OVER the past season Fife based Formula II triple World Champion Gordon Moodie has written himself into the record books.

He now holds the most finals ever won in BriSCA F2 after chalking up 462 final wins over his career and eclipsing the previously held record of Bill Batten.

The record breaking moment came when Gordon won the final when racing at Nutts Corner Raceway in Northern Ireland last month.

It’s hard to think that when Gordon, who is a motor engineer at the family business in Buckhaven, started his career in 1997 at the age of 17, that he would reach such heights.

But maybe there was a hint when he won a race in only his second ever meeting.

Using his dad Jimmy’s car, he was soon catching people’s attention with his prowess behind the wheel.

His home track is Cowdenbeath Racewall but he can also be seen racing across Britain and in Holland.

The grids in Formula IIs are graded with novice drivers starting from the front of the grid whilst the star drivers start from almost half a lap behind.

It means Gordon has started at the very back of this grid for nearly all his career!

These cars are purpose built and are powered by either 2 Litre Ford Pinto or Zetec engines and cars can achieve speeds of up to 75 mph in second gear on a quarter mile oval – and not only that but contact is permitted!

It all came to fruition for Gordon in 2003 when he won the Scottish, the Grand National, the Benevolent Fund and the National Points Championships in one season and since then he has never looked back.

At this stage in his career he is only a couple short of having won 70 major BriSCA Championships, more than any other driver.

Amongst the tally are three World Championships, 11 National Points championships, 2 National Series wins, nine Scottish Championships and six World Cup wins in the Netherlands to his credit.

“My first major win was the Scottish Championship in 2003 and a proud moment for me,” he recalled.

“This proved to be a springboard to winning further championships. Over my racing career it’s taken a lot of hard work to get to the top but I’ve stayed motivated by setting myself benchmarks and always racing to my own standards.

“I have never said that I am the best but when statistics say so then it is a good feeling.”

In season 2016 Gordon won 43 feature final wins which equates to winning a final every second meeting!

His success began to make him a marked man, especially in World Finals where quite often he was eliminated from the race within the opening laps.

However, his third World Final win at Buxton was not without drama.

Gordon said: “I had been racing over in Holland and had won the World Cup on the Saturday but on the Sunday I injured my hand.

“When we returned home on the Monday I went to the A and E at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and the doctor told me that I had fractured and dislocated a bone in my hand.

“I have to credit the doctor who treated me in the A and E, she did an amazing job putting the bone back in place and also Dr Ballantyne and his staff for the excellent treatment I received, especially when I explained that I had a World Championship to defend in 18 days.

“They removed my cast a few days prior to the big event. I raced on the Thursday night before the World Championship. It was uncomfortable and I wasn’t feeling too confident.

“Somehow, we managed to keep my injury quiet but there were a few drivers wondering why I hadn’t been racing since Holland.

“As it turned out, I had a great run and crossed the line to regain the World Championship. That was an amazing feeling and such a relief.”

He continued: “There are 16 BriSCA tracks in the UK, 10 tarmac surfaces and six are shale.

“I won my first World title on shale at Mildenhall, taking the win on the final bend of the last lap. I managed to get on the inside of Mark Simpson and took the flag to become the World Champion.

“I enjoy racing all across the UK and also in Holland. I have been competing in Venray for some time now and it is a fantastic set up.

“The very first time I competed there I became the first ever FII driver from the UK to win the World Cup.

“I have always been focussed on trying to achieve a high total of final wins. Like I said earlier my focus has always been on my own standards.

“It’s great to achieve milestones along the way and I’ve always liked the thought of 500 final wins. Hopefully it’s achievable.”

Away from the track Gordon has also won the Kirkcaldy and Central Fife Sports Personality of the Year.

“It was such a humbling experience as there were so many great sports people in the category who had achieved high accolades in their chosen sport,” he said. “I was also honoured to be presented with the Senior Award for outstanding achievements in Motorsport by the Fife Sport and Leisure Trust.”

What the fans don’t see is the number of hours that Gordon and his mechanics spend meticulously checking the cars to maintain them in the specification required to compete at the top of the sport.

Travelling is another onerous commitment. The Racewall is about 30 minutes away, Crimond two and a half hours whilst the nearest track in England is Buxton which takes over five hours travelling.

When you add in the south west tracks then double figures need to be spent behind the wheel of the van – and then there is the return journey!

Gordon is very approachable in the pits at the racing and over the years has given most of his winning trophies away to delighted fans.

All, in all he is a brilliant ambassador for BriSCA Formula II and one that many a newcomer to the sport hopes to emulate.