THE second-half of the stock car season resumed at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday night and whilst the weather was nothing to write home about the racing certainly was, writes Racewall scribe Jim Turner!

The feature race was the 2 Litre Saloon Scottish Championship and it turned out to be a race fitting the importance of a championship with last year’s winner Ian McLaughlin retaining his title.

However, things didn’t go all his way and after turning in the fastest lap in practice his engine just wouldn’t run and he had to change an engine between then and the race. He just made it onto the grid before the pit gate was closed.

The two Allcomers races that followed were every bit as good. Without doubt this was a great advert for Saloon racing with the fans now eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming World Final.

Dean McGill went on to win the Prostock European Championship not only beating the opposition but having to search for grip after the drizzle started.

Isla Chisholm had an eventful time of it in the Micro F2s finishing the first two of her races in second place and the third resting on a marker tyre!

The first of the Saloon races was the Scottish Championship with 20 cars having qualified for the race including local drivers Raymond Dick (Glenrothes), Ross Watters (Leven), Euan and Andrew Mathieson (Lochgelly) and Eck Cunningham (Leven). The grid was a public draw with Alisdair Smith on pole with Cunningham alongside whilst behind were McLaughlin and Holly Glen. Dick was on row 3, E. Mathieson and Barry Russell row 4, A. Mathieson row 7, Watters row 8 and Graeme Shevill on row 9.

The race had a dramatic start with Smith the leader but McLaughlin tried to sneak through on the inside only to be squeezed into a marker tyre, career across the track and as he spun bounced onto the bonnet of Watters, sending the latter out of the race. On the back straight Smith spun as Dick charged through into the lead, A. Mathieson and Tam Rutherford Jnr spun but with the Smith car sitting across the track the race was suspended. The cars lined up behind Dick and on the restart Dick led from Russell with Cunningham being spun on the pit bend. Next time around Marc Honeyman was ahead and easing away from the field.

Shevill moved into second whilst Paul Honeyman retired. Then the race was suspended after Cunningham’s car stopped against the wall on the back straight. Honeyman led Shevill away on the restart but already McLaughlin was now in seventh and closing. On lap fourteen Shevill sent the Honeyman car wide to take the lead with Barry Glen third and Graeme Anderson fourth. Rutherford Jnr ended up against the wall entering the main straight with the cars now beginning to slide after fluid had been dropped onto the track.

Shevill bounced off the pit bend wall as did Glen and in a flash McLaughlin was in second place with three laps remaining. As McLaughlin made his bid for the lead he got alongside Shevill and whilst he managed to force his way through Anderson dived through on the inside and into the lead. McLaughlin got alongside going down the straight with Shevill making a last ditch lunge to grab the lead but he only made contact with Anderson and it was McLaughlin who grabbed the win amid a typical Cowdenbeath roar with Shevill just getting to the line ahead of Anderson with only seven cars making it to the finish line.

McLaughlin clambered onto the cars roof to take the applaudits from the fans and then to the usual scenes of delight was presented with the Scottish Championship trophy.

The first of the Allcomers race saw Kenneth Scollon sending E. Mathieson crashing into the wall and when he got caught up with Holly Glen on the top bend they veered across the track sending A. Mathieson bouncing off a marker tyre. In the end Willie Mitchell won from Russell and Shevill.

The second of the Allcomers saw M. Honeyman and Russell fight it out with Honeyman doing most of the leading only for Russell to get ahead towards the end. When Honeyman made his bid for the lead Russell somehow managed to use his car to get around the pit bend to win from Shevill and P. Honeyman

The Prostock drivers were racing for their European Championship with the local drivers being Darren Rae (Lochgelly), Dean McGill (East Wemyss), Dean Abercrombie (Glenrothes), Graham Fleming (Kirkcaldy), Ian Christie (Kirkcaldy) and Ryan and Jack Cameron (Methil). Christie and Abercrombie shared the front row with Lee Kopacz and McGill on row 2 with R. Cameron on row 3, Rae on row four with J. Cameron and Fleming directly behind.

Christie led the field away but no sooner had he lost the lead to McGill than the race had to be suspended on lap three after J. Cameron spun and ended being collected by five cars and suspending the race.

On the restart McGill led from Christie but the track was now slippery after the drizzle had started and the drivers were searching for grip. McGill began to ease away from the field with Rae in second. Sean Devine began to make up ground and moved into third but by then McGill had a comfortable lead and he went through to become the European Champion from Rae and Devine with Christie in sixth place.

After that John Jackson took over winning Allcomers race one from Ryan Martin and Rae with McGill fifth and ahead of Abercrombie with Christie eighth and the second from Finlay Davidson and Martin with Christie fifth and ahead of McGill.

Despite some of the Ministox drivers being down south at the British Championship there was still a good turnout of drivers with Rian Mitchell (Kirkcaldy), Scott Allardyce (Anstruther) and Ciaran and Mirren Adams (Lochgelly) on the grid.

The opening heat was won by Mika Millar from Charlie Hardie, Mitchell and Allardyce. Heat two was dominated by Hardie who won from Kai Gilmour and Allardyce with Mitchell in seventh.

Lauren Ford was the initial leader when the final started but within a couple of laps Hardie had closed the gap before slipping through into the lead. As the race progressed Gilmour moved into second and then began to reel in the leader finally taking the lead during the closing stages as Hardie spun. Gilmour then won from Ryan Borthwick and Mitchell, the latter snatching third on the run up to the finish line.

There was a big turn out of Micro F2 drivers and despite the conditions the youngsters were in good form with some exciting racing. The youngsters were in good form despite the conditions. Local drivers were Connor St. Aubyn (Glenrothes) and Lennon Cuthill (Glenrothes)

The first heat saw Chris Davidson Jnr lead but was caught by David Philp Jnr but he ended up spinning and it was Mason Howe who went through to win from Isla Chisholm and Kyle Rogerson. Heat two saw Lennon Cuthill lead at the start but half way through Philp Jnr was ahead and whilst he was first home he was penalised for contact and it was Rogerson who won from Chisholm and Philp Jnr with Cuthill in sixth place.

The start to heat three was hectic with Chisholm getting caught with two other drivers and ended with the front of her car on one of the marker tyres. Bobby Brandon led the race for most of the time but lost out to Charlie Burgoyne who went on to win from Brandon and Philp Jnr with St. Aubyn tenth.

This Saturday the BriSCA Formula II drivers are back in action along with the Saloons, Stock Rods and Classic Hot Rods. The Stock Rod drivers are racing for their Turner Trophy with Liam McGill defending. The meeting starts at 6pm as usual.