WEATHERWISE it was dull at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on Saturday’s Stock Rod World Final day, but the racing was certainly entertaining.
Amongst the Stock Rods at the track were the defending World Champion Samuel Montgomery, European Champion Callum Hosie, British Champion William Donnell, the National Champion Cammy Doak, plus the UK Champion Michael Bethune.
The Meet and Greet the Drivers session turned out to be a popular event with autographs and photos taken with your favourite driver.
The drivers were split into three groups with each of them racing twice to determine their grid position for the World Final.
The opening heat didn't run for long with Leon Stewart and Jason Darragh tangling and suspending the race. On the restart, Montgomery was the initial leader, from Michael Bethune and they led the cars away.
A couple of laps later they switched places with Bethune going on to a comfortable win over Montgomery with Jamie Dawson just getting the better of Stewart Paterson to claim third.
Paul Prentice led the cars away when heat two started but lost out to Cammy Doak. However, the top three, Doak, Prentice and Chris Chance ran in close order although lapping back markers at times was hair-raising. In the end, Doak won from Pentice with Dawson coming through to finish in third place.
Sam McKinstry led the cars away when heat three started but was soon caught up by Hosie and Calyn Peoples. However, just after half distance, there was a stoppage with Stuart Wedderburn and Bethune caught up. The field lined up behind Callum Hosie who went on to win from Donnell and Peoples.
After the drivers’ parade lap, there was almost disaster for Prentice when a hub broke but by the time the grid had formed, he was back in action. The front row paired Donnell on pole with Dawson alongside and Doak and Montgomery on row two.
Once the grid was formed, followed by the usual command of "Drivers start your engines," the field burst into life.
After the warm-up laps, Donnell took the lead from Doak and Dawson but after J Darragh and Jordan Dignan tangled on the back straight the race was suspended.
Donnell led on the restart but Doak, Dawson and Hosie were running nose to tail. Bethune spun and sent Vincent out of the race. Up front, the leaders were catching the back markers with Dawson getting caught up with Jeremy Hatch with Hosie crashing into the back of them.
An oil slick appeared with Keiran McKinnon spinning and ended up against the wall suspending the race. Whilst Donnell led by the time he got to the start line, Doak was ahead with Montgomery appearing on second as Donnell dropped away.
For a good few laps there was nothing to choose between Doak and Montgomery, but as the laps began to dwindle Doak began to ease away. Conner and Paterson were fighting for third and swapping places.
In the end, Doak went on to win the Gilmore Engineering-sponsored World Championship from Montgomery and Paterson with Chris Chance receiving an award for first yellow grade driver home, sponsored by Auld Toll Autos.
Amongst the Formula II drivers at the track was Richard Walden. The only qualifiers for next week’s World Final were Steven Burgoyne and Gordon Moodie. Heat one was led from start to finish by Graeme Leckie, with Ryan McGill the runner-up and Moodie third. Moodie then won heat two from McGill and Jason McDonald. Moodie then won the final from McGill and McDonald whilst McGill won the Grand National from John Hogg and McDonald with Moodie in sixth place.
The Prostock drivers were racing for their Scottish Championship with Robert Conway the defending champion.
The opening lap proved to be interesting with Ryan Martin being spun but as he recovered Beckie Ritchie ended up against the wall and was collected by Conway and Lewis Gilchrist.
The grid reformed and the first lap was almost a carbon copy of the first with Grady and Denver Ross sliding into the wall with Conway joining in.
Within a couple of laps of the restart Paul Barron was ahead with Callum McIvor moving into second. Ian Christie was making up ground and with only four laps remaining moved into second. Then out came the yellow flags suspending the race.
Barron had at that time almost the length of the straight lead but that disappeared. On the restart Barron managed to pull away from Christie to win the Scottish Championship with Lewis Gilchrist snatching third place on the run-up to the finish line.
D Ross led the first Allcomers race from start to finish to record his first win, crossing the line just ahead of John Mason with Barron. Allcomers two was led by D Ross but half way through he lost out to Gilchrist who went on to win from D Ross and Mason.
On Sunday it was dry but cloudy and whilst the Stock Rods continued, this time they were backed by the Saloons and the Ministox.
The Ministox drivers were racing for their East of Scotland Championship. Their first race was a white/yellow challenge and was led by Caiden Abernethy for a good few laps. However, when Ollie Sime was spun, Abernethy was one of the many drivers who collected him. On the restart Ben McLellan went on to win from Shaun Boyle and Rhys Anderson.
McLellan continued his good form into the meeting proper when he won the opening heat by a big margin from Charlie Burgoyne and Rhys Anderson. Although Abernethy led the cars away a few laps after the start Anderson was ahead. This duo ran in close order to finish first and second with David Philp Jnr Jnr just fending off Kyle Rogerson for third. The final was halted on the opening lap after Abernethy got out of shape and crashed into the wall. On the restart McLellan led but then lost out to Burgoyne who had Rogerson in tow.
Philp Jnr Jnr then caught the leaders and made short work of getting ahead, but whilst he did so just couldn't shake off McLellan and that is how they finished with Kelly third.
The Stock Rods, with new World Champion Cammy Doak featuring, were racing for the Simon Laing Memorial Trophy.
The opening heat was led from start to finish by Prentice who won from A McKinnon and Montgomery.
The second heat saw Chance make a good start and at the close he was well clear of McKinnon and Bethune. Heat three was suspended on the opening lap after K McKinnon spun taking Gray into the wall as he did so. Not long into the restart there was another stoppage after Hosie's car shed a wheel.
Prentice led for most of the race but in the end, it was Dawson who went on to win from Doak and Peoples.
Chance made the better of the starts from Prentice but there was an early clash between J Dignan and Bethune which suspended the race. Chance made a good restart and opened up a gap but as the race progressed came under pressure from S McKinnon and Dawson. No sooner had S McKinnon taken the lead than there was another stoppage. After that it was between S McKinnon and Dawson with Dawson looking to go one way before switching to the other to win the Simon Laing Memorial Trophy, with Montgomery third
Daniel Scrimgeour was having an outing in Dale Robertson's Saloon whilst Ross Forrest returned to the scene.
The opening heat was led from start to finish by Cammy Deans, with Stuart Shevill the runner-up and David Hughes third. Keilan Bryson was the initial heat two leader but after four laps Deans had taken the lead and went on to win from Hughes and Shevill Jnr.
Rian Mitchell led the cars away at the start to the final then lost out to Deans. A few moments later Mitchell was back in front, but when Deans was spun the race was suspended.
On the restart Shevill Jnr was edged wide and hit the tyres and it was Ian McLaughlin who went through to win from Mitchell and Hughes.
There is no meeting at the Racewall on Saturday with the Formula II drivers contesting their World Final at Taunton, but they return on October 5.
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