THE first competitive action since March, albeit behind closed doors, took place at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday but I don’t think that anyone told either the Micro F2 or Ministox drivers, writes our Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

The format was set as a race format and as a result the youngsters were in great form.

Despite the Micro F2 drivers being between seven and 11 years there was a lot of close and fast racing and it was a similar story with the Ministox drivers.

Ministox driver, Max Walker, had his car squeezed up against the wall and almost rolled it whilst Koddi Wright crashed heavily into the wall when a wheel parted company with his car.

Zara Hutchinson and Bobby Brandon were involved in a shunt whilst Hannah Borthwick was sent spinning at the start of one of the races.

In the Micro F2s there was a lot of close racing but Owen Marshall and Aiden Davidson ran for a good few laps with the Davidson car hooked on the back bumper of Marshall’s car whilst later Rhys Anderson and Ollie Sime suffered the same fate.

Cruz Strachan and Lana Middler were making their racing debuts whilst both Middler and Connor St. Aubyn both suffered from steering issues in races and had to retire.

Connor St Aubyn and Lennon Cuthill, from Glenrothes, were amongst the Micro F2s in action.

The racing got off to a good start when half of the Micro F2 drivers appeared with Mia Cross leading the cars away from Charlee Stewart but next time around Cole Ramsay had burst through into the lead and began to build up a gap. St. Aubyn closed in on Cross and then moved into second place a couple of laps later. In the end Ramsay went on to record an easy win from St. Aubyn, with Cross in third spot.

Race two saw the remainder of the Micro F2 drivers take to the oval with Ben McLellan leading the field away from Rhys Anderson and Charlie Burgoyne. Within a couple of laps Burgoyne had forced his way through into the lead and whilst McLellan was still second David Philp Jnr Jnr was closing them down.

Philp Jnr Jnr did move into second, but McLellan now had six other drivers looking to take third. In the end Burgoyne had a comfortable win over Philp Jnr Jn,r with Anderson just grabbing third from McLellan on the penultimate lap and Cuthill in seventh place.

The Micro F2s third heat saw all cars on track and whilst Cross made an early break from Stewart, they were both soon caught and passed by Ramsay and St. Aubyn.

Ramsay eased away whilst Burgoyne and Philp Jnr Jnr were beginning to make their presences felt. Burgoyne moved into second but then dropped to third as Philp Jnr Jnr moved around him. However, although the gap between the first two decreased Ramsay held on to pick up his second win of the afternoon where he led home Philp Jnr Jnr and Burgoyne with Cuthill in ninth place.

Ramsay made it three out of three in the fourth race of the afternoon ahead of St. Aubyn, Davidson and Cuthill.

The next Micro F2 race was for newcomers and after a slow start Taylor Rigby dominated the race going through for an easy win over Cruz Strachan and Caitlin Mitchell.

Stewart led the cars away when the final started but by mid-way through the opening lap, Cross took over at the front.

Ramsay soon made his way into the lead but when St. Aubyn’s car ground to a halt with broken steering the cars were brought to a temporary halt. On the restart Cross got ahead of Ramsay and she led for a couple of laps until Ramsay forced his way through into the lead. On the last lap Philp Jnr Jnr sneaked through to win from Burgoyne and McLellan, Ramsay originally crossing the line in second place but being docked two places for the earlier contact on Cross, with Cuthill in fourth spot.

Philp Jnr Jnr went on to win the Allcomers race from Ramsay, Burgoyne and St Aubyn, to end an exciting afternoon’s racing from the youngsters.

The other formula in action was the Ministox and their drivers are aged between eleven and sixteen. Koddi Wright was using the ex-Mitch Gold car whilst Jamie Dawson, the Crimond track points champion, was starting at the rear of the field.

Amongst those new to the Ministox this year are Bobby Brandon and Zara Hutchinson, both having graduated from the Micro F2s. Kyle Rogerson was having his first race whilst Scott Smith, although a yellow graded driver, was having his run at the Racewall.

Local drivers on the grid were Koddi Wright (Lochgelly), Rian Mitchell (Kirkcaldy) and Jay Paterson (Saline)

The opening race was for White and Yellow graded drivers only with no fewer than ten cars making it onto the track. From the standing start Wright was the first to show from Rogerson and Sam Cavanagh but before the drivers could get into their rhythm the race was suspended after Andrew Scott was spun as the cars bunched up Walker's car was squeezed up the wall before being stranded across the track.

Wright led on the restart from Rogerson but a few laps later the latter dropped back after bouncing off the wall. There was another stoppage when Wright’s car shed a wheel and he crashed heavily into the wall.

This elevated Ethan Doull into the lead and when the race restarted he eased away before going through to win from Cavanagh and Rogerson.

The first Ministox race with a full field brought most of the field onto the grid, although a couple of those in the wars in the Whites and Yellows race failed to start.

Hutchinson was first to show but next time around Rogerson was ahead although under pressure from Scott who led for a couple of laps, before Cavanagh hit the front. He was running just ahead of Doull and a lap later they swapped places.

Smith spun whilst Cavanagh retired after a trip to the wall, but up from Doull was clear as Robbie Armit moved into second although he had Charlie Hardie in close order. There were no further changes as Doull went through to win his second race of the afternoon whilst Paterson was tenth.

The second Ministox race of the afternoon was a cracker with Scott making the better of the starts to lead from Cavanagh and Doull whilst Lewis Clark Burgoyne was running ahead of Jay Paterson, although they were catching the leader they in turn were being caught by Armit and Hardie. Rogerson was spun but then the race was suspended after the leader Scott was sent wide and bounced off the wall before stopping on the back straight.

The field lined up behind Cavanagh but on the restart he was shunted wide as Doull moved to the front of the pack. Doull was denied his third victory in a row as Burgoyne moved through into the lead but again there was another stoppage.

This time it was Burgoyne who had the pack on his back bumper and although he led for a couple of laps he was edged wide and that allowed Armit into the lead. However going into the pit bend on the penultimate lap Hardie nudged the leader wide and although he went on to cross the line first he was docked two places for jumping the start, handing the win to Armit from Burgoyne, the penalised Hardie and Paterson with Mitchell seventh.

Their final was every bit as exciting as heat two and was suspended almost as soon as it had started with the initial leader Hannah Borthwick being sent spinning.

Rogerson led but within a few laps Burgoyne was leading from Paterson, Hardie and Armit. Hardie made light work getting into the lead but he had Armit in close order with Burgoyne and Paterson dicing for third. Armit managed to get very close on the last lap but Hardie held on to win from Armit and Paterson with Mitchell again finishing in seventh.

Hardie then made it a hat trick of wins when he won the Allcomers race from Armit and Paterson with Mitchell sixth.

This weekend the ORCi Stock Rods and Prostock Basic drivers are scheduled to fill the bill in another behind closed doors session but are reminded that they must book in and to check the web site.