II was bright although chilly at the Cowdenbeath Racewall, on Saturday, night but the drivers were in good form on a dry track, writes Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

There was a close encounter in the 1300 Saloon final when Kyle Hegg somehow managed to survive a last bend challenge and just got to the finish line a whisker ahead of Fraser Clark, Peter Low and Charlie Folan, who all crossed the finish line side by side! Dougie Ford got caught up on fluid, hit the wall and then rolled but he was assisted in his roll by a couple of drivers who were in close order.

Chris Burgoyne won the Formula II final, his first at the Racewall this season, whilst Gordon Alexander picked up his first Hot Rod final win of 2013.

The Formula II racing proved to be fast with some close and exciting stuff but Raffaele Donofrio ran into engine problems and failed to start a race. Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath) was the only Fife driver on the grid.

It looked as if Ryan Farquhar was on his way to win the opening heat only for his car to slow and that allowed Emma Mellis through to win from Steven Burgoyne and Craig Wallace, with Reid in tenth place. In heat two S. Burgoyne went on to win where he led home his brother Chris with Wallace again in third place.

When the final started Nigel Davies led the field away but next time around Farquhar was ahead with Mellis soon to appear in second. C. Burgoyne was leading the red graders chase but he had his brother, Steven, sitting on his back bumper. Just before the half distance C. Burgoyne took the lead and whilst Farquhar tried to follow his tracks, he was edged wide, which allowed S. Burgoyne through into second place. As the laps dwindled C. Burgoyne was edging away and he went through to win from S. Burgoyne and Wallace with Reid in ninth place.

Chris Davidson and Peter Watt both spun at the start to the Grand National resulting in Watt’s car ending up on the side rail of Davidson’s car suspending the race. On the restart Farquhar led but lost out to Mellis but on the last lap. S. Burgoyne charged through to win from Wallace with Mellis in third and C. Burgoyne in seventh place and just ahead of Reid.

After last week’s antics in the 2 Litre Saloons, Greg and Marc Honeyman were missing as was Tam Rutherford Snr. Holly Glen was sidelined after suffering from cracked vertebrae which will keep her spectating for a few weeks. Andrew and Euan Mathieson (Lochgelly) were the local drivers.

The opening heat saw Ian McLaughlin go through to win from long time leader Chris Carey and Barry Glen with A. Mathieson in seventh and just ahead of E. Mathieson. At the start to heat two McLaughlin, Graeme Anderson and Alisdair Smith tangled and whilst Carey was first home he was adjudged to have jumped the start with the win going to Glen with Carey relegated to third and E. Mathieson in fifth.

When the final got underway Smith spun on the pit bend and ended up against the wall suspending the race. Carey led from Robin Copland and Peter Marioni on the restart but McLaughlin was quickly on the move and within a couple of laps forced his way through into the lead. Glen got ahead of Paul Honeyman and into second place whilst the latter was reeled in by Tam Rutherford Jnr. McLaughlin was by now clear of the field and went through to win from Glen and Honeyman with A. Mathieson finishing in seventh and ahead of E. Mathieson.

The 1300 Saloon drivers were in good form with Kris Simpson having an outing in Davey Rogerson’s car. The race for the track points is a close run affair with Scott Lindsell leading Fraser Clark by five points with Charlie Folan a further twenty adrift.

Local drivers on the grid included Lee Wilson (Comrie), Callum Sturrock (Saline), Jeff Cosans (Dunfermline), Kyle Hegg (Leslie), Gordon Myers (Dunfermline), Kris Simpson (Methil), Andrew Wightman (Kelty) and Connor Whyte (Cowdenbeath).

Their first race of the night was another in the Young Guns Series which is open to drivers who were 25 or under at the start of the year. Kieran Edgar was the initial leader and whilst he led until the closing stages he was shuffled down the order as Charlie Folan went through to win from Lindsell, Robbie Bruce, Wilson and Sturrock.

The first heat saw Myers go into the lead but just after Hegg moved ahead there was a race suspension he was sent spinning with his car stopping across the back straight. Just a few laps after the restart Dougie Ford hit a patch of fluid on the track and hit the wall but as his car came back onto line he was hit by another car and ended up rolling.

Hegg made a good restart to the race before going through to win from Clark and Lindsell with Wilson in fifth and ahead of Whyte with Myers eighth and Sturrock ninth.

The second heat was suspended towards the end of the race when the cars contesting the lead bunched up and ended with Simpson hitting a tyre with a few of the oncoming drivers getting caught up suspending the race. Hegg led on the restart and whilst under pressure from Clark held on to win with Peter Low in third spot and ahead of Lindsell with Myers in seventh and Wightman ninth.

As a result of his double success in the heats, Hegg had to start the final from the red grade with Simpson going straight into the lead with Edgar in close order. Lindsell was clipped and spun by Low and whilst Simpson began to open up a useful lead the red grade drivers were beginning to make inroads through the field with Clark leading the chase. However, Simpson lost his lead when after spinning Wightman he too spun and in doing so handed the lead to Clark who now had Hegg in close order with Folan and Low also coming into contention. Hegg got ahead of Clark with Folan diving through into second but next time around Clark was back into second. The last bend and run to the line was exciting with Hegg fending off a late challenge on the pit bend but was just ahead as the top four headed to the finish line. Hegg just got there by the narrowest of margins from Clark, Low and Folan with Myers again in seventh and Wightman tenth but the fans were on their feet cheering the drivers home.

The National Hot Rod drivers were contesting another of their World Championship qualifying rounds with Billy Bonnar (Ballingry) the only local driver on the grid.

The first heat had to be stopped after Anderson’s car shed a wheel but once it got underway Bonnar forced his way through into the lead before going on to win from Gordon Alexander and Kenny Purdie. In heat two Bonnar claimed his second win of the night when he again led home Alexander and Purdie.

John Maver led the field away when the final got underway with Ian McGuigan getting the better of Ross McWilliam, but Alexander managed to dive down the inside of Bonnar and into fourth place. Anderson retired whilst Alexander managed to again find the inside line top get ahead of Kenny Purdie and into second spot. Once there he set off after McWilliam eventually catching him after the half distance. He then managed to pull away from the field before going on to win from Bonnar, who relegated McWilliam to third place during the last few laps.

This Saturday the 1300 Saloon drivers return to the scene for a Gold Roof Qualifying Round along with the ORCi Stock Rods, Prostocks and Prostock Basics along with the 2 Litre Banger drivers. The meeting starts at 6pm as usual.