ANOTHER meeting, another great night's racing here at Lochgelly Raceway, said our correspondent Kevin McQueen.

It was a warm dry night and Brian Wilson was on fire in his 2.0 Hot Rod as he raced to a hat trick of race victories across the evening.

With a few drivers missing due to being on holiday, there was an opportunity for good points scoring for a number of drivers.

National Points Champion William Hardie was out in the Kevin Stewart car and put it to good use. The opening race saw Brian Wilson streak clear ahead of the pack with newcomer to the formula, Derek Duff, showing some good speed in the car.

Ryan Mackie had an evening to forget with his car clattering against the safety barrier in the opening race, bringing his night to a shattering halt. Jim Pitcaithly, William Hardie and Gerry Hendry had an excellent three way battle throughout the opening heat with the cars racing side by side for much of the race before Hardie found a gap up the inside of Pitcaithly to leave Pitcaithly and Hendry battling behind him.

Brian Wilson took the race win ahead of Derek Duff and Jock Campbell. Heat 2 seen Hardie get a better start and quickly got ahead of the red grade drivers, enabling him to put a chase on to the cars in front of him. Jock put up a good fight to keep Hardie at bay for a number of laps, playing into the hands of the flying yellow grade driver, Brian Wilson who opened up a substantial lead that was never going to be reeled in. Wilson took the race win ahead of Hardie and Campbell.

The meeting final saw Brian Wilson start on pole positions with Jock Campbell alongside him, Hardie and Pitcaithly behind them. Wilson got away well with Hardie managing to get up the inside of Campbell into turn 1, forcing Campbell out wide and enabling a number of cars behind to take advantage over the coming laps as well. Points champion William Hardie was right up with Brian Wilson in the first few laps and tried to use his experience to get in front, however, Wilson who was trying his best not to look in his rear mirror, held a solid line and didn’t make any unforced errors to keep Hardie at bay for the duration of the race. Gerry Hendry came home in third position.

The ProStocks seen a reasonable turnout of cars, which also seen former 1300 Stock Car driver Callum Barclay make an appearance. There was a number of quick lower grade drivers in action that proved difficult to catch throughout the night – Lee Kopacz took the win in the opening 2 races before David Linton took the meeting final. Paul Barron tried his best to chase down the lead cars and was up into second place with only a few laps to go. John Jackson had only rejoined the track as he recovered from an earlier spin out, in front of the oncoming Paul Barron. Barron chose to go to the outside of Jackson to try and pass him but came back in behind him the next lap before pushing Jackson out wide and into a spin, however the spinning Jackson car blocked the path of Barron, costing him a chance to catch the leader, as well as 2nd place as Lee Kopacz took full advantage. David Linton won the meeting final ahead of Kopacz before Paul Barron recovered to finish in 3rd position.

There was a healthy turn out of 1300 Stock Cars with some great racing throughout the night. Zak Gilmour was in no mood for messing around, he wasted no time in latching onto the rear bumper of the cars in front and pushing them out wide – this was the case throughout the night as Zak raced to a couple of wins.

As the green flag dropped again Martin McCafferty led a chain of cars including, Craig Haxton, Eddie Corr, Sean Naismith and Gilmour, Naismith got away poorly and was caught on the outside, but the bumpers flew in with those around, Haxton was onto McCafferty, Corr was onto Haxton and Gilmour was launching over the kerb into Corr with Danny Whyte just behind as well. Gilmour got the gap up the inside and chased after the leading pair of Stewart Aitken and Patrick Calderwood as the pack battled behind for the lower places. Craig Haxton, Danny Whyte, Eddie Corr and Sean Naismith exchanged blows and the positions changed on a lap by lap basis before the end of the race. Aitken held onto take the race win ahead of Calderwood and Gilmour. The 2nd race saw Sean Naismith get away quickly, as he put the bumper in on the opening lap to force Aitken and McCafferty out wide and then tangling down the straight, this allowed the red graded drivers behind to catch them as well, with Eddie Corr being the first on the scene. Stuart Farrell was pushed out wide as Corr and Haxton battled there way through. Gilmour got away slowly in this race but had a good battle with Martin McCafferty and Stuart Farrell as he battled his way through the field before catching and passing Craig Haxton as well. Sean Naismith crossed the line first ahead of Stewart Aitken and Patrick Calderwood, but all three fell foul of the post race checks which seen Zak Gilmour inherit the race win. The meeting final started with a closed grid final, with sponsorship put up by WMH Developments. The bumpers were in from the get go and Stewart Aitken was on the receiving end before retiring from the race with his throttle jammed open. Gilmour was in fine form with the bumper as he pushed his way to the front, despatching Sean Naismith midway through the race to take the lead with Aitken retiring around the same time. Gilmour held onto take the race win with Naismith 2nd and Corr 3rd.

The CC Rods were in action and numbers are beginning to pick up nicely in them as well with the best turnout of the season. Lee Wotherspoon was in top form and looked lightening quick as the night went on after making a few adjustments to the car. Shane Allen won the opening race after an excellent battle with Ian Hotchkies. Lee Wotherspoon won heat 2, with Hotchkies 2nd and the much improved Brandon Gourlay in 3rd. The meeting final was sponsored by Colin Wotherspoon Joinery, a race that was won by Lee Wotherspoon again, with Ian Donaldson and Ian Hotchkies completing the top three.

The Ninja Karts were in for some Easter delights with each of the top three in each race being presented with an Easter Egg! The racing started the race with the whites and yellows race. A great battle for the lead saw Jack Baird, Declan Dixon and Kaitlyn Smart race within a kart's length of each other for the duration of the race, with the race finishing in the same order, with Dougie Kidd just behind.

The 2nd race of the evening for the youngsters seen race winner Jack Baird tangle with Jack Connor in the opening laps causing a retirement. It was a great night for the lower graded drivers, as the top three in this race were all white or yellow graded drivers – Kayden Connor, Candice Smart and Dougie Kidd completed the top three. The third race of the evening for the Ninja Karts saw the previous race winner Kayden Connor tangle with Leeland Dearn and Declan Dixon on the first lap. Recently crowned National Champion Bailey brought his kart home first. The fourth and final race of the evening for the Ninja Karts saw a spectacular rollover for Bailey in the closing stages of the race as he battled with a number of karts for the midfield positions. Kaden Connor was declared the race winner ahead of Rachel Kidd and Lochgelly based Lewis Dickson.

We are back in action on Saturday 27th April with the Stock Rods, Superstox, Junior Productions, CC Rods and ProStocks all in action – ensure you join us then for just £10 per adult.