ALTHOUGH it was a bit dull, weather wise, at the Cowdenbeath Racewall there was some red hot action on the track on Saturday night with Jim Pitcaithly going through to add the Scottish Championship to the 'British' he won earlier in the year.

The formula II drivers were in good form but a slight shower just as their final started caused havoc and in one incident Craig Reid hit the wall hard in the company of Robbie Dawson.

However, they fell out again during the Grand National as Dawson made contact out on a couple of occasions sending Reid’s car bouncing off the wall but when Reid spun he took Dawson out as well!

Banger driver John Taylor was behind the wheel of one of the Shevill saloons, having won the chance to race it in a raffle. Taylor did well but may be sticking to the bangers after all!

Formula II drivers Colin Stewart, Mike Philip and Albert Smith were down from Crimond whilst Kyle Taylor had made the trip up from the north east of England. Local drivers in action were Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath), Dale Burt (Lochgelly) and Gordon Moodie (Windygates).

The opening heat was won by Chris Burgoyne who led home Moodie, Robbie Dawson and P. Reid with C. Reid tenth. In heat two it was Moodie who made the better of the starts and was still ahead when the race finished and he led home Burgoyne, Dawson and P. Reid.

The rain was starting to fall when the formula II drivers appeared on the track for the final and stopped when it finished! It was Brian Hogg who led the cars away, after a false start, with P. Reid quickly moving into second spot. Daniel Scrimgeour spun out on the pit bend as P. Reid took the lead and just as C. Reid came charging into the pit bend, hit the wall and then clambered up it with Dawson joining in. Both cars headed to the corner but the race was suspended to allow the drivers out of their cars.

P. Reid led the cars away with Dennis Middler having to retire as Burgoyne moved into second with Stevie Forster running ahead of Moodie. Moodie got ahead of Forster but a couple of laps later Forster hit the wall hard and with his car not moving the race had to be suspended.

It was Burgoyne who led the field away with Moodie soon moving into second but Burgoyne had a good lead and he went through to win from Moodie and P. Reid.

Moodie retired almost as soon as the Grand National started whilst C. Reid and Dawson tangled on more than one occasion before both retired. Craig Wallace went through to win from Burgoyne and P. Reid.

There was a big turn out of 2 Litre National saloons with Shane Davies back up for more practice for the Superbowl. Barry Russell brought out the ex-McCombie car whilst Greg Honeyman was back out in his own car. Local drivers in action were Kyle Hegg (Leslie), Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Derek Duff (Cupar), Raymond Dick (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven) and John Fox (Leven) in Cunningham’s car.

The opening heat was won by Luke Grief who led home Ian McLaughlin, Graeme Shevill and Irvine with Dick in ninth and Duff tenth. In heat two Grief again won from McLaughlin taking the lead with only a couple of laps remaining with Watters in third spot.

Dick led the field away when the final started but when Alan Bond’s car stopped on the back straight the race was suspended, McLaughlin was the new leader and he made a good start but now had Grief in close order. The lead soon changed hands with Grief going through to make it a hat trick of wins from McLaughlin with this time Willie Mitchell in third place with Watters in seventh place.

There was a good turn out of the ORCi stock rods for their Scottish Championship with the local drivers being James Matson (Glenrothes), Stuart McKinnon (Kincardine), Steven Archibald (Glenrothes), Jim Pitcaithly (Kirkcaldy), Dougie McLean (Glenrothes), Stuart Wedderburn (Leven), Simon Laing (Springfield) and Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy).

The drawn grid was certainly an eye opener pairing Matson on pole with Pitcaithly alongside whilst on the row behind was Bethune, the defending champion and he had McLean alongside. Laing was on row three, Archibald on row 5, Wedderburn on row 6 with McKinnon on row seven.

Matson went straight into the lead from Pitcaithly, Bethune and McLean in close order whilst Kevin Forrester slotted into fifth. Laing quickly retired with Matson having to look sharp to keep the others behind.

Pitcaithly found the inside line to take the lead with Matson tucking in behind and Bethune looking for a way through. McLean lost a bit of ground but when Bethune tried to drive around Matson they touched resulting in Matson clipping the wall and Bethune spinning. The race was suspended with the field lining up behind Pitcaithly with Bethune at the rear of the field.

Pitcaithly made a good restart to the race quickly opening up a gap with Forrester and McLean dicing for second whilst Martin Rankine joined in. Pitcaithly now had a commanding lead but after his spin Bethune was making up ground and with five laps remaining was in fifth place. As the laps dwindled Bethune was closing on the cars ahead when his car slowed and he retired. Pitcaithly ran out a comfortable winner from McLean with Rankine just getting the better of Forrester for third with McKinnon in seventh and Archibald tenth.

Forrester then won the Allcomers race from Pitcaithly and McKinnon with Matson in ninth and Archibald tenth.

Their final race of the night was for the Michael Hastie Memorial Trophy with Forrester leading the race from start to finish where he led home Matson, James Gray, Bethune, Laing and McKinnon with Archibald in ninth place

There was a good turn out of prostox drivers with Gordon Myers making his debut whilst Tam Melrose was using Kyle Roy’s car. Local drivers in action were Paul Barron (Cowdenbeath), Graham Watt (South Queensferry), Jordan Law (Glenrothes), Graham Myers (Dunfermline) and John Crawford (Cowdenbeath).

McIvor pipped Watt on the last bend to win the opening heat with John Mason third and Law sixth. Melrose then won heat two from John Jackson and Mason with Crawford fourth and ahead of Law and Myers.

Jackson led the final but when there was race stoppage after Watt and Barron crashed. However, Jackson’s car radiator burst and it was Law who went on to win from Mason and Crawford.

The season comes to an end this weekend with the annual running of the 2 Litre National saloon Superbowl where the present Scottish Champion Stevie Honeyman is the present holder of the title. With the saloon World being at the Racewall next year there will be a few more visiting drivers heading north for the meeting. The trophy is being presented by Conrad Self who was the first driver to win the title.

On Sunday afternoon the formula IIs have their Champion of Champions to decide, the saloons their Gordon Barclay Memorial Trophy and the ORCi stock rods their Open Scottish Championship.

Saturday’s meeting starts at 5.00pm whilst it’s the usual 1.00pm start on Sunday.

Gordon Moodie was racing his formula II down at Barford in the North East of England on Sunday afternoon where he first of all won the F2 Grand National Championship. Moodie was second in the first heat before going on to win the final.