A COLD and foggy day greeted drivers, teams and fans as HRP Lochgelly Raceway opened its gates last Sunday for the latest stock car event to be promoted by Hardie Race Promotions (in Association with Spedeworth Motorsports), writes Les Waller.

A mammoth fifteen races and close to 100 cars across the five formulas on show meant that those who had wrapped up and braved the elements were likely to be rewarded with some scorching stock car action to brighten up their day.

The youngsters were first on track in their Ministox and a healthy grid of cars arrived to do battle in the 11-16 year old class.

Heat One saw 2014 Rookie and local lad Michael Mitchell take the win and the trophy home to Lochgelly before Andrew Millar returned to form with a vengeance with a heat and final double that will see the young man return to blue grade for his next race meeting.

The Stock Rods were back with us again as time marches on relentlessly to their British Championship here at HRP Lochgelly Raceway on June 14th.

While there were no visiting drivers from outside of Scotland, a fantastic twenty five cars took to the grid for heat one on a busy track! It was one of the drivers who has already been in victory lane in 2014, Trevor Calvin, who took a fine heat-winning double to automatically promote him to blue grade for his next meeting.

There was some spectacular action in the Stock Rods throughout the evening and the final was particularly noteworthy as the race was stopped almost the instant it began as cars were strewn across the circuit; World Champion Chris Lattka’s car had a broken shaft and would not take the restart as the cars battled for the right to claim victory.

2014 final winner, John-Lee Green from Kelty, made the most of his yellow graded start to head the field as the race headed to its last lap when Barry Tindell was involved in an incident on the A92 turn with Melanie Donaldson which resulted in flames coming from under the bonnet of the Tindell Nova – the red flags were shown immediately as the staff dealt with the fire and ensured that all involved were safe. Tindell will feel gutted as, not only was his car damaged, he was in a good position to potentially gain a top three spot. We hope that Tindell will be back on track again soon. With the race halted and declared; it was Green who took the spoils from John McAllister and Craig Tosh.

The ProStocks were also back on track and are always worth watching at HRP Lochgelly Raceway. Having debuted his new car earlier in the season; 2013 Track Champion Jazz Moore looked in a determined mood from the outset to improve on the results he had gained at the previous event. Moore went about this in the right way from the off as he took victory in heat one from an on-form Grady Ross; Moore went on to do the double as he crossed the line first in heat two with tam Melrose having to settle for second behind the European and British Champion. Melrose certainly did not settle in the meeting final as he took the chequered flag and the feature race win from Scottish Champion Ian Taylor (Tullibody) and Keith Annandale (Lochgelly). After being added to this event only a few weeks ago and, despite concerns regarding car numbers, the Rookie Bangers arrived at HRP Lochgelly Raceway with a reasonable twelve cars in the pits and they treated fans to an afternoon of metal munching mayhem!

Twelve cars started the first race but half of these failed to make it to the end as National Banger star James Dillon took the win in heat one. Dillon repeated the feat in heat two but this time only three cars made it to the line as the drivers got stuck in. ProStock final winner Tam Melrose managed to do double duty this past Sunday and was rewarded with victory in the meeting final before Gavin Waugh closed the day’s Banger action as he was the last man standing at the end of a bruising Demolition Derby.

The Unlimted National Bangers will be in town on April 13th as they do battle for a place in the ultimate race – the Unlimited National Banger Championship of the World. Visiting drivers have expressed an interest in joining the fray that day and it is hoped that a good grid of cars will gather to do battle!

The next slice of stock car action at HRP Lochgelly Raceway takes place this Friday April 4th as Hardie Race Promotions host the second ‘Friday Nights under the Lights’ events of 2014.

The action always seems faster and more furious under the lights at HRP Lochgelly Raceway and this Friday should be no different. The Superstox are back in action along with the CC Rods and the youngsters in the Ministox but many eyes will be on the 2.0 Hot Rods as no less than three visitors will be making the 450 mile trip from the South of England to get in some track time before April 26th’s European Championship as HRP welcome Alex Crane, Chris Crane and English Champion Chralie Jowers to HRP Lochgelly Raceway. The action gets underway at 7pm.