DESPITE their tender years there was some superlative racing from the youngsters in the Ministox and Microf2 categories at the Cowdenbeath Racewall in 2017, recalls our Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

Some of the control and thought put into their racing was more akin to adults than youngsters.

However, the minis, open to drivers between the ages of 11 and 16, has been one of the more entertaining ones this year with the drivers producing close and exciting racing.

Top driver at the Racewall was Steven Burgoyne (Airth) who went on to retain his track points championship. Burgoyne also won the ORCI Championship and the Civic Week Championship, but was one of the drivers who had to retire from the minis at the end of the season.

Other Racewall drivers who reached the ripe old age of 16 and had to hang up their goggles were Teri Linden (Airdrie) and Charlie Folan (Perth).

New faces at the start to the season were Hannah Borthwick (Armadale) and Declan Honeyman (South Alloa ) whilst later in the season Samantha Rogers on (Drem), Brandon Morton ( Falkirk), Barry Scott (Lenzie) and Ethan Crossan (Rutherglen) brought out their cars.

Morton had a spectacular rollover on the last day of the season with his car hitting a marker tyre, with some help from behind, before rolling and coming to rest on all four wheels against another marker tyre. Luckily Brandon stepped out a bit shaken, but alright.

Mind you he wasn’t the only one to roll and amongst those who did were Gary Paterson (Saline), Ryan Borthwick (Armadale) and Luke McCallum (Carlisle). No sooner had the Borthwick car crashed down onto its wheels than Ryan clamber out onto his roof to receive the plaudits from the fans.

There were frequent visitors from south of the border to swell the ranks but they had to fight hard to get into the top five.

The season started off with Burgoyne on a roll and he went nine races without defeat but when it did it was Mika Millar (Gorebridge) who did so. However, Burgoyne bounced back with two wins leading home David Shearing (Essex).

Whilst Ryan Borthwick had won the first of the white/yellow challenge heats it was Declan Honeyman who won the second and on May 15 there were wins for Gary Paterson (Saline), Honeyman and Burgoyne.

The Keir Millar Memorial trophy was run down at Barford with Burgoyne coming out on top but he also received a week’s ban for an infringement which meant that he would miss the Civic Week Trophy.

The Civic Week meeting saw Honeyman in top form although he had to accept the runners-up spot in the heats behind Michael Mitchell (Kirkcaldy) and Sam Carter (Weston Super Mare)

However, the final saw Honeyman in determined form and he moved ahead early on but towards the end of the race came under pressure from Sean Naismith (Stepps). The gap between the two closed dramatically until they were nose to tail. On the run up to the line Naismith made contact but only succeeded in spinning Honeyman across the line with he fans out of their seats shouting for their favourite! Honeyman was adjudged to be the winner with Naismith in the runners-up spot and Millar third.

Honeyman continued his good form and as a result moved up to the star grade.

Linden went on to win the Turner Trophy whilst Taylor Borthwick (Armadale) dropped to the blue grade and then had a clean sweep winning all three races. In one of the heats Paterson had been enjoying a good dice with Taylor but just after he got back into the lead contact was made and he rolled his car exiting the turnstile bend with his car coming back down onto all four wheels!

The East of Scotland Championship saw Naismith going through to win.

The final ministox outing of the season was another well attended outing. However, it turned out to be another Scottish affair with Naismith and Burgoyne the heat winners. Folan capitalised on the heat winners clashing not long after the final started to go through and win the Disco Trophy on what was to be his last outing at the Racewall in a mini.

All told Burgoyne won 20 races, Naismith and Honeyman 5 each, T Borthwick 4, Linden 2 and Millar, Mitchell, Carter, Logan Bruce (Brechin), Paterson, Danny Whyte (Lochgelly) and Folan one win each.

The Microf2 drivers, for youngsters aged between 7 and 11, turned up in their numbers and produced some exciting racing. Whilst this formula is a non contact one, there was the odd occasion where resulting in some hair raising moments. The microf2 formula is an excellent way to introduce youngsters into the sport.

David Philp Jnr (East Calder) managed to roll his car on a couple of occasions with Jack Morrow coming all the way from Northern Ireland just to roll his car. There were always a healthy number of visitors from south of the border and after each race the smiles on the youngsters said it all!

However, they are usually still smiling as they explain to their parents just what happened! The parents on the other hand can be nervous wrecks as they watch the exploits of their kids!

There are a few who retired throughout the year with Leon Muir (Thornton), Billie Dawson (Aberdeen), Lewis Clark Burgoyne (Airth) and Rebecca Reid (Cowdenbeath) outgrew the formula and there are a couple who are heading straight into the minis.

There are quite a few sons or daughters either in or have just retired that are either sons or daughters of well know stock car drivers and you just have to look at the names such as Burgoyne, Philp, McLaughlin, Anderson and Reid to see just how much stock cars is a family sport.

Kara Russell (Kirriemuir) won the Turner Trophy but the quickest of the youngsters were Jamie Dawson (Aberdeen) and Clark Burgoyne (Airth) and they certainly knew how to pick their way through crowded fields of cars.

Towards the end of the season Philp Jnr, Charlie Burgoyne (Airth) and Kyle Rogerson (Drem) all had victories under their belts and were slowly moving further back on the grids.

Ross McLaughlin (Bridge of Earn), Todd Anderson (Fraserburgh), Rhys Anderson (Brechin), Reid, Callan and Lewis Walker (Armadale) were either visiting the winners circle or in the top five on a regular basis.

There were always visitors from south of the border with Joelan Maynard (Stockport), Sam Critchley (Warrington), Archie and Aidan Grindey (Stoke on Trent) and James Owen (Hednesford) the most regular to appear. However, at the Superbowl meeting there are always quite a few drivers over from Northern Ireland and the last outing is always an exciting affair

There was always plenty of tracks hosting the microf2s and the drivers could be seen racing anywhere from Crimond in the North of Scotland, Barford in the North East of England and Taunton.

* At Birmingham on Saturday night formula II driver Luke Wrench (Crewe) retained his title, now the Gala Night Spectacular, which used to be the Shoot Out. Gordon Moodie (Windygates) was second in the consolation race before going through to win the final.