On a dry track the stock car drivers served up some close and exciting racing at Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night.

There were a couple of visitors from Northern Ireland coming in the form of Anthony McIvor in the saloons and Stephen McCready in the prostox.

Formula II drivers Nigel Davies, Blair Anderson and Kyle Taylor were having their first outing at the Racewall this year whilst Alex Hamilton just made it to the track in time to take part in the final. Holly Glen maintained her unbroken run of appearances when she arrived with Liam Rennie’s chassis whilst her chassis gets repaired After winning both of the lightning rod heats Gordon Brown had to retire with a cloud of blue smoke emitting from his car,

It was a good night for the Fifers with formula II driver Gordon Moodie, saloon driver Kyle Irvine, prostox driver Ricky White and lightning rod driver Gordon Brown each winning a couple of races whilst James Strath made it a hat trick of wins for the Fifers when he won the other saloon race.

The formula II racing turned out to be fast with plenty of close racing with the local drivers being Kieran Howie (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath), Simon Cranson (Cowdenbeath), Dale Burt (Lochgelly) and Gordon Moodie (Windygates).

The opening heat developed into a close dice between Moodie and Chris Burgoyne with the latter getting the better of the exchanges to win from Robbie Dawson and Moodie but Burgoyne had to survive a hairy moment when he clashed with Adam Blacklock with P. Reid in ninth place. In heat two it was Moodie who went through to win from Burgoyne and Craig Wallace with P. Reid in ninth place.

When the final started white grader Cranson made the better of the starts to lead from Brian Hogg Jnr with Pete Davidson slotting into third place but as the red grade drivers got stuck behind a slower car on the back straight Moodie dived down on the inside to move into the top five. However Burgoyne followed with Robbie Dawson in close order and soon this trio was hunting down the leaders. Moodie hit the front but now had Burgoyne in close order and whilst he held the lead for a lap he had to give best to Burgoyne. Burgoyne spun allowing Moodie back into the lead as Dawson took up the challenge. Davies and Taylor both slowed to retire but whilst Moodie was edging away Dawson began to come under pressure from Wallace. Moodie was now in clear space and he went through to win from Dawson who just fended off Wallace for second with Cranson in sixth.

Cranson led the Grand National for most of the time but lost out to Burgoyne who picked up his second win of the night and he led home Wallace and Cranson with Moodie ending up in sixth place despite having to start the race with a lap handicap.

The 2 litre National saloon drivers were in good form and as a result they served up races full of excitement with plenty of contact. The local drivers were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven), Derek Duff (Cupar), James Strath (Cowdenbeath), Dave Sturrock (Saline) and Alex Cunningham (Leven).

The opening heat ended with Irvine going charging through the field to win but with only a couple of laps remaining there was a race suspension after Cunningham’s car came to a stop. Irvine made a good restart from Duff, Barry Russell and Strath who were fighting over second and in a clash of bumpers and a bounce or two off the wall saw McIvor and Watters dive through to pick up second and third as the trio lost out. Duff was classified in fifth just ahead of Strath with Sturrock in eighth. Heat two looked as if Greg Honeyman was going on for an easy win but then he got caught up and spun. This left Strath as the leader and he went through to win from Irvine and Graeme Anderson with Watters in eighth.

G. Honeyman led the cars away when the final started whilst Scott Mitchell was sent spinning by Graeme Anderson on the main straight but Barry Glen was picking off those ahead as he reeled in the leader. Irvine worked his way ahead of McIvor and Watters and then set off after the leading cars. Strath was running just ahead of Anderson whilst not that far adrift of them was the dicing McIvor and Watters. On the penultimate lap Irvine dived through into the lead and on to his second win of the night crossing the line ahead of the Strath who pipped Glen on the run up to the flag whilst Watters ended up in sixth and Sturrock in ninth.

The prostox drivers were having their last outing prior to their European Championship at the Racewall which explains why Stephen McCready made the journey over from Northern Ireland for extra practice. The local drivers were Ricky White (Thornton), Sean Devine (Leslie), Callum McIvor (Inverkeithing) and Grady Ross (Lochgelly).

The opening heat saw McCready get the better of the early exchanges to go through to win from Tam Melrose and White with Devine in fifth just ahead of McIvor and Ross in tenth. In heat two McCready had to retire after tangling with another car with White fending off Melrose with Gary Nicholls in third to win with Devine in sixth.

When the final started Devine moved into the lead but Tony Wright soon caught him and then moved into the lead. However he was moved over by White who went through to win from McCready and Nicholls with McIvor in seventh and Ross eighth.

Grant Chisholm was having his first outing in the lightning rods where the local drivers were Sean Farrell (Glenrothes), Mark Somerville (Kirkcaldy) and Gordon Brown (Leven).

Brown just staved off almost a race long challenge from Chrissy Dearn Jnr to win with Somerville in third and Farrell fourth. Brown also went on to win heat two again from Dearn Jnr with Andy Chisholm third with Somerville fourth.

Somerville led Eric Millar away when the final started but within a lap Millar was leading. Dearn Jnr had started well but Brown retired with a mechanical problem. This left Dearn Jnr to drive through the field to pick up his first win of the night and was followed home by Millar and A. Chisholm clear of Somerville and Farrell.

The 1300cc saloons were in good form with the local drivers being and Lee Wilson (Comrie), Callum Farrance (Cowdenbeath) and Arron Hastie (Ceres) although the latter was plagued with mechanical problems.

The opening heat saw Grant McGowan pick up the win from Darren Rae and Graham Swan with Farrance fifth and Wilson in seventh. Brian Allan brought his car through to win heat two from McGowan and Farrance with Wilson again in seventh.

When the final started Stu McCaig led from Farrance and Wilson but a couple of laps later Farrance was the new leader. McGowan was sent bouncing off the wall but was able to restart as Allan began to close. However Allan slowed allowing McCaig back into second, Rae was sent crashing off the wall by McGowan who then retired and it was Farrance who went on to win from Swan and McCaig.

Allan then went on to win the Allcomers race from Swan and McCaig with Farrance in fourth place..

This Saturday the BriSCA formula II drivers and 2 litre National saloon drivers are back and they are joined on the grid by the ORCi stock rods, Minis and microf2s. The saloon drivers are contesting their first round of the Celtic Challenge with their Northern Ireland counterparts whilst the ministox drivers have their RGM Thistle trophy up for grabs.

As usual the meeting starts at 6.00pm so come along and be treated to an all action stock car meeting.