Hill of Beath Community Hall resounded to the sounds of happy youngsters on Saturday night with the Cowdenbeath Racewall Micro F2 drivers enjoying their presentation and disco evening, writes our Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

The youngsters were celebrating another exciting season’s racing, and whilst they mainly race at the Cowdenbeath Racewall and at the Crimond Raceway, the Scottish drivers frequently make raids south of the border and over to Northern Ireland, with great success.

Their cars are miniature Formula 2 cars, powered by a small petrol engine, with the drivers aged between seven and 11 years of age.

Don’t for one moment think that the drivers just tootle around the track at walking pace – anything but, and once they get a bit of confidence built up, they are fearless!

Whilst their racing is of the non-contact variety, incidents do happen and there have been a few rollovers leaving the drivers giving the thumbs-up when they get out of their cars. However, come the next race they are quite often back in action.

Once they reach the retirement of 11, they normally go straight into the ORCi Ministox, where the likes of Bobby Brandon, Caitlin Mitchell, Ben McLellan and Aiden Davidson, to name but a few, are making a name for themselves.

Amongst the new faces at the start of the 2023 season were Harry Yule, Amy Youngson, Ryan McGregor and Iona Sibbald. On the debit side, amongst those who had retired included Mia Cross, but their places will be filled by the likes of Jaxson Watters, Mya Middler, Robbie Dawson Jnr.

Central Fife Times: The Micro F2s at the Racewall.The Micro F2s at the Racewall. (Image: Contributed)

Oakley Grief won both the Scottish and Highland Cup Championships, whilst Elliott Royal won the Turner Trophy.

The Micro F2 drivers turned out in force for their awards night, with the trophies being presented by Formula II driver, Lewis Burgoyne, with the winner of the Crimond Track Shop Award being Lana Middler, andthe Cowdenbeath version going to newcomer Harry Yule.

Rhys Walker won the Most Improved Driver Award, Elliott Royal the Carry on Regardless Award and Ryan McGregor the Perseverance Award, and The Ramsay Recognition of Determination Award was won by Evie McLellan.

Oakley Grief won the Award for the Most Memorable Meeting whilst Iona Sibbald was the Newcomer of the Year. There were other awards going to Bobbie Smith for the Hardest Trier for a Tyre, an Achievement Award going to Lana Middler and Recognition Awards to newcomers Cody Millar, Jack Lilley and Mason Cooper.

Winning the Promoters’ Driver of the Year awards were Ashton Smith, for Crimond, and Corey Mathers, for Cowdenbeath. The prestigious Driver’s Driver of the Year title went to Lana Middle.

Katie Borthwick was presented with goodies for all her work in conjunction with the race meeting and the awards night, with Kelly Cartmel also receiving an award.

After an excellent buffet, the disco got underway with the youngsters certainly showing some fancy movements on the dance floor!

Just recently GMP announced their fixture list for the 2024 season, and as usual there are some mouthwatering meetings announced, with not one but two World Finals on the calendar, one at the end of August and the other towards the end of September.

Pride of place will probably go to the Saloon World Final but the ORCi Stock Rod version won’t be that far behind, and who knows, both titles may well stay at home.

Before the season gets underway there are two practice sessions, the first on the last Sunday in February and the second the first Sunday in March, which allows the drivers time to get their cars sorted out – hopefully!

As usual the Formula II World Championship qualifying founds take place on consecutive days, with the first at Crimond Raceway on April 6, which was won last year by Robbie Dawson.

The following day it is down to the Racewall for what is the fifth in the series of qualifying rounds. Last year’s version was won by Gordon Moodie, who went on to win his fourth World Championship. This year the final is for the Jim Clark Trophy, which was won by Paul Reid last year.

Later on in the month, the 27th to be precise, the BBA Unlimited Banger drivers head to the Racewall for their World Cup event. Last year it was Mick Maskell Jnr who came out on top, but there were quite a few spectacular shunts along the way.

At this early stage there are quite a few drivers booked in to race with the 2022 champion, Stevo McGrath one of them. It is time that we had a Scottish winner, we have only had one since this event started in 1995, and that came in ‘97 when Hoagy Wallace came out on top

At the start to June the Unlimited Bangers are back with us, and their last race of the night will be a caravan race. For those who haven’t seen a caravan race before it is something to behold with caravans disintegrating, as the others either try to spin them or drive through them. Mind you it takes an age to clean up the track afterwards!

The following week Ross Watters will be defending his Scottish Championship. Last year Watters got an early break and literally ran away with the race – will it happen this year – I don’t think so!

The weekend of August 31 and September 1 will, without doubt, be the highlight of the season, when the Saloon drivers battle it out for their World Championship with Deane Mayes defending.

The last time that a Scottish driver won the ‘World’ was back in 2013, when Stuart Shevill Jnr’s car sported the gold roof. The Saturday meeting has the Formula II drivers racing for their Scottish Championship, where Gordon Moodie will be more than keen to retain his title. The following day the Saloon drivers have their Raymond Gunn tribute race to contest, whilst the Formula IIs have their Mac 100 Trophy final and the ORCi Ministox will contest their National Championship.

The following week Brian Youngson will be defending his 2 Litre Banger Scottish Championship and Martin Loggie, the Prostock Basic ‘Scottish’.

Towards the end of September there will be another “golden” opportunity for the fans, when the ORCi Stock Rod drivers contest their World Final. Last year the ‘World’ was at Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland, where local driver, Samuel Montgomery, came out on top. The Prostock drivers will be in action that night and they have their Scottish Championship up for grabs, with Robert Conway the defending champion.

The following day the Stock Rods will be racing for their Simon Laing Memorial Trophy, whilst the ORCi Ministox drivers have their East of Scotland Championship up for grabs

In mid-October the ORCi Stock Rod drivers have their Scottish Championship to decide, with the defending champion, Leon Stewart, more than keen to retain his title. They share the top billing with the Micro Bangers who have their Supreme Championships to decided.

The season ends with the usual two-day meeting where the saloon drivers race for the Superbowl championship, and the Formula IIs for their Champion of Champions and James Clark Cochrane Memorial trophies. The curtain to the season drops on the Sunday when the Formula IIs contest their Grand National Championship and the Saloons have their Gordon Barclay Memorial race.

Coupled to that the Micro F2 drivers will entertain whilst there are visits from the Heritage Formula IIs as well as four meetings for the Classic Hot Rods where one of their meetings will be the Best in Britain race. There are also numerous other trophy meetings, white/yellow challenge series finals and track points championships up for grabs.