Beautiful Sunday at Cowdenbeath Racewall

The latest of the closed door meetings turned out to be an exciting one with a couple of rollovers and no shortage of action.

Zak Gilmour chalked up a hat trick of wins in the saloons whilst Lee Burden, Ben McLellan and Charlie Hardie scored doubles in their respective formula.

In the saloons Alasdair Smith rolled his car within a quarter of a lap from the start whilst Micro F2 driver Ollie Sime was in a shunt and he too ended up rolling.

Smith was using his brother’s car but like Sime was back out later on. Sime had raced down at Skegness on Saturday night where he chalked up his first ever win.

After winning the Ministox final Andrew Scott was clipped as he was slowing down and that sent him across the track hard.

The saloon drivers had a practice session prior to their first race with a few drivers having their first taste of racing this year.

The Saloon numbers crept into double figures although Brandon Morton was a late call off. Local drivers in action were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) and Ross Watters (Kennoway).

The first heat had just started when Smith was edged wide on the top bend, and before you knew it his car rolled although landed on its wheels.

The grid reformed and white grader Kenneth Scollon led the field away but soon lost out to Zak Gilmour and he began to ease away from the field.

In the end Gilmour chalked up a comfortable win from Barry Glen and Irvine with Watters in fifth place.

Scollon again was the first to show but this time it took Gilmour quite a few laps before he hit the front.

Again he was chased to the line by B. Glen but was again clear with Holly Glen in third but as the cars slowed there was a brief fire at the back of Rutherford’s car which was quickly extinguished.

Watters ended up in fourth with Irvine having to settle for six spot.

When the final started Scollon led the field away but on the next lap lost out to Colin Savage and then Gilmour.

Scollon then had spin and although he restarted he was at the back of the field. Savage then lost out to Gilmour as B. Glen slowed to retire after clipping the wall.

Irvine and Watters were running in close order but making inroads through the field.

On lap eight Gilmour dived inside of Savage to lead with Rutherford third but Irvine was closing the gap.

Savage began to drop back with Ruther ford closing down the leader but in turn was being caught by Irvine.

With three laps remaining the first four cars were grouped together but on the last lap Rutherford was nudged wide by Irvine and before he could recover Irvine, Savage and Watters had sneaked through as Gilmour completed his hat trick of wins.

There was another healthy turn out of ORCi Stock Rods at the track including local drivers Stuart Wedderburn (Leven), Steve Gunby (Cupar), Liam McGill (Dysart), Sandy Allen (Methil), David Dignan (Leven) and Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy).

Heat one saw Neil Gilogley make the better of the starts and was soon edging away from his chasers.

Taylor Borthwick was next up but she had Lee Burden in close order although they were to swap places.

Bethune and Cammy Doak were running nose to tail and making up ground quickly but at the flag Gilogley won from Burden, Borthwick and Bethune with Wedderburn in tenth place.

The second heat was led off by Burden but he had Taylor and Gilogley in close order.

When Dignan and Doak tangled on the back straight the race was suspended with field lining up behind Burden. When the track cleared Burden made a good start and went on to win from Borthwick and Bethune who was almost alongside as they crossed the line with Gunby in eighth and ahead of Allen and Wedderburn.

When the final started Borthwick made the better of the starts to lead from Burden but Bethune was soon sidelined when he stripped second gear.

Borthwick and Burden had a clear lead over the field with the latter trying everything he knew to get ahead.

Sandy Allen was sitting n third but Doak and James Gray were beginning to pick up places and were running in close order.

On lap five Burden managed to get inside of Borthwick to take the lead but was unable to pull away.

With four laps remaining Doak had caught the leading duo and next time around was through into second. However Burden held on to make it a double success as he won from Doak, Borthwick and Allen with Wedderburn again in tenth.

In the Allcomers race Burden was clipped and spun but Borthwick led the race from start to finish and led home Doak and Gray with Allen in sixth place.

The Ministox drivers were in top form where there was a lot of close and exciting racing throughout the field. Local drivers in action were Rian Mitchell (Lochgelly) and Scott Allardyce (Anstruther),

Their first heat was led off by saw Jay Paterson retire almost as soon as the race began with Freya Lovett being first away from the line but Scott Smith took over the lead on lap two.

Mitchell led from lap six to nine when he lost out to Charlie Hardie who went through to win from Mitchell, Ryan Borthwick and Allardyce.

Hannah Borthwick was the first to show when heat two started and by the end of the lap she had a decent lead.

Behind her the drivers were jostling for position and towards the end of the race Lewis Clark Burgoyne had caught Andrew Scott to claim second.

The gap to the leader began to dwindle and when H. Borthwick was delayed when lapping a back marker Burgoyne hit the front.

The last couple of laps proved to be hectic with Burgoyne being pushed wide and clipped the wall as Mitchell went through to win from Hardie and Burgoyne with Allardyce in fifth.

When the final started H. Borthwick was again the first to show but within a couple of laps Scott had forced his way into the lead.

Max Walker held second for a while but then lost out to Mitchell whilst R. Borthwick was leading a group of star drivers as they fought to make up ground.

As the laps dwindled Mitchell’s second spot came under pressure as R. Borthwick and the group he was leading caught up.

However R. Borthwick was sent into a spin as the field streamed through. Scott went on to win from Hardie, Allardyce and Mitchell but as the Scott slowed to move into the victory lane he was clipped sending his car crashing into the wall before bouncing back across the track.

Hardie then went on to win the Allcomers race where he led home Mitchell, R. Borthwick and Allardyce

The Micro F2 drivers were in good form and despite their tender age served up a lot of close and exciting races.

The field was split into groups and the local driver was Connor St Aubyn (Glenrothes).

The first race saw St Aubyn have to fend off a race long challenge from Ollie Sime before winning with Taylor Rigby in third place.

Ben McLellan led heat two for a good part of the race only to lose put to Cole Ramsay during the closing stages and had to settle for the runners up spot with Oliver Heron in third.

A full field of cars appeared for heat three with Mia Cross leading the field away before McLellan took over at the front of the field.

The leading group of cars came to lap back marker with half taking the inside line and the others the outside.

Cars touched and the result was that the Sime car rolled and a couple of cars ending up in the wall. The race was suspended with David Philp taking the lead only to be passed by Luca Hogdson who went through to win from Philp and Mason Howe.

Race four was for all cars with Sime appearing with a patched up wing and whilst Billie Summer Glen led initially McLellan went on to win from Heron and Philp with St.Aubyn fifth.

The Micro drivers last race of the night was led for a good part of the time by Glen but towards the end she lost out and McLellan went on to win from Hogdson and Howe but St.Aubyn had to retire.

The format for next week’s closed door session is under discussion but keep an eye on the Racewall website for more news.