (Dunfermline) has another chassis, the one that Stevie Forster used last season and he will be looking for a quick start to the season. Holly Glen is busy getting her car ready for the start to the year but for Gregor Turner (Dunfermline) it looks as if he will miss at least the first month of the season.

Blair Anderson was at the Racewall but he was mechanicing for son Rhys who was out with his microf2. Anderson has sold his RCE and has a new chassis sitting in his garage which he is busy rebuilding but may not have it ready until April.

Robbie Dawson has bought the ex-Adcroft RCE chassis and has done a few modifications to the car. It will be interesting to see what difference it makes to Dawson’s lap times.

John Fortune, who hasn’t raced for a couple of seasons, has bought the ex Spyker formula I and is busy converting it from a shale car to a tarmac one. Fortune hopes to have the car ready for action by mid May and we might just see him turn up at the Racewall with his car to give it a shake down before heading south to race.

With the 2 litre National saloon World Championship being staged at the Racewall in conjunction with Autospeed, we can expect to see the established drivers who are in the lower part of the World Rankings take in a few races down south in an effort to move themselves up the ranking order and in going so get a better starting place on the grid.

On Sunday there were two new drivers out racing coming in the shape of Callum McIvor (Inverkeithing) and Tam Rutherford Jnr. However, there are a few others still getting their cars ready and could well be out during March.

McIvor, who had raced prostox last year, was using the ex Watters car whilst Rutherford Jnr was using the chassis that James Strath used last year.

Both drivers showed a good turn of speed and should move away from the white grade quickly but they will need to keep their wits about them when the faster drivers come to pass. It’s a hard learning curve in the saloons.

Barry Glen brought his re-panelling and upgraded car out for a run and his car looks eye catching. Glen had a great run towards the end of the season and as a result moved up to the blue grade.

There were a few 1300saloons in action with new faces Robyn Bruce and Stuart MacDonald taking the opportunity to try out their cars.

Robyn is just out of the minis and she has taken over the car that father Colin used last season. On her first run she held a good line and was chalking up some quick laps. It was the same story with MacDonald and both should do well. However there are at least another five new faces still to appear and hopefully they will be out at the start to the season.

Whilst Michael Myers (Cowdenbeath) and Ross Forrest had raced for part of last season they brought their cars along and were quick and with the reports of other drivers busy preparing their cars then it looks as if the 1300 saloon drivers are in for a good season.

Brian Keir and Chris Hutchinson were the new faces in the ORCi stock rods and they used the time to get used to the unique Racewall oval. The track quickly dried out and as a result they were soon running on the pace.

Jim Pitcaithly (Kirkcaldy) used the time to run in his new engine whilst Gary Nicholls was running in his new car.

Both will have their eyes set on the European Championship which is to be staged at the Racewall in May.

Pitcaithly has already started his season having raced at Ringwood then Taunton where he finished as the runner up to the World Champion Luke Oliver in the Winter Supreme Championship.

New faces in the minis was Hannah Borthwick, who ran into mechanical problems with her car whilst Max Walker was down from Crimond with his car and used the time to get used to the track.

Freya Lovett and Rhys Anderson brought their microf2s down from Aberdeen and after their initial run were posting quick laps. However, Leon Muir (Thornton) was out and about with his car and he looked to be on the pace.

Megan Wilson (Comrie) brought out one of the new formula Prostox Basics, which was a standard low cost 1300cc car with literally no modifications but has a rollcage to protect the driver. Most of these cars are Kas and hopefully this formula will entice new drivers into the racing scene at a very low cost

Next Sunday its is the first of the practice sessions for all drivers and there should be quite a healthy turn out of cars. We can expect to see quite a few new cars and maybe even one or two new faces having their first introduction to stock car racing.

The practice starts at 1pm and stops at 4pm