THE earlier rain shower thankfully stopped prior to the start of the stock car meeting at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night and whilst the drivers had to contend with a wet track it quickly dried and stayed fair for the remainder of the meeting.

The new grades made quite a change to the saloon drivers with Barry Glen dropping down to a yellow roof and he capitalised on the situation to win all three races.

In the formula IIs David Sinclair was back up from the North East of England looking for points as he hopes to win the Novice of the Year trophy this year. However, he was in a shunt in the second heat, missed the final but was back out for the Grand National.

Kieran Howie was involved in a shunt at the start of the opening heat which de-arranged his aerofoil and whilst he continued found the car a handful

The fight for the prostox points championship between Tam Melrose and Ricky White continued at full pelt with hefty contact sending White out of two of his three races,

The stock rods were back to their best with close and fast racing with Leon Stewart debuting his new car.

In the formula IIs Gordon Moodie and Chris Burgoyne were down south racing but there still was a good turn out of cars including Kyle Taylor and Sinclair. Local drivers in action included Kieran Howie (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath), Simon Cranson (Cowdenbeath) and Dale Burt (Lochgelly).

Race one was another white/yellow challenge series race with Howie winning from Sinclair and C. Reid with Cranson in sixth and just clear of Burt.

The opening heat was suspended almost right away when Pete Davidson and Howie tried to grab the same line exiting the pit bend and as a result hit the marker tyre. Howie was able to restart but his wing was now at a jaunty angle!

C. Reid led the field away but it was Paul Reid who made light of the conditions and he went through to win from C. Reid and Robbie Dawson with Cranson in tenth. Heat two was suspended a couple of times before Dawson went through to win from Dennis Middler and Garry Sime with P. Reid fifth and Burt seventh.

When the final started Taylor went straight into the lead running ahead of C. Reid with P. Reid in third. Wallace made a quick start from the back of the grid and was soon running ahead of the star drivers. Once there he began to reel the leading cars in and with five laps remaining took the lead.

Taylor was under pressure from Sime over the closing laps but was still in the runners up spot when Wallace took the chequer with P. Reid again in fifth with C. Reid ninth and Burt tenth.

Dawson was back out for the Grand National, which he won from Taylor and Forster with P. Reid in fifth, Wallace in eighth and C. Reid in ninth place.

Amongst the saloon drivers were Derek Duff (Cupar) and Paul Honeyman whilst Raymond Dick was back for his second outing. Local drivers in action were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven) and Raymond Dick (Glenrothes).

Heat one saw Ross Graham cross the line first but he was penalised handing the win to Barry Glen who led home Irvine and Graham with Dick in eighth place. In heat two Glen moved into the lead just after the half distance and then led home Jamie Connacher and Watters with Dick again in eighth.

When the final started Connacher led the field away but Glen wasted little time in getting through into second then the lead. Once there he pulled away to record a hat trick of wins where he led home Luke Grief and Watters with Dick in seventh place.

The stock rods were back minus a couple of drivers who had fallen foul of the steward after their last outing whilst Leon Stewart debuted his brand new car. Sandy Allen (Methil) was having a run in the injured David Dignan car. Local drivers on the grid were James Matson (Glenrothes), Dougie McLean (Glenrothes), Stuart Wedderburn (Leven), Simon Laing (Springfield) and Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy).

The opening heat was won by Bethune who led home Laing, McLean Wedderburn and Matson. Heat two saw Allen lead the race from start to finish and he was clear of James Gray, Bethune and McLean with Matson sixth.

Wedderburn was the first to show when the final started with Allen tucked in behind and whilst they opened up an early lead as the race progressed the gap began to close. As they lapped back markers Allan and Chris Chance touched with both retiring. With the laps running out Wedderburn had Gray and Matson in close order but despite their attentions held on to win. Bethune was fourth and ahead of Laing with McLean in seventh place.

Stephen McCready was a welcome visitor from Northern Ireland in the prostox whilst Rob Fawcett (Glenrothes) was back after his shunt a few weeks ago. Other local drivers in action included Paul Barron (Cowdenbeath), John Crawford (Cowdenbeath), Callum McIvor (Inverkeithing) and Ricky White (Thornton).

White went on to win the opening heat from Barron and John Mason with Crawford in seventh place. However in heat two an early shunt saw White having to retire as McCready went through to win from Barron and Scott Wilson.

Right at the start to the final White and Barron were sent crashing out of the race and then later a very sideways McIvor collected the leader, McCready with both having to retire. This handed the lead to Tam Melrose who went on to win from Wilson and Mason.

It’s a double header with a difference next week with the main theme the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Gordon McDougall becoming the first Scot to win a World Championship. Mind you it is 30 years since Bob Jones won the saloon World Championship and 25 years since Ernie Burgoyne won his!

Saturday night is going to be hectic featuring no fewer then six formulae with the 2 litre saloons, 1300cc saloons, lightning rods, minis and microf2s whilst the Siamese bangers are racing for their Scottish Championship. However, look for Gordon McDougall having a few laps in a replica of the car he won the World championship in and a few drivers from way back racing in a speedway style event.

On Sunday it is Legends day 3 with speedway events throughout the afternoon, classic hot rods and heritage saloons in action. Some of the classic hot rod drivers are fitting passenger seats into their cars.

At this stage bookings have been received from over 200 Legends who have intimated that they will appear. Amongst those appearing are Hamish Buchanan, Conrad Self, George Boult Snr, Dick and Alan Gladden, Kenny Ireland, Gordon McDougall, Gillian Philp, Bob Jones, Pete McVay, Steve Monk, Stu Blyth, Les Clark and Somerset Stan Petty. Whilst the racing is supposed to be non contact there are bound to be some spills.

There are a few static cars on show whilst to keep the kids happy there is a bouncy castle in the pits. The legends will be based in the hospitality suite at the pit bend so it will be easy to meet them, get their autograph and even a photograph with them.

On Saturday the meeting starts at 5.00pm but the gates are open at 3pm whilst on Sunday it’s a 1.00pm start.

* Gordon Moodie (Windygates) was at King’s Lynn on Saturday with his shale car in preparation for this weeks’ World Championship semi-final where he starts from the outside of the front row. It is probably the toughest of the semis and Moodie will do well to bring his car home in the top four on a surface he doesn’t often race on. At King’s Lynn he must have been pleased with his outing finishing seventh in his heat then second in the Grand National.