IT turned out to be a busy night’s racing at the GMP Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday evening with the fans being treated to a meeting which included plenty of action, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

The weather was dry, the track was fast, resulting in plenty of close and exciting racing.

The ministox drivers were in top form and stole the show but Gary Paterson gave everyone a fright when he rolled his car entering the back straight.

The yellow flags had just appeared and he had been dicing with Taylor Borthwick, contact was made and as a result Gary barrel rolled his car. After a bit of time he clambered out of his car shaken but unhurt.

Claire Ryan was sent crashing into the wall with her prostock basics car and later Scott Rankin’s car was wrecked when he was hit in the back by Tiffany Barron on the main straight. Raymond Dick’s time in the saloons proved to be brief when he was sent clattering into the pit bend wall and had to retire.

Amongst the formula II drivers was Les Smart who had travelled up from Gateshead and he was joined on the grid by local drivers Kieran Howie (Dunfermline) and Paul Reid (Cowdenbeath).

The opening heat saw Craig Wallace go through to win from Garry Sime and Howie with Reid in seventh place. In heat two Wallace chalked up his second win of the night and again he led home Sime and Howie, but Reid had to retire with a mechanical problem.

When the final started Smart led Colin Forbes away and within a couple of laps Holly Glen made it a three car dice for the lead. However, Howie soon joined them and he quickly worked his way through and into the lead. Sime was going well and leading the red grade drivers chase through the field but soon had Wallace looming closer in his mirror. Sime dived inside of Howie to take the lead but now had Wallace in close order. As the laps dwindled Wallace took the lead before going on to make it three wins in a row leading home Sime and Howie with Reid in sixth place.

Missing from the 2 litre National saloons was Ian McLaughlin, whose wife had given birth to twins. Local drivers in action were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven) and Raymond Dick (Cowdenbeath).

Dick’s experience was short lived and he was sent crashing into the pit bend wall and out of the meeting. David Hughes got the better of Ross Graham early on before going through to win from Graham with Watters in third and just ahead of Irvine.

There was a shunt at the start to heat two which hindered Watters, Irvine and Graeme Anderson although they all restarted at the tail of the field. Again Hughes got the better of Graham to go through to win from Graham and James Letford with Watters in seventh and Irvine eighth.

When the final started Tam Rutherford Jnr led Ross Forrest away with Graham leading Hughes and closing in on the leaders. Forrest was shoved wide and bounced off the wall whilst Luke Grief slowed and retired.

Graham moved into the lead but had Hughes on his back bumper and the lead was to change hands just as Grief re-started. Graham closed right up onto the tail of Hughes but he now had Grief on his back bumper. Going into the turnstile bend Grief made contact to send them both crashing into the wall. Graham spun but Hughes carried on but only for another laps before he had to retire. This handed the lead to Watters who went on to win from Irvine and Letford.

Barry Scott was having his ministox debut whilst there were quite a few drivers down from Crimond. Local drivers in action included Gary Paterson (Saline), Danny Whyte (Lochgelly), Ben Creanor (Dunfermline), Scott Allerdyce (Anstruther) and Jamie Stewart (Glenrothes).

Heat one saw Taylor Borthwick just get the better of Paterson on the run up to the finish line. However, whether Paterson could have gained revenge in heat two will forever be in doubt after he rolled his car. Borthwick then went through for her second win where she led home Declan Honeyman and David Sinclair with Allerdyce in eighth place.

Creanor led Allerdyce away at the start to the final but when Tamzin Gordon was shunted heavily into the wall the race was suspended. When the race restarted Jamie Stewart led the cars away but he had Charlie Folan and Borthwick in close order. Folan dived inside to take the lead with Borthwick following through into second and next time around she had dived under Folan to lead. Stewart got back into second but as the laps dwindled Folan re-took second spot. However, Borthwick was clear and she went on to win from Folan and Stewart.

Again the prostock basic cars turned up in their numbers with new faces Paddy Slater and Craig Oliver joining the ranks. Local drivers in action included Megan Wilson (Comrie), Tiffany Barron (Cowdenbeath), Amanda Moyes (Cowdenbeath), Jordan Dignan (Leven) and Conner Jones (Glenrothes)

Heat one saw Dougie Ford go through to win from Robert Grant and Jones with Barron sixth, Dignan seventh and Moyes in ninth place. Heat two ended with Grant coming out on top and he led home Ian Sutherland, Barron and Dignan.

Oliver went straight into the lead when the final started but a three car shunt ended with Scott Rankin’s car having the back end wrecked. Although Oliver led the field away within a couple of laps Ford was through into the lead. Dignan was shunted into the wall and then a couple of laps later Grant did likewise. Ford was by now well clear and he went through to win from Oliver and Ian Sutherland.

There was a smaller than usual field of microf2s which included local driver Rebecca Reid (Cowdenbeath).

Kyle Rogerson went through to win the opening heat from Ross McLaughlin and Reid. Heat two saw Callan Walker get the better of his dice with Rogerson to win whilst McLaughlin was third and Reid was in seventh place. In an all action final C. Walker picked up his second win of the night when he led home David Philp Jnr and McLaughlin with Reid finishing in fourth place.

There weren’t too many banger drivers around with David Linton winning the opening heat from Marc Dalgarno and Stevie Allan. David Linton again got the better of the exchanges to win heat two where he led home Darren Linton. The final ended with Darren Linton leading home Dalgarno and David Linton.

There is no racing at the Racewall this Saturday with Gordon Moodie, Craig Wallace, Robbie Dawson and Euan Millar down at King’s Lynn for the formula II World Final and we wish them well.

The next meeting at the Racewall is on the 16th September but there will be more details of that next week.

*Moodie was down at King’s Lynn on Saturday night where he picked up a second place in the opening heat and then was the runner up in the final. He rounded off the meeting with a second spot in the Grand National which is hopefully a good omen for next weekend's World Championship.