THERE was plenty of drama at the Cowdenbeath Racewall stock car meeting on a warm and sunny Saturday night and a bit of controversy thrown in for good measure!, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

In the 2 Litre National Saloons Lochgelly's Euan Mathieson was excluded from the results after winning the first heat when his transponder wasn’t fitted and then Benarty racer Billy Bonnar was docked a place in the National Hot Rod Final after contact.

John Tosh was in a big shunt when he shed a wheel in the Hot Saloons and as a result he crashed heavily into the pit bend and his car veered across the rack in a cloud of steam.

In the BriSCA Formula IIs the last lap of the Turner Trophy proved to be a bit hectic with Gregor Turner leading going into the last bend with Chris Burgoyne trying to pass on the inside.

The cars touched with disastrous results. Turner spun but Burgoyne crashed heavily and Steven Burgoyne end up beside him.

The Heritage Formula II drivers were making their annual appearance to Scotland for their Scottish Open with Charlie Barnes going through to win.

There were guest appearances from Louise Goodman and David Addison, from ITV4 Sports, and they presented the trophies to the Hot Rod and the Heritage winners.

There was a good turnout of formula II drivers to the track with Colin Gregg heading north from York. Local drivers in action were Gregor Turner (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath) and Ian Thompson (Kennoway).

Heat one saw Turner lead but when Pete Davidson ended up against the turnstile bend wall the race was suspended. Although Turner led the field away he was caught and passed by C. Burgoyne during the closing stages.

Once ahead C. Burgoyne went on to win from Turner, Euan Millar and Thompson with P. Reid eighth.

Daniel Scrimgeour was soon leading heat two but when Peter Watt’s car broke a half shaft and stopped the race was suspended. No sooner had the race restarted than it was stopped again this time after Colin Forbes spun and was collected by Ian Thompson.

It was C. Burgoyne who led the field away and he went on to win his second race from Millar and Craig Wallace with Turner in tenth place.

The final was for the Turner Trophy and whilst C. Reid led initially he soon had to give best to Turner who had Scrimgeour in tow.

Liam Rennie was leading the red grade drivers chase although he soon had C. Burgoyne in close order. Turner then saw his lead disappear after a three car shunt on the turnstile bend which suspended the race.

On the restart Turner led from Scrimgeour but C. Burgoyne was soon closing the gap and then moved into second. The gap between the leaders began to close and when they started the last lap the cars were running nose to tail. Burgoyne tried to move Turner over on the pit bend but he held on.

Going down the back straight Turner was still ahead but Burgoyne was on the inside line. As they headed into the Turnstile bend Turner turned in to take his line but C. Burgoyne was almost alongside and as a result when the cars touched the Burgoyne car collected a marker tyre and shot across the track.

Turner’s car spun whilst Steven Burgoyne, who had been third ended up in the wall beside his brother. Whilst all this was happening Liam Rennie sailed through to win from Wallace and Millar with P. Reid in seventh and Turner ninth.

Scrimgeour then went on to win the Grand National from Millar and Garry Sime with P. Reid seventh and Rennie coming through into ninth place.

There was another good turn out of 2 Litre National saloons but surprisingly only one red grade driver coming in the form of local driver Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes). Other local drivers in action were Raymond Dick (Glenrothes), Euan Mathieson (Lochgelly) and Alex Cunningham (Leven).

Graeme Anderson, Cunningham and Tam Rutherford Jnr tangled almost as soon as the race head started but within a few laps Mathieson was leading and he was still there at the close. However, his transponder wasn’t working and he was excluded from the race elevating second places James Letford into the winners circle. At the start to heat two Holly Glen, Mathieson, Cunningham tangled on the pit bend but managed to get their cars to safety as the field charged through.

Anderson led but when Ross Forrest’s car ended up against the wall the race was suspended. On the restart Anderson went through to win from Marc Honeyman and Willie Mitchell.

When the final started Kevin Letford got ahead of Dick to lead whilst behind Cunningham moved into second. Irvine was making inroads through the field although he had G. Honeyman in close order. With four laps Cunningham had caught K. Letford and had moved ahead the following lap. Once there he went through to win the Turner Trophy from Irvine and G. Honeyman with Mathieson in ninth place.

There weren’t too many National Hot rods about for their World Championship round which saw Billy Bonnar (Ballingry) win the first from Ross McWilliam and Roy Anderson, whilst in heat two Bonnar again won from McWilliam and Anderson.

Anderson failed to appear for the final but during the opening laps Steven Armit and Bonnar made contact resulting in the former spinning.

McWilliam led for a good part of the race but was passed by Bonnar who went on to collect the chequer. However, Bonnar received a penalty and it was McWilliam who won the Turner Trophy from Bonnar and Ian McGuigan.

The Hot Saloons were down from Crimond but within the opening lap Iain Whitecross had spun and hit the marker tyre. A few laps later John Tosh lost a wheel and crashed heavily into the wall, retiring in a cloud of smoke.

Scott Forsyth won the opening heat from Laird Ally Fleming whilst heat two went to Mark Mathers who led home Mark Farquhar and Forsyth.

The final went to Farquhar who fended off Forsyth and Fleming.

The Heritage Formula II drivers were having their annual Scottish visit with Phil Hiles winning heat one from Ian Johnson and Jack Bunter, Charlie Barnes then won his first ever race when he came out on top in heat two where he led home Hiles and Bunter.

Barnes then went on to win the Open Scottish Championship from Phil Hickerton and Alan Humphrey.

This weekend brings the ORCi Stock Rod World Final to the Racewall in what is going to be a hectic and exciting weekend of racing. On Saturday there is practice in the afternoon with the racing starting at 6.00pm. The stock rods have two qualifying heats and the World Final whilst the BriSCA Formula IIs will be contesting the Geo Mac 100 trophy and the 2 Litre National Saloons the ORCi Championship with Michael Allard defending. There will be numerous visiting drivers in all three formulas.

On Sunday, in what will prove to en another hectic afternoon, the Formula II drivers have their National Championship, the Stock Rods their Open Scottish Championship whilst the 2 Litre Saloons will be racing for the inaugural Jim Purdie trophy. The meeting on Sunday starts at 1.00pm. See the Autospeed website for further information.