THIS week has been an emotional one for the Scottish Stock Car fraternity, writes our Cowdenbeath Racewall reporter, Jack Watson.
After the final summer series event of the season at Knockhill on Wednesday evening, drivers, fans and officials paid their respects to Kerr Paterson on Thursday.
Then, it was back to the Racewall on Saturday night for the annual Caravan Carnage fixture - although this year's was more poignant, as Kerr's brother, Jay, took to the track in the van that Kerr himself had been due to race at the meeting.
Wednesday's meeting at Knockhill featured a different challenge for the drivers, because for the first time since the re-introduction of stock car racing to the TriOval, the drivers had to contend with a wet track.
This turned out to be advantageous to the lower graded drivers, with white top BriSCA F2 driver, Richard Walden, picking up his first win in heat two and then his first Final later on.
Sean Devine took a hat-trick of wins in the Saloon Stock Cars; Prostock Basics newcomer, Alex McDonald, was the winner of their Final while Jamie Balfour took the feature race for the ORCi Ministox.
A huge crowd was on hand to witness over a dozen caravans being smashed to smithereens by the Van Banger drivers. Sean McConnachie outlasted the rest to be declared the winner but had to deal with spirited attempts from James Slater and Jay Paterson.
The Prostock Basics were a late addition to Saturday's fixture, stepping in to replace the Saloon Stock Cars. McDonald took his second Final win in as many meetings after Daz Sarjantson had taken his first ever wins in the heats.
There were three very close Micro F2 races, while Evah Adsley rolled her car in the opening race of the night. Paul Barron was on a mission in the Prostocks, and took a hat-trick of wins.
Before the first heat for the Van Bangers, there was a tribute to Kerr Paterson. The pit gate was painted red and black, Kerr's colours, and pole position was left open.
On the outside of the front row, Kerr's brother Jay was positioned, and led two rolling laps where there was applause from the large crowd. There were also tributes to Kerr on a number of the other Van Bangers on track - Sean McConnachie, Fraser Combe and Mark Morrison.
When the first race got underway, Jay Paterson (Saline) led the way and looked comfortable in the lead before his progress was halted by Connor Clunie (Kirkcaldy) on the back straight.
Stuart Adsley (Cowdenbeath) and James Slater (Glenrothes) collected the wall while Connor Mackie came to a halt on the pit bend and was collected by Cain Paterson. Callum McErlane (Cowdenbeath) took up the race lead as J. Paterson retired and went on to take the win ahead of Neil Sutherland and Stephen van Putten.
McConnachie's van started to fall apart during the second heat after attacks from Morrison and Sutherland, although the box section just managed to stay atop the chassis.
Ian Tait removed C. Paterson on the pit bend, while van Putten suffered some damage on the home straight - partially after an attack from McConnachie.
Sutherland snuck past early leader Ross Thorburn to win, while Combe was third and Russell Adams (Glenrothes) was seventh.
With the number of vans dwindling, the decision was made to cancel their last scheduled race of the evening to ensure as many vans were available for the Caravan Carnage event as possible.
The crowd erupted as the vans and caravans trundled on to the track, with more noise coming as Scott Allardyce (Leven),
McErlane and Slater rolled on to track towing two caravans each. J. Paterson was the last driver to appear on the track, with the race beginning almost instantly after the pit gate was shut.
Sutherland's caravan came loose and stopped just beside the pit gate as the track started to become blocked on the pit bend. There was a similar, albeit smaller, pile-up developing at the end of the home straight.
McConnachie buried himself into the back of one of McErlane's caravans as the red flags appeared to clear a path on the pit bend, and extricate as many mobile vans as possible for the restart.
During this period, McConnachie attempted to dislodge the remnants of the box part of his van behind the goals on the turnstile bend - eventually this came apart midway down the back straight.
Allardyce went straight for the whole caravan on the home straight, becoming stuck and leaving himself open to a hefty hit from McErlane.
J. Paterson found himself embedded among several caravans on the pit bend and set about trying to free himself, while McConnachie and Slater, who were the last two vans able to run freely, traded hits on the pit bend and home straight.
Thorburn surfaced from one of the wreckages to deliver a hit to the stricken van of Clunie, before, to a huge roar from the stadium, J. Paterson finally got free and rejoined the action.
Wasting no time at all, J. Paterson delivered the final hits to Slater before attacking the remains of the box section of McConnachie's van on the back straight - which beached him once again. McConnachie was the only one left running, and delivered a final couple of hits to Tait before the red flags were called to end a 'smashing' night at the Racewall.
J. Paterson, who had managed to keep his van running despite being stuck, climbed on to the roof (which was still embedded among debris) to cheers and applause from the fans.
Among the Prostock Basics drivers on track at the Racewall was John Stewart (Kirkcaldy), who was making his debut in the class.
After his two wins at Knockhill, Alex McDonald was racing from the yellow grade. Despite the late notice, it was very pleasing to see the final car count comfortably surpass the twenty mark.
