THE stock car meeting at the Cowdenbeath Racewall started off in cool but windy conditions on Saturday night but by the end of the night a heavy drizzle was making life difficult for the drivers, writes Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

The first Scottish National Hot Rod World Champion Robert McDonald was given a lap of honour and received a warm welcome from the fans when doing so. Making a surprise visit to the Racewall was Billy Smith who was driving the car that his father Diggy used to win the Saloon World Championship.

It was a night where drivers saw hat tricks disappear with Ian Donaldson having to retire his Hot Rod whilst in the lead during the final whilst Formula II driver Steven Burgoyne lost the final after spinning on the last bend. Ministox driver Robbie Armit saw his chances of a hat trick disappear when he was sent spinning during the opening laps of the final whilst Lennon Cuthill had to settle for the runners-up spot in heat three after winning the first two races.

The Ministox drivers were in great form with no shortage of action and one of the closest wins during the final when Mitch Gold pipped Ryan Borthwick on the line buy a mere four thousands of a second!.

The Formula II drivers enjoyed a good night’s racing with Colin Stewart down from Crimond whilst Liam Rennie and Euan Millar had repaired their cars after big shunts at Buxton. Local drivers were Kieran Howie (Dunfermline) and Paul and Craig Reid (Cowdenbeath).

The opening heat saw Steven Burgoyne go though win getting ahead of long time leader Garry Sime during the closing stages whilst Howie was third with P. Reid fifth. Sime again led during the early stages of heart two but when Millar broke a half shaft and spun the race was suspended. Not long after the restart Burgoyne forced his way ahead of Sime before going through to win from Dennis Middler and Stevie Forster with Howie tenth.

Stewart was the first to show when the final started with Howie in close order but Sime was soon reeling them in. However, Millar somehow managed to break another half shaft and spun, suspending the race.

The field lined up behind Sime and once they set off Burgoyne dived inside Sime to lead, Sime slowed to retire with Adam Blacklock leading the chase after Burgoyne although Foster was not that far adrift. Middler was making up ground and he soon appeared in fourth spot. On the last lap Burgoyne spun on the turnstile bend allowing Blacklock through to win with Forster a close second and Burgoyne recovering to finish in third with P. Reid seventh, Howie ninth and C. Reid tenth.

It was wet when the Grand National started with C. Reid and Peter Watt spinning in unison going down the straight. Middler drove away from the field to pick up his first win of the night where he led home Burgoyne and Forster.

Amongst those in action in the Saloons were Gary Scollon and Zak Gilmour who was using the ex-Allard car whilst Billy Smith had headed to the Racewall to race. Local drivers were Ross Watters (Leven) and Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes).

The opening heat was led from start to finish by white grader Holly Glen although at the end she was just ahead of a fast closing Stevie Honeyman, Ian McLaughlin, Watters and Irvine. H. Glen got heat two underway and whilst she soon had a decent lead it began to dwindle when S. Honeyman began to charge. In the end S. Honeyman went on to win from McLaughlin and David Hughes with Irvine seventh and Watters tenth.

It was raining heavily when the Saloon Final started with H. Glen making a good start, running ahead of Alisdair Smith but when the Hughes car shed a wheel the race was suspended and the field lined up behind H. Glen. However, Glen then retired with S. Honeyman taking over the lead. Watters was soon making up ground and he forced his way ahead of S. Honeyman who soon fell into the clutched of Barry Russell and B. Smith. These three raced hard for a few laps before Russell got out of shape and spun although he restarted in fourth. Watters then reeled off the remaining laps to win from S. Honeyman and B. Smith with Irvine ninth.

The National Hot Rod drivers were racing in a World Championship qualifying round with the World Champion in action.

Ian Donaldson took his car to an easy opening heat win from Robert McDonald and John Sibbald. In heat two Donaldson was again the early leader but the race was suspended towards the end when James Mooney had his throttle jam open and he crashed heavily. The field lined up behind Donaldson who made a good restart to go through to win from Sibbald and McDonald.

The final was for the Lawrence Inglis Memorial Cup with Donaldson leading McDonald off the line although Sibbald was inside McDonald as they entered the top bend. On lap two Donaldson slowed to retire handing the lead to McDonald. Although McDonald was leading Sibbald kept him honest and hounded his all the way to the finish line with Roy Anderson in third. The drivers were presented with their trophies by Touring car driver Matt Simpson.

There was a very healthy turn out of Ministox drivers including newcomers Ross McLaughlin, Bailey Millar and Andrew Scott, the Maver sisters Emma and Melissa whilst Aaron Richards was an English visitor. Local drivers included Jay Paterson (Saline), Rian Mitchell (Lochgelly), Scott Allardyce (Anstruther), Ciaran and Mirran Adams (Lochgelly) and Mitch Gold (Cowdenbeath),

The first race was the Dash for the Tyre which was open to drivers who had raced funds for the Ministox Disco. In an exciting race Declan Honeyman came through to win from Gold and Richards with Allardyce fifth and Paterson eighth. Heat one saw Armit hold off Honeyman and Richards in what was a close finish with Armit spinning across the finish line. Heat two saw Armit again come out on top where he led home Mika Millar and Taylor Borthwick with Gold sixth and Paterson in ninth place.

The final was for the Scrutineers Trophy but the drizzle was blowing across the track by now. M. Adams led the field away with Hannah Borthwick ahead by the end of the lap. The race had to be suspended after Charlie Hardie was sent spinning and then hit by another car.

On the restart Lauren Ford led but she was elbowed wide as Ryan Borthwick took over at the lead and running as close to the wall as possible and was easing away from the field. Paterson moved into second but soon after lost the place to Gold. Once in second Gold began to eat into the lead that Borthwick had built up and over the closing stages the drivers were running nose to tail. Going into the last bend Gold was alongside and on the run up to the finish just got there before Borthwick. Honeyman ended up in third just ahead of Paterson and Mitchell with Allardyce eighth but there were extra prizes for McLaughlin, Ford and B. Millar.

The Micro F2 drivers appeared in their numbers with Ollie Sime making his debut with Connor St. Aubyn (Glenrothes) and Lennon Cuthill (Glenrothes) in action.

Heat one saw Cuthill go through for a comfortable win over David Philp Jnr and Cole Ramsay with St. Aubyn tenth. The second heat had to be suspended after a big shunt which left the cars of Philp Jnr, Zara Hutchinson, James Russell, St. Aubyn and Isla Chisholm locked together. In the end Cuthill was declared the winner from Mark Arthur and Mason Howe. Oliver Heron then won heat three from Cuthill and Howe with St. Aubyn tenth.

This Saturday the Prostock Basic drivers take top billing as the fight it out for their Scottish Championship and they are backed up by the BriSCA Formula IIs, Prostock and 2 Litre Banger drivers. The meeting starts at 6.00pm