IT was another good night’s stock car racing at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on a dry but chilly Saturday evening, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

The drivers revelled on a dry track surface although when some oil was dropped onto it, that made life a bit difficult for the drivers.

Tam Rutherford Jnr dominated the 2 litre Saloon races when he went on to win all three whilst Gordon Moodie won two of the Formula II races, one of which was the final.

There was a good field of Prostock Basic drivers for their opening meeting – quite a few new faces and new cars. Two drivers won on their first outing in the formula which is now non contact.

There weren’t too many Micro Banger drivers around but that didn’t stop contact with Stevie Allan and James Dillon having a coming together on the pit bend then three car shunt in the following race.

In the Formula IIs Peter Watt and Steven Burgoyne were having their first run of the season whilst Dave Waterhouse and Martin Bentley had made the trip from the North of England. Local drivers in action were Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath) and Gordon Moodie (Windygates).

Heat one saw C. Reid go straight into the lead and he was initially chased by Pete Davidson, although it wasn’t too long before Garry Sime was through into second spot.

On lap twelve there was a race suspension after Bentley had spun and was then collected when C. Reid and Euan Millar locked up and slid into him.

On the restart Sime was soon caught by Craig Wallace and Moodie with Wallace hanging on to win from Moodie and Liam Rennie with P. Reid seventh. In heat two Bentley was the initial leader but again lost out to Sime.

Sime led until the closing stages when he was caught and passed by Moodie. Sime held on to finish in second spot despite having Wallace reel him in at a fast rate of knots with P. Reid again in seventh.

Waterhouse made his first appearance when the final started but it was Bentley who led the field away from Watt. Sime had made a good start from the blue grade and was soon closing in on the leaders. However, Moodie had made a good start from the back of the grid getting ahead of Wallace and Robbie Dawson quickly. Moodie’s charge from the back of the grid was certainly quick and he got ahead of Wallace and Robbie Dawson in quick succession before catching Euan Millar.

Once he did that he began to reel in the cars ahead and soon appeared in second spot. The gap to Sime quickly closed but towards the end Millar and Rennie touched which saw the latter having to retire. Once Moodie hit the front he pulled away to win from Sime and Wallace with P. Reid ninth.

Burgoyne then went on to win the Grand National from Millar and Sime with Moodie finishing in sixth place from his lap handicap with P. Reid ninth.

Gordon Moodie travelled to the shale track at Belle Vue in Manchester on Sunday and after finishing in sixth place in his heat went on to finish in 9th place in a 30 car final.

There were a few of the regular 2 litre Saloon drivers missing but Andrew Mathieson was making his first appearance of the season. Local drivers in action included Ross Watters (Leven) and Euan and Andrew Mathieson (Lochgelly).

Johnny Wood led the opening heat until just after the half distance when he was forced wide as Tam Rutherford Jnr took the lead. Graeme Shevill worked his way through the field to appear in second but by then Rutherford Jnr was well clear and on his way to his first win of the night. Shevill brought his car home in second place with Wood third and just ahead of E. Mathieson.

Heat two saw Rutherford Jnr soon through into the lead but there was a cracking dice between Ross Watters and Ian McLaughlin with the drivers swapping places on a regular basis.

E. Mathieson and Holly Glen had a coming together on the turnstile bend and retired whilst Shevill dropped a few places after being shunted off line. In the end Rutherford Jnr picked up his second win this time leading home McLaughlin and Watters.

Wood had a diff seize as he drove to the start line and whilst Holly Glen led initially, within a lap Rutherford Jnr was ahead. McLaughlin sent Watters wide as he moved up a spot with Shevill also getting ahead of Watters. Rutherford Jnr was dominating and he went through to win the final by a big margin over McLaughlin with Watters fending off Shevill to claim third place.

The Prostock Basic drivers turned up in their numbers for their opening meeting of the season which saw quite a few new faces on the grid and some very smart looking cars. Local drivers in action included Dean Whiteley (Glenrothes), Callum Rennie (Kinglassie), Megan Wilson (Comrie), Jordan and Graeme Dignan (Leven), David Van Dieken (Leven), Declan Lindsell (Cowdenbeath), Tiffany Mills (Cowdenbeath), William Crawford (Kirkcaldy), Martin Loggie (Leven) and Dougie Anderson (Cowdenbeath)

David Sher led the field away in heat one but towards the end of the race was held up when lapping back markers allowing Whiteley through to win from Jake Mason and Rennie with Van Dieken fifth and ahead of Lindsell, G. Dignan and Crawford. In heat two it was Rennie led for most of the race and in the end he won from Van Dieken, Crawford, J and G. Dignan with Whiteley eighth and Mills in tenth place.

Van Dieken led the field away when the final started but when Jordan Dignan’s car stopped on the main straight the race was suspended. Van Dieken led on the re-start but soon afterwards there was another stoppage when Stephen Graham spun his car on the pit bend and it wouldn’t restart. Van Dieken this time came under pressure from Crawford with Dignan in third.

Ben Sher spun but was able to re-start with John Rankin making inroads through the field. As the laps dwindled the lead cars were soon nose to tail with Rankin forcing his way through on the pit bend to win from Crawford and van Dieken with Mills fifth and Wilson in eighth place.

There weren’t too many Micro Bangers around but they were quickly into action.

The opening heat saw Stevie Allan and James Dillon clash on the pit bend and then when Allan stopped on the turnstile bend he was only to be collected by Brian Youngson.

Kenneth Scollon went on to win from Callum Campbell and Ryan Martin. Scollon, Lee Burden and Jon Taylor ended up in a heap on the pit bend at the start to heat two. Campbell led the race from start to finish winning easily from Ryan Burden and Scollon.

Campbell then led the final from start to finish winning from Scollon and Liam Glendinning.

This Saturday the Formula IIs and the 2 Litre Saloons are back in action and they are joined by the Stock Rods, the Ministox and the Micro F2s.

Gordon Moodie will be looking to score another final win in the formula IIs but he will have stiff competition from Garry Sime and Craig Wallace. Tam Rutherford Jnr would like nothing better that to dominate the 2 Litre Saloons but will have to look sharp to keep Graeme Shevill, Ross Watters and Ian McLaughlin at bay.

The non contact ORCi Stock rods were dominated by the McGills last time they raced and it could well be Liam McGill that dominates this time.

Look for the Ministox drivers to thrill and excite whilst the Micro F2 drivers will again turn up in their numbers.

The Micro F2 drivers get the ball rolling when the meeting starts at 5.30pm in what will be a hectic race programme.