THERE was drama during the opening ministox race at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night when two ministox drivers crashed heavily.

James Mooney had taken avoiding action to miss a spinning car but in doing so hit Rory Naismith’s car and slid into the wall.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the drivers the ambulance and fire services were called in to ensure their safe removal from their cars with both being taken to hospital for a checkup.

The final lap of the George MacMillan memorial race proved to be exciting as George MacMillan Jnr made a bid for the lead only to crash heavily with the leader, resulting in both drivers crashing out. Robbie Dawson, who was third, managed to squeeze through a closing gap to win. In the saloons Stuart Shevill Jnr appeared in his brother Graeme’s car whilst Stuart Drobinski retired after a spell on the sidelines.

There was a good turnout of formula IIs including Nathan Maidment, Paul Moss and Neil Hooper from England whilst visitors from south of the border included John and Paul Broatch, David Polley and Richie Mead whilst the local drivers were Gregor Turner (Dunfermline), Paul Reid (Cowdenbeath), Raymond Dick (Glenrothes) and Kieran Howie (Dunfermline).

The opening heat saw Howie go through to win from Dawson and Moss with Turner in ninth place. In heat two Alan Edmiston won comfortably from Chris Burgoyne and MacMillan Jnr with Reid ninth and Howie in 10th place. Dawson picked up his first win of the night when he won the third heat, leading home Burgoyne and Mead with Reid in ninth.

Daniel Scrimgeour was the first to show when the final started but next time around the yellow flags were out after Reid had been sent crashing into Mead’s car on the pit bend with a couple of other drivers caught up in the incident. On the restart Scrimgeour led for lap before Edmiston forced his way through into the lead, followed by John Hogg and Stevie Forster. MacMillan Jnr was leading the star drivers chase after the leader but he had Burgoyne and Dawson following him closely. As the race progressed MacMillan Jnr moved into second but a couple of laps later Burgoyne took over second. The gap to Edmiston began to close and as the race entered the closing stages Burgoyne took the lead but then hit an oil slick and crashed out, bringing the race into suspension. Edmiston was back in the lead and as the race restarted MacMillan Jnr closed right up and on the last bend made a late challenge, resulting in both cars crashing heavily into the wall. MacMillan Jnr’s car slid across the track with Dawson just scraping through and on to collect the chequered flag from P Broatch and Forster.

MacMillan Jnr went on to win the Grand National from Maidment, Hooper and Howie with Dawson in 10th place.

Danny Colliver was a welcome visitor in the saloons, having travelled from the south west of England, and he was joined on the grid by Drobinski who was returning after a few weeks away. The local drivers were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven) and Alex Cunningham (Leven). Shevill Jnr went through to win the opening heat from Willie Mitchell and Paul Honeyman with Waters in sixth and Irvine in ninth after being spun. Colliver got the better of the exchanges to win heat two and he led home Luke Grief and Shevill Jnr with Irvine in sixth and Watters in ninth. Keith Mitchell led the cars away at the start to the final but there was a race suspension after Marc Honeyman hit trouble and had to retire. The restart was brief and halted after Addison Weir and Willie Mitchell tangled on the back straight. Although Mitchell led on the restart Grief was soon through into the lead before going on to win from Irvine, Colliver and Watters.

There weren’t too many stock rods around but there was some close and exciting racing. The local drivers were Steven Archibald (Leslie), Lee Smart (Leslie), Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy) and Stuart McKinnon (Lochore).

James Gray won the opening race, leading home Derek Conner and Brett Sneddon, with Bethune in sixth place. In heat two Graeme McAlpine led from start to finish to win from Bethune and Sneddon with McKinnon in fifth. Gray was soon leading the final but towards the closing stages Conner and Siobhan Martin squeezed through. Conner held on to win from Martin and Gray with Bethune fifth and McKinnon in seventh place.

Ryan Polley was a welcome visitor in the minis whilst the local drivers were Bailey Venters (Dunfermline), Michael Mitchell (Kirkcaldy) and Andrew Mathieson (Lochgelly).

The opening heat was stopped early with Colin Thomson the winner from Polley and Arran Chidwick and Mathieson in eighth and Mitchell ninth. Polley won heat two from Thomson and Euan Millar with Venters in ninth place.

Although Polley went on to win the final he was chased all the way to the finish line by Steven Burgoyne with the cars crossing the line nose to tail whilst Thomson was third with Mathieson eighth and Mitchell in 10th place.

This Saturday the formula II drivers are contesting the Chapman trophy and they are joined by the saloons, lightning rods and ministox with the meeting starting at 6pm as usual.