It may have been quiet on the racing front during the winter at HRP Lochgelly Raceway but there has been plenty going on behind the scenes at Scotland’s most-modern short oval motorsports facility and the 2018 season promises to be one of the best yet!!!

The season began for the majority of HRP Lochgelly Raceway drivers in March as the first domestic meetings took please at the well-appointed Fife venue but, as always, the HRP drivers were more than willing to travel far and wide to get their racing fix.

One of the formulas that is known for their travelling exploits is the Ninja Karts. Providing children as young as 6 with the opportunity to take their first steps towards a career in racing. The World Cup eluded the Scots once again back in 2017 but April was to yield better results as Robbie Armit claimed his first championship as he took the European Championship on home turf at HRP Lochgelly Raceway. May saw Armit take his second major title as he won the British Championship at Aldershot Raceway with outgoing champion Charlie Hardie in second place. The latter part of the season saw both of these drivers feature prominently in wherever they went with Armit taking the Southern, English and East Anglian titles while Hardie took the King of Aghadowey title along with successfully defending his Scottish and National Points titles. These two drivers stole the headlines once again in January this year as they dominated the World Cup event at Arena Essex Raceway with Hardie finally claiming gold ahead of Armit in a Scottish one, two!

The Stock Rods are another formula well known for their efforts to race all over the place and HRP Lochgelly Raceway boasts some of the top drivers in the 1400cc non-contact class anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, no Scottish driver was able to take the World Championship as Marc Morrell took the title on home turf in Northern Ireland. July saw the Ipswich Spedeweekend take place and one of the most successful drivers in short oval racing’s history FINALLY claimed a big win at the iconic venue on its major weekend of the year as 2017 National Points Champion Chris Lattka added the European Championship to his incredible CV. The next stop for the Stock Rods on the title trail was Hednesford Hills Raceway in Staffordshire with the destiny of the National Championship on the line and it was HRP’s own Siobhan Martin who took her first international title to add to a glowing list of accolades. September saw the best Stock Rod drivers head to HRP Lochgelly Raceway for their British Championship and it was Chris Lattka who took yet another title after the first two drivers across the line were removed from the results for irregularities found at post-ace scrutineering. The Scottish title went to 2017 Best in Britain Champion Jonathan Lattka and HRP are delighted to confirm that the Fife venue will host the 2018 European Championship which will see Chris Lattka defend his title on home turf sponsored by David Philp Commercials.

Arguably, it was the 2.0 Hot Rods that saw the most success garnered by Scottish drivers as Gordon Alexander and William Hardie dominated proceedings across the UK and Europe in a formula that only began in Scotland five years ago! The HRP dominance began in June when Hardie swept the weekend at his home track as he took the British and Scottish Open titles. July saw Hardie head into the Ipswich Spedeweekend as the favourite for the National Championship and he lived up to the billing as he took the title. Tullyroan was the venue for the World Championship just three weeks later and Hardie was eliminated early on in qualifying but Scotland’s Gordon Alexander used all his racing experience to bring home gold after Wayne Woolsey’s docking saw Alexander’s original second place elevated to first as he finally claimed a world championship – Scotland’s first in any hot rod formula. Alexander managed to sweep the weekend as he took the Irish Open title. The paperclip shaped track of Nno Ter Apel Raceway in Holland was the venue for the European Championship in September and it was Hardie who came through to take his third major of the year as well as the Dutch Open title. The formula’s top two started on the front row together for the Scottish Championship and put on a clinic of hot rod racing as they raced side by side and bumper to bumper with one another for the full race distance with Alexander holding on to defend his Scottish title. As well as the aforementioned championships; Hardie also claimed the Midlands Championship at Birmingham while Alexander also took the Southern Irish Open Championship at Tipperary Raceway as well as the National Points Championship. A fantastic year for the HRP 2.0 Hot Rods and 2018 promises more of the same as HRP Lochgelly Raceway hosts the 2018 World Championship sponsored by A1 Performance Products.

