THERE were spells of drizzle throughout the stock car meeting at the GMP Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night causing some headaches for the drivers regarding tyre choice, writes Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

There were quite a few drivers caught out on the greasy surface with Kyle Taylor being one with his car sliding into the wall and then getting hit by some of the cars that were in close order.

However, there were plenty of helpers in the pits and he was back out for the final.

Chris Burgoyne, fresh from clinching a front row start to the World Final, had a good night’s racing in the BriSCA formula IIs where he won the Chapman Trophy final and then having to concede a lap handicap as a result went through to win the Grand National!

The closests of finishes came during the 2 litre National saloon Allcomers race when Paul Honeyman made contact with long time leader Jamie Connacher on the run up to the finish line. Connacher’s car began to spin and it did so across the finish line just as Honeyman crossed as well. Despite the use of transponders the outcome was a dead heat.

Local driver, Billy Bonnar, had a mixed time of it in the hot rods winning the opening heat, failing to start the next and then struggling in the final with a mechanical problem.

Amongst the formula II drivers in action were Kyle Taylor, Mark Dews, David Sinclair and Aaron Vaight whilst the local drivers Kieran Howie (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath) and Dale Burt (Lochgelly)

The first race of the night was another in the white/yellow challenge series where Howie made light of the conditions leading the race from start to finish winning from Brian Hogg and Holly Glen with Burt eighth and C. Reid ninth after being spun.

When the first heat started Howie went straight into the lead but the race had to be suspended after C. Reid spun on the back straight. The field lined up behind Howie who made a good start and seven laps later was still leading until Taylor spun and amongst those who bounced off his car were Sinclair, Howie and Burt. Burgoyne was the new leader he reeled off the remaining laps to win from Robbie Dawson and Craig Wallace.

Heat two saw Howie lead but Burgoyne was making rapid progress through the field only to end up bouncing off the wall and out of the race. Dawson then got the better of Adam Blacklock before going through to win from Blacklock and Dews with Burt in ninth place.

Taylor was back out for the final which he led away but soon lost out to P. Reid who had Blacklock in close order. However, Blacklock was given a help going into the pit bend and crashed whilst a Burgoyne made short work of taking the lead but when Colin Forbes crashed out on the back straight the race was suspended.

Burgoyne led the field away and he went on to win the Chapman Trophy from Craig Wallace and Dawson with P. Reid sixth.

There was another good turn out of saloons with David Hughes appearing with an ex-Eddie Darby car whilst the local drivers were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven), James Strath (Cowdenbeath), Derek Duff (Cupar) and Raymond Dick (Glenrothes).

Although Jamie Connacher led the field away soon Barry Glen was ahead and pulling away. However, he was to get caught up and spun out of the lead having Willie Mitchell the lead. Paul Honeyman closed in on Mitchell and over the closing laps the leaders were running nose to tail with Honeyman looking for a way through.

On the last lap Honeyman made a challenge but despite going wide Mitchell held on to win with Watters third with Strath fifth and just ahead of Duff and Irvine with Dick in tenth place. Connacher led the cars away when heat two started but behind Glen, James Letford and Ross Graham were squabbling over second but after all three went onto the top bend Glen’s car ended up spinning minus a wheel and suspension strut.

The race was suspended and whilst Connacher led the field away Graham came through to win from P. Honeyman and Mitchell with Watters in sixth and just clear of Irvine with Strath in tenth place.

The final saw Connacher again get the race underway but soon lost out to Graeme Anderson. However, Graham and Watters were making inroads through the field and just as they caught up with the leader, Graham was shunted wide, hit the wall and retired. Watters was now ahead and he went through to win from Anderson and P. Honeyman with Strath in sixth and Dick in tenth.

Connacher was ahead in the Allcomers until the closing stages when he was caught by P. Honeyman but somehow managed to hold on. That is until the run up to the finish line when P. Honeyman sent him in to a spin the drivers dead heated.

Amongst the hot rod drivers was Paul Cusack from Manchester whilst Billy Bonnar (Ballingry) was the only local driver on the grid

Heat one saw Bonnar go through to win from Cusack and Ian Donaldson Heat two saw Cusack win from Donaldson and Steven Armit but Bonnar failed to start the race.

Whilst Bonnar was back out it was Cusack who led the cars away when the final started but Graeme Callender had made a good start and soon managed to dive through on the inside and into the lead. Cusack held onto second until the closing stages when he clipped the wall and had to retire. This left Armit in second with Jim Cowie third but they just couldn’t do anything about Callender who scored an easy win with Bonnar in sixth place.

There was some close dicing amongst the prostox drivers although there weren’t too many cars about. Local drivers were Paul Barron (Cowdenbeath), Ricky White (Thornton), Ian Christie (Kirkcaldy), Allan Rae (Cowdenbeath) and Callum McIvor (Inverkeithing).

Barron won the opening heat from Kyle Roy and White with Christie in fifth and Rae sixth. Roy went on to win heat two where he led home Barron and White with Christie in fourth and Rae seventh. Scott Wilson led the cars away when the final started but by half distance Roy was ahead and he romped away to an easy win over Barron and Wilson and White with McCallum fifth and clear of Christie and Rae.

This Saturday the BriSCA formula IIs are racing for the George MacMillan Memorial Trophy and they are backed again by the National 2 litre saloons. The BriSCA heritage formula I and II cars are making their annual trip north whilst both the minis and the MicroF2s are racing for their Turner trophy. The meeting starts at 5.45pm

· Gordon Moodie (Windygates) was racing at the Venray circuit in Holland where he won his heat but whilst lying in second spot ran into mechanical problems and had to retire. Rick Lenssen went through to win from Tom Adcroft and Toon Schut.

· However, Moodie was back out for the final where he came out on top in a 36 car field and more importantly starting from near the back of the grid!