IT was a 'golden weekend' for the Formula II and ORCi Stock Rod drivers as they raced for their World Championships at the Nutts Corner Raceway, in Northern Ireland, writes our Cowdenbeath Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

David Polley and David Philp Jnr were the defending champions.

However, congratulations go to Windygates and Racewall driver Gordon Moodie, who led the race from start to finish to win his fourth Formula II World Championship, and Sam Montgomery, who won the ORCi Stock Rod World final. 

Saturday night’s racing was suspended after a road traffic accident occurred outside the stadium, which track paramedics attending the scene.

The annual running of the BriSCA Formula II World Final took place at Nutts for the first time since its inception in 1963. The inaugural World Final was held at Swindon and amongst those participating were some well-known Scottish drivers like Les Clark, Tiger Thomson, George MacMillan Snr, Bill McLeod, Skid Roger and Walter Brown.

The first meeting was won by Roy Goodman but in 1972 Jimmy Murray, from Northern Ireland, won the title at St Austell. From then until 1988 it was the domain of the English drivers, mainly from the south west, but the Scottish drivers were beginning to make their mark, with Jimmy Wallace going to Taunton and winning the title, repeating the feat at Newton Abbot the following season. Allister King won it the following season at the Racewall, but in the 1990s it was dominated by Rob Speak, who won the title no fewer than eight times, six in succession!

Since then, Gordon Moodie has won the title three times, Chris Burgoyne twice and George MacMillan Jnr once. Ian Thompson took the title back to Northern Ireland in 2008, whilst the Netherlands’ Peeters father and son duo, of Willie (2005) and Wim (2016-17), have also been successful.

To get to the World Final the drivers have to take part in various qualifying rounds where their best five results seed the top 58 into two semi-finals. They were run at Bristol where the British and Scottish Champion, Gordon Moodie, won the first, and the European Champion, Charlie Guinchard, the second. Other Scottish qualifiers included Liam Rennie, Craig Wallace, Chris Burgoyne and Goerge MacMillan Jnr.

The grid had seeded places for foreign drivers and the time trials saw Dutch driver Kay Lenssen win ahead of Gavin and then Shea Fegan, whilst it was Aaron Vaight, who won the last chance qualifying race from Micky Brennan. Steven Burgoyne ended up in seventh, with only the top six going through to the World Final.

After the parade lap the World Final grid was formed and, on the start, Gordon Moodie went straight into the lead. Behind there was chaos after Craig Wallace and Chris Burgoyne were spun and then collected, suspending the race.

Once a reduced grid was reformed Moodie went straight into the lead again, ahead of Charlie Guinchard, and he began to ease away.

Towards the end of the race Guinchard and Matt Stoneman had a bit of a battle culminating in a last lap shoot out. Moodie held on to win from Liam Rennie, who made a last bend lunge to try to get the lead, and then held on and finished as the runner-up from Shea Fegan.

In the first of the Stock Rod qualifying heats the defending champion, David Philp Jnr, got off to a good start when he won the opening heat from Shea Duff, with Jamie Cardwell winning heat two from John McAlister and Philp Jnr in fourth.

The third heat was won by Jack Morrow, and after the points were totalled, it placed Philp Jnr on pole, with Cardwell alongside.

On Sunday the feature race was the ORCi Stock Rod World Final, with David Philp Jnr in line to make it a hat-trick of wins.

It was the Philp Jnr who led initially, but was edged wide as Sam Montgomery moved through into the lead. After a race suspension Montgomery had Philp Jnr swarming all over looking for a way through, and on the last lap he dived through. However, whilst he was first home had been penalised and it was Montgomery who was declared the winner from John McAllister and Philp Jnr.

The races held over from Saturday night were the first raced on Sunday, with the Formula II Alan Benson Memorial Trophy being won by Shea Fegan, and The Saloon Iron Man Trophy going to Bradley Compton Sage, whilst Jake Wilson won the Irish Open Championship.

Also on Sunday, the Formula II heats were won by Richard Bowyer and Jessica Smith with Courtney Witts winning the consolation. Moodie made it a winning weekend when he took the Irish Open.

Saloon heats went to Ally Strachan and Triggs, with Compton Sage winning the final. The Ministox Irish Revenge race was won by Oliver Heron.

The Racewall returns on Saturday when the Saloons, Prostock, Prostock basics and Micro F2 drivers are in action with the usual 6pm start.