WITH the second part of the stock car season about to restart at the Cowdenbeath Racewall what have the fans to look forward to? Well where do I start?, writes Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

There is an ORCI Stock Rod World Final in September, two ORCi Championships, a World Cup, various Scottish Championships, the Saloon Superbowl, and the Formula II, Saloons and Prostocks Champion of Champions races, as well as rounds in the National Series for both the Saloons and the Formula IIs.

Mind you there are countless other trophy meetings up for grabs plus track points championships to be decided – not a bad programme of events!

The first meeting back is going to be an all action affair with the Micro Banger drivers in action as they go head to head to decide the destination of their Supreme Championship.

It doesn’t matter how many cars turn up for the start of the meeting, rest assured that most of the cars that start will be heading to the scrap yard at the end of the meeting. Not only that but there is a sizeable amount of money in the prize pot and if that is not a magnet to drivers then I don’t know what is!

Also racing that night are the 1300cc Saloons who have another round of their Gold Roof Series whilst the Classic Hot Rods will be in action and featuring Graeme Callender (Lenzie), Trevor Harris (Kinglassie), John McFarlane (Dunfermline) and Kenny Purdie (Carluke), whilst there are likely to be quite a few drivers heading north for this meeting. For those who haven’t seen or heard of the Classic Hot Rods in action it is something else when you hear the sound of tuned engines from Mk1 and 2 Escorts and cars from way back.

The following week it’s the 2 litre National Saloon Scottish Championship where Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) will be defending his title. There is usually plenty of action in the Saloon Scottish and this year it is unlikely to be any different.

Looks like Ross Watters (Leven), Luke Grief (Stenhousemuir), Ian McLaughlin (Auchterarder) and Irvine will be the main players but a lot will depend on the grid draw. A lower grade driver starting from the front of the grid and getting a break and what contact is made as the other drivers try to make up ground. It all adds up to an action packed event.

The following day the BriSCA Formula II drivers will be heading down to Barford Raceway, in the north of England, for the World Championship semi-final and amongst those in action will be Gordon Moodie (Windygates), Chris Burgoyne (Airth), Craig Wallace (Tranent), Euan Millar (Lockerbie) and Adam Blacklock (Forth) where the top ten in each of the semis are seeded onto the World Final grid at Bristol.

Moodie starts from pole position in semi1whilst Wallace is on row 3 outside. C. Burgoyne starts from the outside of the front row in semi-2 with Millar inside row 3, S. Burgoyne outside row 5 with Blacklock on the inside of row 7.

The 2 Litre National Saloon drivers head down to King’s Lynn for their World Final where Ross Watters (Leven), Luke Grief (Stenhousemuir), Ian McLaughlin (Auchterarder), Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) and Barry Glen (Dundee) have all qualified but Barry Russell (Brechin), Paul Honeyman (Stenhousemuir) and Greg Honeyman (Larbert) are amongst those who will have to hope they qualify through the last chance qualifying race.

Between then and the next “big” event are the Chapman Trophy and various Turner trophies but then at the beginning of September the Autospeed Promotion from Taunton takes over the running of the Racewall for a two day event. The ORCi Stock Rod World Championship will be the main race on the programme

We have already had the defending World Champion, Stephen McCready (Northern Ireland), over to set his car up for the occasion but he has had a mixed time of it to say the least! The first time he appeared he had his car wrecked as he crossed the start line when another car spun and sent his crashing into the wall.

Although he brought his car home first in the ORCi Championship he had been penalised for contact with another car and dropped to third only to come back for more where he went home happy after having won the final!

Already there have been quite a few visitors to the oval with Levi Robinson (Ringwood), Chris Chance (Darlington) and Adam Daniels (Essex) heading north whilst Ian Thompson Snr, Andrew Morrow, Kurtis Reid and Shea Duff heading over from Northern Ireland.

Mind you there are plenty of Scottish drivers who have their eyes set on racing with the gold roof and we can expect to see Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy), James Gray (Boness), Lee McGill (Glenrothes) and Cameron Doak (Lanark) all series contenders.

However, all the drivers will be hoping for good qualifying heats to get them to the front of the grid and after that well……!

Whilst the ORCi World Final will take top billing the Formula II drivers will be racing for the Geo Mac Memorial Trophy whilst the 2 Litre National Saloons have their ORCi Championship up for grabs which will attract quite a few drivers from England and Northern Ireland joining the ranks.

The following day the Formula II drivers have their National Championship, the Saloons their Jim Purdie Trophy whilst the Stock rods have their Open Scottish Championship to decide. Not a bad weekend’s attraction!

The BriSCA Formula II drivers head to Bristol for their World Final where hopefully we will see one of the Scottish drivers racing with the gold roof in 2018/19.

The following week the 1300 Saloon drivers have their Scottish Championship whilst the Ministox drivers will probably steal the show when they race for their East of Scotland Championship.

Continuing the Scottish theme, the following week there is the Unlimited National Banger Scottish Championship and they will share the top billing with the Prostock drivers who have a World Cup to race for!

The month of September closes with the final of the 1300 Saloon Gold Cup series and again that will be a hard fought race with any one of five drivers in with a chance of success.

October starts with the Prostock basics Scottish Championship whilst the following weekend the ORCi Stock Rods and 2 Litre Banger drivers have their Scottish Championship whilst the Formula II drivers have the final of their White/Yellow series to contest.

The October 20 gives to Prostock drivers a chance for glory when their Scottish Championship comes along with the saloon drivers contesting their final of their White /Yellow Challenge Series.

The last weekend of October is going to be a busy one with the BriSCA Formula II drivers contesting their Champion of Champion final and then the James Clarke Cochrane Memorial trophy with the 2 Litre National and 1300 Saloons have their Superbowl Trophies up for grabs.

On the Sunday the 2 Litre National Saloons have their Gordon Barclay Memorial trophy, Champions of Champions race and a round in their National Series whilst the 1300 Saloons and the Classic Hot Rod drivers have their Cock o‘ the North trophies to race for.

The season extends into November for once with a BriSCA Formula II National Series round being staged as well as the final of the Pre-67 Ford Owners Club sponsored GN Series with the Prostock drivers Champion of Champions race. Oh and by the way there will be a fireworks display to round off an action packed season!

On Thursday the ORCi Ministox drivers were contesting their Lincolnshire Championship at Skegness which saw Danny Elbourn (Bury St. Edmonds) take the final win, leading home Charlie Santry (Diss) whilst a great drive from Jay Paterson (Saline) saw him take his first Ministox podium of his career in third. Paterson was at Crimond on Sunday where he continued his form winning a heat and then the final.

The meeting on Saturday is scheduled to start at 6pm and there should be no shortage of action to welcome the fans back.