THE Unlimited banger drivers headed to the Cowdenbeath Racewall for their World Cup event and on a dry and sunny evening certainly entertained the spectators with some bone jarring races, writes Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

There was only one rollover but what a rollover, with the cars of James McLean and Mark Morrison both rolling in the same incident with Blower’s car rolling over the top of Morrison’s. Mind you they had a bit of help from the cars which were in close order.

Luckily both drivers scramble out of their cars unhurt.

Jack Overy, the defending champion, led the challenge from south of the border and again the Scottish drivers saw the title head back south although not without a fight.

There weren’t too many cars left to race in the Destruction Derby and after Jack Foster Jnr’s wrecking spree there were none left running!

In the saloons we had Willie Hardie coming out to play in one of the Shevill saloons whilst Graeme Anderson and Ross Graham were having their first outing of the year.

Holly Glen and Jamie Reid were back in action with local interest centering around Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Derek Duff (Cupar), Duncan Welsh (Kelty) and Ross Watters (Leven).

The first race was a white/yellow challenge heat with Reid leading the field away from Tam Rutherford Jnr but Reid went wide handing the lead to Rutherford Jnr. However, Greg Honeyman had shaken off the attentions of Duff and Welsh and was slowly catching the leader. As the laps entered the last three Rutherford Jnr went wide and ran around the wall damaging his steering in the process allowing Honeyman to dive through to take the lead. Once there he edged away to win from Duff and Welsh to win.

The full compliment of cars appeared for the opening heat with Rutherford Jnr going straight into the lead with G. Honeyman soon appearing in second although he had Duff and Welsh to contend with. Watters was running ahead of Graeme Shevill and David Hughes and was slowly making up ground to those ahead. If anything Rutherford Jnr was extending his lead, Welsh was to retire but Watters was catching Duff and with three laps to run was in second spot. However, there was to be no stopping Rutherford Jnr who went on to pick up his first ever win from Watters and Shevill with Irvine in eighth and just ahead of Duff.

Reid made the better of the starts to lead Rutherford Jnr into the turnstile bend when heat two started but retired after a couple of laps. Rutherford Jnr had G. Honeyman in close order whilst Welsh and Duff were dicing for third. Graham retired with the gap between the leaders closing fast.

Honeyman made contact with Rutherford Jnr sending him wide and out of the lead. Ian McLaughlin had moved into second although Watters was right on his tail and looking for a way through. G. Honeyman though was clear and he went on to win but Watters and McLaughlin tangled on the run up to the line resulting in both spinning. This let Anderson through into second place with McLaughlin spinning across the line netting him third place with Duff fifth and ahead of Irvine and a backwards Watters.

When the final started it was G. Honeyman who made the better of the starts with Anderson making the better of the starts from the blue grade, Welsh retired but when Graham spun exiting the turnstile bend and was left facing the oncoming traffic, the race was suspended.

The field lined up behind G. Honeyman who led the field away on the restart but Hughes sent him wide as he briefly took over at the head of the pack. However, Watters dived inside to lead but when Irvine and Hardie spun on the pit bend the race was suspended again. Watters made a good restart to the race whilst G. Honeyman was under pressure from Paul Honeyman but as they diced McLaughlin got the better of both to move into second. Shevill, Hardie and Hughes tangled on the back straight with Watters going through to win from McLaughlin and G. Honeyman.

Watters then went on to win the Allcomers from P. Honeyman, McLaughlin and Duff.

There was a good turn out of Unlimited bangers for their World Cup with the defending champion Carl Overy hoping that he would have double success in this event. He was joined on the grid by Jack Foster and Foster Jnr, Ricky Beasley and Ricky Finney and there was a healthy turn out of Scottish drivers hoping that they would come out on top this year.

Amongst those in action were Lee Clarke (Cowdenbeath). Willie Starwiarski (Cowdenbeath) and Norman Moore (Hill of Beath) who was driving a limo!

The last chance qualifying race attracted twelve cars with Gary Khan going through to win from Paul Woods and Finney.

After the parade lap the cars lined up for the main race the 2017 World Cup which saw Tom Foster and Ian Cameron sharing the front row with Overy back on row eight.

Brian Youngson was pushed off the line before the race started when his engine stopped and wouldn’t restart. When the race started T. Foster led Cameron away with Scott Paterson moving into third whilst Woods crashed off a tyre and was followed in by Rickie Finnie.

Moore’s limo was proving to be a hindrance to the field and was spun exiting the top bend delaying those behind. Stevie Allan retired but Cameron was edged into the wall and retired. Foster was still leading from Paterson but Starwiarski was spun entering the main straight but restarted only to be spun exiting the turnstile bend.

Overy was making good progress through the field and snatched second from Paterson after sending him wide on the pit bend. There was a shunt on the turnstile bend which saw the cars collect the stationary Starwiarski car and wrecking it in the process.

Tommy West, Billy Bond and Mark Foster were running in nose to tail but down the order although gaining on the cars running ahead of them. Tony Citro retired before Liam Lake was sent wide and dropped down the order.

Jack Foster Jnr was one of the cars caught up but he managed to keep going although part of his bodywork was pushed onto his tyre. Overy had caught T. Foster and moved ahead and began to pull away. Paterson moved into second during the closing stages with Colin Riddell being spun as the leader came through. However, Overy had a useful lead over Paterson and he reeled off the remaining laps to retain his title from Paterson and T. Foster.

Aiden Moffat was on hand to present the trophies to the first three and they received a warm applause from the spectators on their victory lap.

In the first of the Allcomers races Jack Foster Jnr led the cars away but the race was suspended after Morrison and McLean did their double roll trapping a few cars as they did so. On the restart Forster Jnr led from Beasley but Overy was making his way through the field. Alan Cuthbert went wide and into the wall and whilst Foster Jnr held on to win from Tom Waller and Liam Lake.

The second of the Allcomers races saw Mark Farquhar lead the field away but when Sean Riddell crashed out the race was suspended. Joe Parsons led but he was caught by Overy who went on to win albeit narrowly from Parsons and Beasley.

The Destruction Derby saw only a few cars appear, some on their last legs, especially the limo of Moore which didn’t even make it to the start line before it gave up! Once the race started Forster Jnr made short work of the opposition and amongst those he wrecked were the cars of James Dillon and James Dillon Jnr.

This Saturday the formula II drivers return to the scene with the 1300saloons, ORCI stock rods, ministox and the microf2 drivers. The meeting starts at 6pm as usual.