MacMillan takes formula II crown in exciting finale

For a long time it looked as if Barry Goldin had the race sewn up, but when a car blew an engine he crashed out allowing George MacMillan Jnr through into the lead and then on to the gold crown.

On Friday evening, the formula II drivers who failed to qualify for the World Final, were contesting the consolation semi-final where the top six finishers were to line up with the rest of the grid on Saturday. The race was full of drama with a few re-starts, Dave Harley rolling his car and quite a few shunts.

There was drama even before the race started with Mark Armitage just making it onto the grid after being delayed in traffic.

In one of the heats Paul Lines rolled his car and then in the final Stevie Forster tangled with John Fortune and managed to wreck his wing in the process. James Riggall rolled in the final on Saturday and promptly had his wing ripped off as Gordon Moodie clipped the car.

On Sunday MacMillan Jnr got a resounding welcome when he brought his car onto the track with the gold wing.

Forster wrecked his second wing of the weekend when he crashed out with Conor Hughes whilst during the final Wallace rolled his car after clipping a car on the main straight The opening heat on Friday night included local drivers Gregor Turner (Dunfermline), Paul Reid (Cowdenbeath), Raymond Dick (Glenrothes), and Kieran Howie (Dunfermline). With Pat Lines rolling and on the restart Marc Fortune charged through to win from John Fortune and Reid whilst the others retired.

All the drivers who had booked in for the consolation semi-final appeared and right away there was a shunt on the top bend with Harley tangling with Jamie Avery and rolling whilst one of the home hopes retired after a three car shunt with Armitage and John Broatch.

The re-start was brief with Chris Burgoyne being sent wide into the pit bend wall and when hit by the cars in close order, he suffered a puncture.

There were a few other cars coming to grief in the incident.

The re-start also proved to be hectic with Paul Moss coming to grief along with Ryan Morgan, Adam Rubery and a few others and whilst Peter McCallum somehow managed to get airborne, not once but twice, but was able to keep going. Another Scot, Liam Rennie, slowed and retired whilst Sam Wagner was the new leader and he went on to win leading home Robbie Dawson and Mickey Brennan to the chequer but despite racing with a flat tyre Burgoyne had to retire when the tyre finally shredded.

Wallace won an exciting consolation race going from third to first on the last bend to win from Rennie and Alan Edmiston In an exciting final Rennie went through to win from Wallace and Edmiston with long time leader Reid having to settle for fourth place after seeing a good lead disappear after a race suspension when cars tangled.

Ryan Wright rolled his saloon in the opening heat with Luke Grief going on to win from Danny Colliver and Todd Jones with Alex Cunningham (Leven ) in sixth place. Keith Mitchell then won heat two, picking up his first Racewall win in the process and he led home Willie Mitchell and Grief. The final ended with T. Jones winning from Graeme Shevill and Grief.

The heritage cars gave a good account of themselves with the wins going to Phil Hiles and Peter Fenton with John Pratt winning the final from Graham Bunter.

On Saturday afternoon the practice session didn’t throw up to many surprises and when the time trials came around for the International drivers it was Conor Hughes who was the quickest from Christopher Kincaid with Dougie Kinrade next quickest and he would start alongside Jan Bekkers.

The grid was formed and when the green flag dropped the cars charged into the pit bend with disastrous results. Drivers saw their chance to improve their lot and as a result Craig McConnell’s car was left perched on top of Gavin Fegan’s, whilst Bekkers was squeezed against the wall.

Martin Ford’s car was sitting across the track and he required assistance to get out of his car.

The grid reformed with Josh Coleman making the better of the starts but he soon lost out as Goldin hit the front with Chris Bradbury in second and MacMillan Jnr third.

Gordon Moodie lost ground when he came across old adversary, Rob Speak, and dropped places before he got ahead.

The gap between the first two was constant but Robbie Dawson got ahead of Bradbury then lost out after an oil slick appeared on the track and he crashed out and was hit by Nathan Maidment. MacMillan Jnr was the new leader and on the re-start charged away and then grabbed the win from Fifer Moodie and Bradbury.

The heats were won by Wallace, Burgoyne and Forster with Bobby Griffin winning the Alan Benson final from Dawson and Moodie where James Riggal rolled his car.

Stuart Shevill Jnr won both the saloon heats from Colliver and Grief –with the same order in both.

On Sunday there were still quite a few of the visiting formula II and saloon drivers at the track and the action continued throughout the afternoon.

In the formula IIs the first heat went to Wallace who led home Jack Aldridge and Wagner whilst in heat two it was Rennie who claimed the win leading home Moodie and Burgoyne with Paul Reid in ninth place.

Garry Sime won the consolation race where he led home Rob Mitchell and John Fortune with Turner in sixth place. The O’er the Border and World Final revenge trophies were won by Rennie, who was ahead of Moodie and Dawson at the finish, with Reid in seventh place. Moodie rounded off a great weekend’s racing by winning the Grand National from MacMillan Jnr and Reid.

Stuart Shevill Jnr won the first saloon race which was the final from Saturday night with Shevill Jnr and Colliver winning the heats whilst Shevill Jnr won the final from Colliver and Grief.

The prostox races were dominated by Ally McDonald who won heat one but had to settle for the runners-up spot behind Tam Melrose. McDonald then went on to win the final finishing ahead of Ricky White and Melrose.

It will be good to get back to an ordinary meeting although you cannot say that the stock rod Scottish Championship will be an ordinary meeting. Also in action are the formula IIs, 1300cc saloons and the minis with the meeting starting at 6.00pm.