THE first of the stock car Championship weekends attracted a big turn out of cars for the occasion with a big turn out of drivers from all over the country and as a result the Cowdenbeath Racewall was buzzing, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

One of the highlights on Saturday night was the inaugural running of the Keir Millar Memorial Trophy with youngsters from all over Britain on the grid to pay their respects to a talented driver who sadly was taken from us just over a year ago.

A lone piper led the ministox drivers around the track on their parade lap with Keir’s brother Euan at the front of the parade. Once the cars were in position there was a “meet the driver” session where the fans were able to come onto the track to meet up with the ministox drivers.

On Saturday night the formula II drivers had their Scottish Championship to contest whilst the 2 litre National saloons and ORCi stock rods had qualifying rounds for their British Championship.

On Sunday it was a day to remember for Kyle Irvine who won the British saloon Championship and for Jim Pitcaithly who won the stock rod versions both races being sponsored by Gilmour Engineering.

If the action on Saturday night had been good it was eclipsed by Sunday’s offering which at times had the fans breathless at the drivers antics.

Simon Welton, Jamie Connacher and Greg Honeyman all had big shunts on the pit bend whilst Jacob Downey’s car suffered a lot of damage in a back straight shunt.

On Saturday the opening race of the evening was the Keir Millar Memorial Trophy with Ethan Pope on pole position and Steven Burgoyne alongside whilst behind them were Euan Millar and Dan Santry.

Local interest centred on Gary Paterson (Cowdenbeath), Ciaran Adams (Lochgelly), Michael Mitchell (Lochgelly), Mitch Gold (Leven) and Danny Whyte (Lochgelly).

As the tension grew the drivers set off on their warm up lap with Pope going straight into the lead but when Robyn Bruce was sent wide on the pit bend she tangled with Luke Dorling and a few others, the Dorling car ending up on its side. When the race restarted Pope was under pressure from Santry, Burgoyne and E. Millar but next time around Santry was ahead of Burgoyne and Pope.

The leading group circulated in this order until lap ten when there was another stoppage after Megan Petherick was involved in a shunt with Kyle Roberts. Santry again led the cars away with Burgoyne harrying Santry although he in turn was under pressure from Pope. Over the closing laps Santry eased away slightly from Burgoyne to win with Pope in third and Paterson in tenth.

In the heats which followed Santry won from Pope and Burgoyne with Paterson in ninth and Whyte tenth. In heat two Harrison Bryant won from Burgoyne and Dorling with Paterson sixth and Mitchell in tenth.

The Scottish formula II Championship brought a healthy field of cars to the track including the defending champion Chris Burgoyne and his main rival Gordon Moodie.

However, they were the only two drivers on the grid that had previously won the title! Local drivers in action were Gregor Turner (Dunfermline), Kieran Howie (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath), Simon Cranson (Cowdenbeath) and Gordon Moodie (Windygates).

The grid was drawn and the cars lined up in their graded order with Pete Davidson the initial leader but whilst Jason Blacklock’s car stopped on the back straight eyes were focused on a shunt on the main straight which left Marc Fortune’s car perched on the wall and leaning on Robbie Dawson’s car.

There were two further race suspensions necessitated after Ryan Wadling rolled and then when Kyle Taylor and Blair Anderson tangled on the back straight the cars locked up and they crashed into the wall. However Burgoyne was another who retired.

Glen led the cars away initially but soon had to give best to Dennis Middler who once ahead began to pull away. Craig Wallace emerged in second and began to close whilst Stevie Forster was in third but was slowly being caught by Dawson. However there was to be no stopping Middler who reeled off the reminder of the laps to win from Wallace and Forster with Cranson in seventh and C. Reid in tenth.

Burgoyne won heat two from John Hogg, Middler and Moodie with P. Reid in tenth. J. Hogg won the final from Burgoyne and Middler with Cranson sixth and Moodie in eighth place. Burgoyne then won the Grand National from Middler and Wallace with P. Reid eighth and Howie in ninth place.

Amongst the saloon drivers in action were the World Champion Simon Welton, European Champion Eddie Darby, Irish Champion Anthony McIvor, Scottish Champion Luke Grief, English Champion Sid Madgwick and the defending British Champion Lee Sampson in a strong 40 car field.

The field was split into five groups with each driver racing three times and the points scored determining their starting position for the championship on Sunday. Local interest centered around Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven), Derek Duff (Cupar), James Strath (Cowdenbeath) and Dave Sturrock (Saline)

The heats were full of excitement and there was no shortage of contact resulting in cars being spun or bouncing off the wall – really good and fast saloon racing. Heat wins went to Darby, Graeme Shevill, Duff, Diggy Smith and Irvine with the latter’s points tally netting him pole position.

World Champion Michael Bethune was amongst those in action in the stock rods with six drivers over from Northern Ireland.

Heat wins went to Stuart McKinnon, Jim Pitcaithly, Justin Washer, Jack Kennedy and Michael Bethune.

On Sunday Mike Hale won the last chance qualifying race from Jamie Sampson, Stevie Honeyman and Willie Mitchell but when it was found that Barry Glen’s had an engine failure then Welton took his place on the grid. The grid was certainly interesting with Irvine on pole with Grief alongside whilst behind were Stuart Shevill Jnr and Darby.Irvine made the better of the starts and led until lap six when Shevill Jnr took over. However a couple of laps later Irvine was back in front. Dean Mayes sent Irvine wide to lead with Shevill Jnr being spun by Grief. Irvine then fought back to take the lead but there was another shunt which suspended the race. Irvine led on the restart with Mayes under pressure from Grief with the latter sending Mayes wide to move into second. This allowed Irvine to build up a lead and to a roar from the fans took the chequer to become the 2016 British Champion from Grief and Daniel Parker.

The Raymond Gunn tribute race was a hectic race with Connacher riding the wall then Welton doing likewise a few laps later. Derek Duff led the race until the last lap when he was spun as Michael Allard went through to win from Anthony McIvor and G. Shevill.

Duff then won the Allcomers race from Shevill Jnr and Mayes.

The stock rod British Championship developed into an exciting race between Michael Bethune and Jim Pitcaithly with Bethune leading early on but just after the half distance Pitcaithly took the lead. Once there he hung onto win from Bethune and Washer,

McKinnon won the first Allcomers race with Bethune winning the second.

The ministox heats ended with wins for Harrison Bryant and Pope but the Mascot trophy saw Burgoyne go through to win from Pope and Santry.

There was a good turn out of microf2s with visitors from England and Northern Ireland.

Jamie Dawson won heat one, and heat two but it was Ross McLaughlin who won heat three from Ava McCeight and Leon Muir.

This Saturday the formula II drivers have their World Championship qualifying round to contest and they will be joined on the grid by the National Hot Rods, the lightning rods and the 1300cc saloons. As usual it’s a 6.00pm start.