JUST recently BriSCA formula II announced major changes to the construction of the formula II cars which has been received Nationally with mixed receptions, writes our Racewall scribe Jim Turner.

The changes cover the year 2018 and then there are other changes to be brought in at the end of the following year. The various changes were discussed locally by the Racewall drivers and whilst some were accepted there were quite a few where alternatives were offered and these will be forwarded to the BriSCA hierarchy for comment.

Dave Borthwick, on behalf of the promotion, said: “As far as GMP is concerned that the changes will apply and that the drivers are only hurting themselves.

"The boycott is not a National one and GMP feel personally hurt at the drivers' decision as they (GMP) have always tried to help the drivers as much as possible”.

The main race of the night was the 2 Litre National Saloon Scottish Championship and the grid was made up by drivers who had qualified for the meeting which included Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven) and Eck Cunningham (Leven).

Cunningham and Irvine shared the front row with Ian McLaughlin on row 3, Luke Grief and Watters on row 4, whilst the defending champion, Paul Honeyman, was on the last row of the grid.

Irvine made the better of the starts to lead Cunningham into the first bend.

Irvine was easing away from Cunningham but Grief was making up ground quickly forcing his way ahead of Ross Graham. Rutherford Jnr spun and restarted whilst Grief moved into second place and then closed down Irvine. A couple of laps later Irvine was forced wide as Grief moved into the lead whilst McLaughlin was running in close order with Watters and Graham. Kevin Letford was pushed wide but up front Grief was pulling away. The gap between Irvine and McLaughlin, who still hadn’t shaken off Watters, was closing quickly whilst Rutherford Jnr was clipped and bounced off a marker tyre. James Letford bounced off the wall on the turnstile bend as McLaughlin sent Irvine wide to grab second spot.

However, by then Grief was well clear and took the chequer to become the 2017 Scottish Champion.

However, the dreaded post race scrutineering came into play for the second year running with the first two cars home falling foul of the weighing limits thus promoting Irvine to first and the Scottish Champion from Watters and Graham.

In the Allcomers heats the first saw Grief go through to win from McLaughlin and Irvine with Watters retiring with a mechanical problem. However, in Allcomers 2, Grief was sent wide by Paul Honeyman on the last bend as he went on to win from Irvine and a recovering Grief.

The National Hot Rods were contesting another World Championship qualifying round with Ian Donaldson Jnr making his debut at the Racewall.

Robert McDonald went on to win the opening race from Graeme Callender and Ian Donaldson but at the close of the race Ross McWilliam spun and was promptly collected by Donaldson Jnr. McDonald made it two in succession when he went through to win heat two from Donaldson and Jim Cowie.

McDonald started from pole in the final and went straight into the lead from Donaldson and they soon eased away from the field.

Most of the action came during the closing laps when Ian McGuigan got ahead of Roy Anderson and then on the last bend Callender managed to dive inside to claim fourth but by then McDonald had picked up an easy win over Donaldson in the Dechmont Forklift Truck sponsored final.

There was another good turn out of minis for their East of Scotland Championship including local drivers Gary Paterson (Saline), Danny Whyte (Lochgelly), Jamie Stewart (Glenrothes) and Michael Mitchell (Lochgelly)

The drawn grid paired Luke McCallum and Steven Burgoyne on the front row, Mitchell on row 2, Sean Naismith and Paterson row five, with Whyte on row seven and Stewart on row 8.

Burgoyne went straight into the lead when the final started with Mitchell in second and Charlie Folan on his back bumper and they ran in this formation for lap after lap. Naismith was making up ground but so too was Teri Linden, who started from the rear of the grid appearing in eighth place. When Mitchell lost a wheel and Burgoyne clashed with a back marker and spun the race had to be suspended. On the restart Folan led but then lost out to Naismith but they then squabbled over the lead.

Folan was looking to get back into the lead and this he did with only a lap to run. Linden moved into third but on the last bend Folan was shunted wide which allowed Naismith to sneak through to win but only just from Folan with Linden in third and Whyte fourth.

In their first Allcomers race Burgoyne went on to win from Naismith and Whyte. The second Allcomers heat saw Burgoyne again get the better of Naismith to win with Folan in third spot just clear of Whyte with Stewart in sixth place.

There were only four formula II drivers at the track where Colin Stewart won the white/yellow challenge final from Brian Hogg Jnr and Les Smart.

Hogg Jnr then won heat one from Robbie Dawson and Stewart whilst Dawson won heat two from Hogg Jnr and Stewart. Dawson then won the final where he led home Hogg Jnr and Smart.

The microf2 drivers again turned up in their numbers although in heat 1, when it was greasy, the youngsters struggled a bit on the wet surface. Amongst those in action were Rebecca Reid (Cowdenbeath) and Connor Staubyn (Glenrothes) with their races being sponsored by Apex Garden Buildings with each driver receiving a memento at the end of the meeting.

The first heat saw Ross McLaughlin go through to win from Lewis Walker and Mark Arthur. The second race was suspended after a couple of cars touched and spun but on the restart Walker went on to win from Reid and Sam Critchley.

The third heat saw David Philp Jnr go straight into the lead and whilst he built up a useful lead as the race progressed the lead began to dwindle. On the last lap Todd Anderson, Callan Walker and Reid had caught up with him but Philp Jnr held his line and as the cars crossed the finish line he was just ahead with Anderson looking for a way through and Walker and Reid jockeying for position.

This Saturday the formula II drivers contesting the National Series are heading to the Racewall where there is sure to be plenty of hard racing.

It was a weekend of shale racing for the drivers and at Stoke on Saturday night Gordon Moodie closed the gap on the leader David Polley to nine points. Neither driver enjoyed much luck at Belle Vue where Moodie ended up one point better off than Polley.

The 2 Litre National saloon drivers have their white/yellow series final to decide and if Ian McLaughlin can outscore Ross Watters in the meeting then he could well seal the track point’s championship. The meeting starts at 6.00pm as usual.