The Superstox enjoyed arguably their best year of racing since their return to Scotland as HRP Lochgelly Raceway hosted the best domestic open-wheel stock car action in Scotland throughout 2017. Past seasons have seen several international titles won by Scottish drivers and hopes were high on home soil for a British Championship victory back in June; but these were dashed as Jordan Salmon claimed the title. David Frame restored Scottish pride as he took victory in the Scottish Open Championship the next day and Frame would go on to claim the National Points Championship later in the season. Bryan Forrest entered the Scottish Championship as defending champion and his prayers were answered as the extremely wet conditions played into his hands as he went on to defend his title while lapping much of the field! Domestically, the Superstox were outstanding and the cherry on the cake came in October down at Ipswich when Barry Stephen took the World Championship after English Points Champion Jason Cooper pulled off in the closing stages of the race. Of course, to finish first; first you have to finish, and it was the Elgin man who brought the gold roof home to Scotland!!! This season sees the European Championship coming to HRP Lochgelly Raceway (sponsored by Dechmont Forklift Trucks).

The various Banger classes that race throughout the country are not normally a happy hunting ground for Scottish drivers but veteran racer Neil Naismith upset the form book as he took the Van Banger World Cup Championship back in the summer. The annual Micro Banger World Cup at HRP Lochgelly Raceway saw the trophy head south in the hands of Josh Vowden while HRP’s Georgie Boult Jr took the Scottish Open title. HRP Lochgelly Raceway host a number of different events throughout the season and 2018 sees the Van Banger Scottish Championship being defended by Zak Murdoch, the Micro Banger World Cup will be held once again in October and a plethora of other races will be held throughout the season with something for everyone including the annual Caravan Carnage event on June 30th!

As well as the listed international and domestic titles; 2017 saw Scottish Championship wins for Cameron Willacy (Junior Productions), Tam Melrose (ProStocks), Billy Wilson (1300 Stock Cars) and Stewart Aitken (CC Rods). National Points titles went to Paul Barron (ProStocks), Euan Mathieson (1300 Stock Cars), Ian Donaldson (CC Rods) and Sean Naismith (Ministox).

Certainly, an unprecedented amount of international and domestic championship titles was won by HRP Lochgelly drivers in 2017 in Scotland, the UK and Europe and the drivers will have their work cut out to eclipse their haul in the coming season – but some will be happy to know that the defence of their titles will take place on home turf!!!

The first major championship event of 2018 takes place at HRP Lochgelly Raceway on April 21st and 22nd and features two major international titles with the Dechmont Forklift Trucks National Hot Rods European Championship and the Ninja Karts British Championship on the line over the weekend. Carl-Waller Barrett will be looking to become the first driver to win this prestigious title three times in a row in Scotland. Robbie Armit took a sensational win in the Ninja Kart British Championship at Aldershot in 2017 with arch-rival and fellow Scot Charlie Hardie finishing in second place. Only a few weeks ago, these two drivers underlined their top-dog status with Hardie beating Armit to the World Cup crown. 2018 will be the first time that the British Championship has been contested in Scotland and both of these drivers will start as strong favourites on their home track as they do battle among a field of invited entrants. The Classic Hot Rods will contest their Scottish Open title and be joined by the Superstox too over two great days of action.

June 9th and 10th sees the ASD Welding Services 1300 Stock Car British Championship being defended by Will Morphey plus the David Philp Commercials Stock Rod European Championship will be defended by HRP’s Chris Lattka in a cracking weekend of racing that also features the annual appearance in Scotland by the fantastic Rebels with Classic Hot Rods and Ministox in support. June also sees the return of the mighty BriSCA F1 Stock Cars as well as the annual Caravan Carnage Banger race!

August 11th and 12th sees the A1 Performance Products 2.0 Hot Rod Championship of the World come to HRP Lochgelly Raceway as HRP’s own Gordon Alexander defends his gold roof, Jordan Aylward will defend his Superstox European Championship in an event sponsored by Dechmont Forklift Trucks while the UK Oval Track Legends will make their annual appearance to contest their European Championship with the CC Rods and Ninja Karts in support.

The final HRP Speed Weekend of the year takes place over October 13th and 14th and features the Micro Banger World Cup and ProStocks European Championship plus the Junior Productions Scottish Open Championship and CC Rods, Ministox and 1300 Stock Cars. Full fixture details can be found on Hardie Racer Promotion’s website – www.hardieracepromotions.co.uk.

Hardie Race Promotions (In Association with Spedeworth Motorsports) would like to thank all drivers, teams, staff sponsors and fans for their efforts into making HRP Lochgelly Raceway the success story it has become. HRP would also like to thank their fellow promoters (particularly Spedeworth/Incarace and DMC Race Promotions) for their support and co-operation. Any success is truly a team effort and HRP are grateful to everyone who has contributed to that success.

See you at HRP Lochgelly Raceway in 2018!!!