COWDENBEATH Racewall is back open on Saturday with the Formula II and Saloon drivers, who are joined in the fray by the Prostock Basics and two-litre Banger drivers, writes our Racewall reporter Jim Turner.

There has been work carried out to eradicate the water problem on the back straight and that is completed and hopefully will be a success.

At the beginning of August there is a Crimond/Cowdenbeath double header for the Formula IIs with the Ben Fund and Ladies Race at Crimond on the Saturday whilst the following days there is the “Racing for a Spanner” charity race with the drivers’ mechanics taking over the driving duties.

Then there are the Turner Trophies for all the formulae as we head to the Saloon World Final.

Just a couple of weeks after the Saloon World weekend another looms, this time coming in the form of the ORCi Stock Rod version and again it is a two day affair. This year the race is being sponsored by McLay Minibus, from Armadale, and is on September 21.

Last season there was a controversial finish to the race at Nutts Corner, in Northern Ireland, when David Philp Jnr squeezed his way ahead of Samuel Montgomery to be first home. Philp Jnr had been earlier given the black cross for an earlier incident and was penalised two places as a result. This elevated Montgomery to the winner’s circle and he celebrated his success in front of his home crowd.

If Philp Jnr had won, he would have been the first driver in the history of the ORCi Stock Rods to have won the title three times in a row. Philp Jnr had experienced an exciting two seasons as World Champion, first winning the title at the Racewall before defending his title at St Day, in the south west of England.

At one time Philp Jnr, over his tenure as World Champion, had sported the European, British, Irish Open, Scottish and ORCi championship colours on the roof of his car. However, he announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the 2023 season after coming home as the runner-up in an exciting Scottish Championship Whilst most of the Stock Rods that are racing are Corsa’s, there are a few others types with a couple of Tigra’s racing. Stock Rods are a non-contact formula and strict rules apply about contact, which can get a driver penalised should he make contact whilst trying to do so.

The Stock Rod World was first introduced in 1984 and was won by Jeff Simpson, but for some reason wasn’t run the following year. In 1986 Jim Somerville became the first Scottish driver to win the title when it was run at Armadale.

The title was first staged at the Racewall in 1993, when Tick Steward went on to win and then returned in ’99 when Chris Lattka came out on top to record his second World title, having previously won the first of his five World wins in ’97 at Hednesford. Lattka then scored a double in 2005 and ‘06 to become the second driver to successfully defend the title. Alan Connelly had been the first to do so only a couple of years prior.

Since then, only Glen Bell and Philp Jnr have been able to defend their titles, whilst other Scottish drivers who have been world Champions are Lee McGill and Michael Bethune.

In 2022 Philp Jnr had a season to remember winning the World, British and European Championships in the same season and being the first driver to hold all three major titles in the same year.

The home drivers will be looking to keep the trophy at home and amongst those who are heading to be seeded drivers are the Scottish Champion Leon Stewart, UK Champion Michael Bethune, James Gray and Jamie Dawson, but there are quite a few drivers who could force their way into the seeds.

Expect Montgomery to be over to defend his title, along with the recently titled British Champion, William Donnell, and from the south west, Callum Hosie, James Horwell, Rhys Langdown, Justin Washer and Callum Hosie.

Just recently Donnell won the British Championship, at Nutts Corner, in Northern Ireland, with Dawson finishing as the runner-up.

As things stand it looks as if there is going to be a bumper turn out of cars for the ‘World’ and hopefully it will climax in an exciting race with plenty of dicing throughout the event, one befitting its billing.

The following day the main race for the Stock Rods is the Simon Laing Memorial Trophy race which will be defended by Michael Bethune, who will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins.

On the Saturday the Prostock drivers will contest their Scottish Championship, with the defending champion being Robert Conway.

The following day the ORCi Ministox are back and they have their East of Scotland Championship up for grabs. Not long after that the Formula II drivers will have their World Final to decide, down at Taunton on September 28 where Windygates’ Gordon Moodie will be hoping to double up on his success over at Nutts Corner in 2023. However, prior to that they will have semi-finals to run at Aldershot to decide the top twenty drivers who will be seeded onto the World Final grid.

With one Qualifying Round remaining it looks as if Moodie and Liam Rennie will share the front row of the semi-final two. Chris Burgoyne, George MacMillan Jnr and Lewis Burgoyne at this stage are in semi one, whilst Steven Burgoyne, Graeme Leckie, Jason McDonald, Craig Wallace and Ryan McGill will be joining Moodie and Rennie in semi two.

The Saloon drivers have a National Series Points round at the beginning of October, whilst the season will end with the usual two day affair where the Saloons will contest their Superbowl with Ryan Santry defending, and then the following day Graeme Shevill will try to defend the Gordon Barclay Memorial Trophy. The Formula IIs are on both days and on Saturday they have their Champion of Champions event, with Reece McIntosh defending, then the James Clarke Cochrane Trophy, where John Hogg will defend.

By then the track points championships should be decided although some may run until the very last race of the season. This Saturday’s meeting starts at 6pm.

At Skegness on Thursday night Saline’s Kerr Paterson won the ORCi Ministox East Lincolnshire Championship from Oliver Heron and Bailey Millar At Taunton over the weekend the Minis were racing for the ORCi Championship which in the end was won by David Philp Jnr Jnr with Kyle Rogerson fourth.