IT was Fifer Gordon Moodie who grabbed the headlines at the Cowdenbeath Racewall when he went on to win the BriSCA Formula II Scottish Championship in a hard fought race on Saturday night, writes Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

The June Speedweekend got off to an exciting start and there were some good races although the 1300 saloon field got decimated after George Hendry’s engine blew and quite a few drivers crashed out on the resulting oil slick. There were two rollovers, Dougie Ford in his 1300 Saloon and Kai Gilmour in the Minis.

The Formula IIs welcomed Craig Driscoll and Luke Wrench to the track whilst Paul Reid debuted his new car. There were three previous Scottish Champions in action. Gordon Moodie, Chris Burgoyne and the defending champion Euan Millar. Local drivers on the grid were Gregor Turner (Dunfermline), Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath) and Gordon Moodie (Windygates).

The first heat saw C. Burgoyne go through to win from Moodie and Turner. Garry Sime then went on to win the second heat where he led home the Burgoyne brothers, Steven and Chris.

The drawn grid was in grades with Antony McAuliffe the only white grade driver but the front row of the red graders was shared between Liam Rennie and Robbie Dawson with the Burgoyne brothers behind them with Moodie on the row behind. There was drama on the grid when the cars of Emma Mellis and Luke Wrench failed the width test and whilst Wrench reappeared, Mellis didn’t.

The race had a hectic start with Sime and Driscoll tangling on the opening lap but when Craig Wallace and Daniel Scrimgeour tangled on the back straight the race was stopped with the Scrimgeour car sitting across the track. On the restart McAuliffe led for a few laps but then lost out to Turner but already Moodie made up a lot of ground quickly and then latched onto the back bumper of Liam Rennie who had moved into second place. Robbie Dawson ended up against the turnstile bend wall later to be joined by McAuliffe.

Turner came across Peter Watt and Craig Reid in dicing and when lapping was clipped by Watt and lost ground. That let Rennie close right up and in a flash both Rennie and Moodie relegated Turner to third. On lap 12 Moodie was ahead and after that he eased away to win his ninth Scottish title from Rennie with Millar in third. Moodie celebrated with a few 'donuts' before being presented with his trophy.

There was a good turnout of Stock Rods for their European Championship with five drivers over from Northern Ireland including the defending champ Raymond Harper. The drivers raced in four heats two in reverse order with the points scored going to where they would start Sunday’s race.

James Gray won the opening heat from D. McGill and Cameron Doak. World Champion Lee McGill then ran away with heat two where he led home Liam McGill and Adam Sloan. Michael Bethune won heat three from Ian Thompson Snr and Stuart McKinnon. The last heat of the night saw Gray pick up his second win of the night leading home D. McGill then Liam McGill.

Amongst those racing in the 1300 Saloons were David Bowman, Alan and Dale Robertson and Callum McIvor who were having their first outings of the year. Local drivers included Lee Wilson (Comrie), Gary Paterson (Saline), Kyle Hegg (Glenrothes), Scott Lindsell (Cowdenbeath), David Bowman (Cowdenbeath), Callum McIvor (Inverkeithing), Callum Sturrock (Saline), Alan and Dale Robertson (Glenrothes), Gordon Myers (Dunfermline), Andrew Wightman (Kelty) and Aaron Hastie (Ceres).

Heat wins went to Fraser Clark who won both with Kieran Edgar winning the final from Clark and Cameron Milne, after the latter had been docked for jumping the start. Hegg and Bowman placed second in each of the heats.

There was some exciting racing from the Ministox drivers who welcomed Charlie Santry, Abbie McGuinness and Emmaleigh Polley to their ranks as they took part in qualifying heats for their East of Scotland Championship. Locals racing were Jay Paterson (Saline), Jay Caruthers (Kirkcaldy), Rian Mitchell (Lochgelly), Scott Allardyce (Anstruther), Mitch Gold (Leven), Ciaran Adams (Kelty), Koddi Wright (Lochgelly), Jake Wilson (Kelty) and Jamie Stewart (Glenrothes).

Charlie Santry won heats 1, 2 and 4 with Taylor Borthwick winning heat three. Allardyce and Paterson had a second and third apiece with Wilson also picking up a third place.

Carl Nunn won all the Stoxkart races with Finn Robinson and Chester Love the heats with Robinson the final in the Junior Stoxkarts.

On Sunday, despite the gloomy weather forecast, it stayed dry but there was controversy at the close of the European Championship when the first home Dean McGill was penalised a couple of places for a last lap incident. Charlie Santry won the Ministox East of Scotland Championship but it was Jay Paterson who won the Joan Purdie memorial race. The Stoxkarts Scottish Championship was won by Mark Royall with Connor Benstead taking the Junior version.

The feature race, the Stock Rod European Championship, sponsored by Gilmore Engineering was stopped early on when James Gray was sent crashing into a marker tyre. The grid reformed and when the race started it was Dean McGill who led and it looked as if he had built up an unassailable lead until a race suspension closed up the field. On the restart he was under pressure from Harper who took the lead but was then delayed by a Lee McGill. It proved to be a hectic last bend with McGill forcing his way into the lead, with Harper getting sideways and whilst McGill crossed the line just ahead of Stuart McKinnon he was penalised for contact. McKinnon was declared provisional winner from Harper and D. McGill with Dignan eighth

The grid for the Ministox East of Scotland Championship paired Santry on pole position with T. Borthwick alongside. The race had to be suspended after Polley was spun then hit by another car and she required assistance out of her car. On the restart Santry and T. Borthwick ran in close order and fought it out for most of the race. Santry led early on but he lost out to Borthwick. However, when he made his challenge he sent Borthwick into a spin and she ended crashing heavily into a marker tyre and the stricken Ciaran Adams car. On the restart Santry went on to win from Barry Scott and Logan Bruce. Jay Paterson then went on to win the Joan Purdie Memorial trophy fending off Scott and Mika Millar with Stewart fifth and Wilson ninth.

The Formula II drivers were racing for the FII Challenge with heat wins going to C. Burgoyne and Sime. McAuliffe led the final but lost out to Turner who had Sime in close order. S. Burgoyne was on a charge and he moved into second then during the closing stages of the race sent Turner wide and into a half spin. This allowed S. Burgoyne into the lead and he went through to win from C. Burgoyne and Moodie with Turner fifth.

Burgoyne won the GN from Wallace and Scrimgeour.

The 1300 Saloons continued where they had left off the previous evening with heat wins going to Charlie Folan and Fraser Clark. The NEP Engine Management Induction sponsored final saw Milne lead for a good part of the race but then lost out to Lee Wilson. On the last lap Davey Rogerson rolled his car but by then Wilson had taken the chequer only to be sent bouncing off the wall by Low as the race finished. Lindsell was fourth.

The Stoxkart Scottish Championship was won by Mark Royall who fended off Kelvin Limb with Danny Nunn whilst Connor Benstead won the Junior version from Aidan Grindey and Finn Robinson. So ended a very hectic weekend's racing.

This Saturday the 2 Litre Saloons are back in action along with the Stock Rods, the Prostocks and Prostock Basics with the usual 6pm start.