THE stock cars returned to the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night and whilst the meeting started out in bright sunny weather by the half distance the blue sky was replaced by dark clouds and some heavy rain! writes our Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

Josh Heeps dominated the Micro Banger Scottish Supreme Championship, leading the race for most of the time although towards the close he was being chased down by Stevie Allan.

Allan and Sean Riddell managed to roll their Micro Bangers in separate incidents whilst there were shunts and spins throughout their races. Greg Honeyman and Tam Rutherford Jnr had a fall out in their 2 Litre Saloons with Honeyman pushing the Rutherford car around the track for over a lap before they stopped at the end of the back straight.

There were last lap shoot outs in the 2 Litre National and the 1300 Saloons which heightened the tension considerably, whilst when the rain started to fall a whole number of drivers were left stranded in the pits when the gate was closed!

The Classic Hot Rod drivers were in good form and even the deteriorating weather didn’t dampen their racing with Escorts, Anglias, Chevettes and Sunbeams in action.

There was a big turn out of the 2 Litre National Saloons on their last outing prior to their Scottish Championship although amongst their numbers was Carl Waterfield, from Ely, but he only managed to complete around three laps in all of his races! Local drivers on the grid included Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Raymond Dick (Glenrothes) and Ross Watters (Leven).

The opening heat saw Jamie Reid lead until around the half distance and then lose out to Jason Secker who soon pulled away from the field. However, when Lochgelly's Euan Mathieson was hit by another car the race was suspended. Secker’s lead had disappeared but despite having Paul Honeyman and Ian McLaughlin in close order, he managed to ease away to win whilst McLaughlin just forced his way ahead of P. Honeyman to snatch second at the line with Watters fourth and Irvine in ninth place.

Heat two saw the cars trundle onto the track as the rain began to fall and as a result only half the field started. This time Rutherford Jnr led for most of the race but lost out to P. Honeyman during the closing stages with Barry Glen finishing in third spot.

Reid was the first to show when the final started but when Ally Strachan bounced off the wall and spun the race was suspended. On the restart Rutherford Jnr moved ahead but when Alan Ainslie was spun the race was suspended once again. Rutherford Jnr again led but this time Secker forced his way through and even with Luke Grief moving into second continued to maintain a useful gap to pick up his second win of the night over Grief and Aaryn Triggs.

Watters went through to win the Allcomers race from Secker and Grief.

The 1300 Saloon drivers were having another of their gold roof rounds with Peter Low, Colin Thomson and Sandy Dalrymple in their ranks. Local drivers were Lee Wilson (Comrie), James Ellis (Cowdenbeath), Alan Robertson (Glenrothes), and Gordon Myers (Dunfermline), Dale Burt (Lochgelly) and Arron Hastie (Ceres)

Heat one ended with another last lap shoot out but it had looked as if Robertson had the race there for the taking. However, Myers drifted wide, bounced off the wall with his car shedding a wheel and suspending the race. Robertson’s lead had gone and whilst he led the field away he was shunted wide as Ellis went through to win from Low and Burt with Robertson dropping to fourth with Hastie seventh and Wilson eighth.

Heat two saw Fraser Clark move ahead during the closing stages to win from Burt, Low and Ellis with Wilson sixth and Hastie eighth.

Burt was soon ahead when the final started but Hastie was on a charge and soon caught up with the leader. However, when Hastie made his bid for the lead the cars touched resulting in Hastie spinning out of the race. Burt continued on his way to win from Clark, Low, Wilson and Myers, but Ellis was pushed around the track over the last few laps by McGowan dropping down the order as they did so.

The Classic Hot Rods thrilled the fans with fast and exciting racing in both the dry and wet conditions. Adrian Taber was up from Diss with his Escort. Local drivers on the grid included John McFarlane (Dunfermline), Keith Chesher (Dunfermline) and Trevor Harris (Kinglassie)

The opening heat developed into a close dice between Alex Wilson and Chesher with Wilson just fending off Chesher’s attentions to win with Brett Sneddon in third with Harris fifth and McFarlane sixth.

Heat two was almost a rerun of heat one with Wilson again winning from Chesher but this time Kenny Purdie was third with Harris fifth and McFarlane eighth.

Harris made the better of the starts to a wet final leading Taber and Marc Spence but Purdie made a good start and was quickly catching those ahead. Purdie appeared in second and was closing in on Harris who ended up spinning entering the main straight.

Purdie just drove away from the pack but Matt MacPherson, who started from the back of the grid, was making short work of those ahead and soon appeared in second. Purdie then reeled off the remaining laps to win from MacPherson and Taber with Chesher in fourth place.

There were 29 Micro Bangers on the track for their Scottish Supreme Championship and when the green flag dropped the mayhem began with cars spinning in all directions on the main straight.

Josh Heeps (Rosyth) was the first to show with the top bend beginning to look like a parking lot! Sean Riddell clipped another car on the back straight, rolled then carried on when the car landed on its four wheels! When Josh Butler was sent spinning the race was stopped to extinguish a brief fire under his car, Heeps led on the re-start from Scott Wilson with Mark Morrison in third but John Riddell was then sent spinning by Morrison who slowed.

Stevie Allan caught Butler and then started to close the gap to Heeps. Kieran McKay moved into fourth and then third as Heeps went through to win from Allan and McKay.

After Allan had been caught up in an eleven car shunt on the top bend and rolled the Allcomers 1 heat was restarted with McKay the leader but Scott Lindsell caught and passed him and went through to win from David Linton and Lee Kopacz.

Linton then led the Allcomers race from start to finish crossing the line ahead of Heeps and Sean McConnachie but as the cars started their Destruction Derby, Linton was hit head on by Callum Brown.

The race was stopped and Linton was cut out of his car before being transferred to hospital for a check up. It was later confirmed that he had suffered a broken ankle, wrist and scaphoid.

This Saturday is one of the major 2 Litre National Saloon races – their Scottish Championship with over 20 cars eligible to race.

The present holder of the title is Kyle Irvine and he is amongst the favourites to be in contention for the title. Luke Grief, Ross Watters, Ian McLaughlin and Graeme Shevill can not be ruled out but neither can Jason Secker, Paul Honeyman nor Aaryn Triggs.

A lot will depend on the grid and that is usually done at the drivers briefing where the driver draw their grid position out of a hat.

Also racing are the BriSCA Formula II drivers, Ministox, Prostock basics and the Micro F2s in what is going to be an exciting and probably a nail biting affair.

The meeting starts as usual at 5.45pm when the Micro F2 drivers roll out to start the action.