THE stock cars opened their season at the Cowdenbeath Racewall on a cold and chilly evening but on the plus side it was dry, writes Jim Turner.
There was a good turn out of cars with young Charlie Folan grabbing the headlines with a dramatic and somewhat spectacular rollover in his ministox on the opening lap of his first heat. Charlie stepped out of his car unhurt and with a big smile on his face but his father was seen biting his nails.
There was a spectacular three car shunt on the main straight in the formula IIs which saw the car of Stephen Forster get a bit airborne but luckily crashed back on all four wheels. Alex Cunningham bounced his car off the pit bend wall and spun out of the race whilst Stevie Honeyman’s car shed a wheel on the back straight but he still coaxed it across the finish line although losing places as he did so. Garry Gilfillan was squeezed into the wall with his stock rod whilst later Jonathan Lattka and James Matson touched resulting in both crashing out of the race.
In the formula IIs there was the first appearance of Liam Rennie with his new chassis, whilst Gregor Turner, John Hogg (Berwick), Ian Forster, Robbie Dawson and George MacMillan Jnr debuted their new cars. Tom Adcroft was the only visiting driver in the ranks.
The first heat was a white/yellow challenge race which saw Hogg finish in third. Hogg wasn’t classified in heat one but then picked up eight places in heat two, the final then the Grand National.
Amongst those in the minis were newcomers Stephen and Nicholas Fairbairn, Steven Burgoyne, Robyn Bruce and Charlie Folan whilst Craig Murray (Galashiels) was the only local driver in action. Murray was seventh in both of his heats but during a high speed final brought his car home in fifth place.
This Saturday the formula IIs and saloon drivers are back in action and they are joined by the lightning rods and prostox with the meeting starting at 6pm as usual.