Daz Sarjantson (Methil) led the field away in the opening heat with Stewart tucking in behind in second. Alex Mill (Kirkcaldy) and McDonald moved past Stewart and diced over second place for the remainder of the race as Terry Curran clipped a marker tyre on the entry to the pit bend and retired.
Mill finally got by McDonald but Sarjantson was well clear and went on to pick up his first win. Mill and McDonald completed the top three. Stewart was a fine fourth, while Norman Moore (Hill of Beath) crossed the line in tenth place.
Heat two was stopped almost as soon as it had started when Curran and Liam Boyle (Hillend) tangled on the entry to the back straight, causing the race to be completely restarted.
Sarjantson made the break when the green flag dropped for a second time, although he faced pressure throughout from Ben Kerr.
Further back, the red graders went four abreast into the turnstile bend, which remarkably did not lead to a major crash, but unfortunately for Greg Fraser, landed him with race-ending damage.
Despite a late charge from McDonald, Sarjantson took his second win of the evening to earn an instant promotion to yellow. Kerr was second and McDonald third. Fifth went the way of Mill, and Callum Rennie (Kinglassie) was tenth.
Fresh from a good showing on his first race from the front of the grid, Kerr led the Final away but was involved in a tangle with McDonald at the end of the back straight which saw Kerr collecting a marker tyre heavily and suffering considerable damage.
McDonald led the restart, followed closely by James Paton while Harry Wotherspoon (Carnock) retired with a puncture and Martin Joy dropped back for the same reason.
McDonald pulled clear of James Paton to take his second Final in as many meetings. James Paton was second despite a trailing exhaust in the closing laps, and Liam Loggie (Glenrothes) was the first star grader home in third. Rennie was fifth, Sarjantson seventh and Moore ninth.
The Micro F2 action got off to a spectacular start when, after a tangle with Jack McGuire and Harris Honeyman, Evah Adsley (Cowdenbeath) rolled her car on the pit bend - Evah was able to get out of the car unhurt and returned to the track later in the meeting.
Roman Aldridge, one of three English visitors, collected the armco on the pit bend when the race got back underway after his car became airborne over the bumps.
At the front, Cooper Brown (Cowdenbeath) was battling with Jaxson Watters (Kennoway) for the lead, and the pair briefly became hooked up. The tangle sorted itself, and Brown went on to take the win ahead of Jake Ramage and Jack Haldane (Kelty). Charlotte Lindsell (Cowdenbeath) crossed the line in sixth spot.
There was another early stoppage in heat two, when Evie Cross and Brown collected the turnstile bend wall heavily while Lindsell and Haldane got hooked up in avoidance.
Jaxan Moore (Hill of Beath) and Ryan Johnstone (Thornton) also retired with damage.
Jaydyn Wilson (Kelty) led the restart but dropped back, with the battle for the lead emerging between Honeyman and Watters. The pair ran side by side, swapping the lead for almost the entirety of the second half of the race, with Honeyman just taking the win.
The battle for third was similarly impressive, Lewis McFarlane just pipping Ramage to the place at the line. Not far behind, Wilson crossed the line in fifth.
Teddy Watson built up an early lead at the start of the final race but was overtaken by Johnstone, Brown and Honeyman who battled over the lead for a few laps. Johnstone broke free and took the win, while Brown and Honeyman remained side by side with Brown just claiming the runners-up spot.
Watters was seventh, Adsley managed an eighth place despite her earlier roll, and Haldane was tenth.
There weren't too many Prostocks about, but there was still some good, fast racing. Paul McNulty Jnr (Cowdenbeath) was the leader for the first half of the opening heat, before he was caught by Paul Barron (Cardenden).
After a couple of laps where the pair battled, Barron made his move and drove away from the pack to win.
Marc Dickson (Kirkcaldy) was a retiree after suffering a broken spring, which rolled to a place of relative safety, allowing the race to continue. John Mason caught McNulty Jnr for second on the final lap, but couldn't make it past before the chequered flag fell. Dylan Dickson (Kirkcaldy) was the fifth place finisher.
Barron and McNulty Jnr battled over the lead again in heat two, although Barron was able to lead earlier in the race and build a more comfortable gap.
Garry Roberts clouted the turnstile bend wall but was able to continue, while Paul McNulty Snr had his handling compromised by a rear puncture which forced him into retirement. McNulty Jnr held on for second and D. Dickson was third - M. Dickson crossed the line in sixth, despite a late spin.
Barron completed his hat-trick in the Final, nudging McNulty Jnr into the wall to take the lead. Mason came through for second and McNulty Jnr was third, D. Dickson was the last finisher in fifth after M. Dickson retired with an issue.
This Saturday it's time for something totally different! The American Cup Cars return to the Racewall after a few years absence, while the ORCi Stock Rods and ORCi Ministox compete for their Turner Trophies, and the Saloon Stock Cars complete the line-up. The action gets underway from 6pm.
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