Fast racing and spins behind closed doors at Cowdenbeath Racewall

The track was a bit wet at the start of the meeting but within a couple of races the track was dry.

There weren’t too many cars at the track but that didn’t stop the drivers from serving up some close and fast racing with a couple of spins thrown in for good measure.

Keith Stewart, who had been away from racing for a good few years was having a run in the spare car of Stuart Wedderburn whilst Jamie Reid was using the ex-Steven Tyson car and ran well although he had to retire from the opening heat with an electrical problem.

Kevin Bell had switched from the Prostock Basics to the Prostocks and went on to win three out of his four races.

The Saloon drivers were in good form and there were was a couple of close finishes to their races. Local drivers at the track were Kyle Irvine (Glenrothes) and Ross Watters (Kennoway).

At the start to heat one Irvine spun and was clipped by Watters as he did so although he restarted at the tail of the field.

Alisdair Smith had led the field away but by the end of the lap Zak Gilmour was through into the lead although Smith was in close order whilst Holly Glen was third.

Tam Rutherford Jnr had made a better start than Barry Glen but Graeme Anderson was on their back bumper. Rutherford closed in on Gilmour and as he made his bid for the lead he slide wide and it was B. Glen who dived through onto the lead.

A couple of laps later Anderson edged the Glen car wide to hit the front but as he did so Watters dived inside of B. Glen and Gilmour. However, Anderson was clear and he went through to win from Watters and Gilmour with Irvine in sixth place.

Heat two again saw Smith lead the pack away with Gilmour soon taking up the running and opening up a useful lead.

Anderson was running ahead of B. Glen and Willie Mitchell but it was Watters that was making rapid progress through the field.

At the midway points Watters had reeled in Gilmour giving him a gentle reminder that he was there before sending him wide and going through into the lead. Once there he pulled away to win from Irvine who had moved into second during the latter stages with Gilmour in third.

Smith led the pack away at the start to what turned out to be an exciting last few laps in the final but slowed and it was Gilmour who soon moved through into the lead closely followed by H. Glen, Anderson tried to make up a couple of places but was edged wide, clipped the wall and had to retire with a broken drive shaft.

Irvine forced his way ahead of Watters on the pit bend whilst just behind B. Glen and Russell were running nose to tail. At the half way stage the gap between Gilmour and Irvine was closing although the latter had Watters on his back bumper. With three to go Gilmour had been caught and as the trio at the front of the field they came to lap Stuart Lees as they headed into the turnstile bend.

Watters took his chance and gave Irvine a dunt resulting in the two cars ahead of him going wide and he was able to slip inside. Just as he did so the yellow flags appeared suspending the race and the field lined up behind Watters.

Once the track was cleared Watters led the field a way but on the penultimate bend Irvine nudged Watters wide before going through for a close win over Watters and Russell.

The Allcomers race had an exciting start with Watters sending the Irvine car hard into the wall but whilst Irvine was able to carry on Watters had to retire. Gilmour was soon through into the lead and he was still there at the close with B. Glen in second place and Russell in third place and Irvine in sixth place.

The ORCi Stock Rods were a bit thin on the ground but in nearly all of the races Cammy Doak and Michael Bethune diced for most of the time. Local drivers in action were Stuart Wedderburn (Leven), Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy), Sandy Allen (Methil) and Keith Stewart (Kennoway).

It didn’t take K. Stewart long to get used to Wedderburn’s spare car and was soon as the green flag dropped he went straight into the lead and quickly opened up a useful gap Allen ran in second but further back Leon Stewart had his hands full trying to keep Doak and Bethune at bay.

Whilst they ran in that order for a few laps they were closing the gap to the leader. Just after half distance Bethune got ahead of L. Stewart and set off after those ahead of him. Allen was caught and on with three laps remaining the leading duo were nose to tail.

Bethune then dived inside to take the lead and go through to win from K. Stewart and Doak with Allen fourth and Wedderburn sixth.

Whilst K. Stewart led the field away at the start to heat two within a couple of laps Allen was ahead and pulling away at a fast rate. Bethune had moved ahead of Doak and they were soon making inroads through the field.

Allen through was well clear but further back L. Stewart, Bethune and Doak were again running nose to tail. Just before the half distance Bethune got inside of L. Stewart with Doak following suit the following lap.

However there was to be no stopping Allen who went through to win from Bethune and K. Stewart with Wedderburn in fifth place.

When heat two started K. Stewart led the field away but although Allen made a slow start he was soon making up ground.

Doak was ahead of Bethune but when K. Stewart got off line on the pit bend Allen was back in front. When it looked as if Allen was on his way to his second win his car slowed and that allowed Doak and Bethune through. Bethune tried all he knew to get through and over the closing laps there was some exciting dicing but in the end Doak held on to win from Bethune and Wedderburn.

Bethune won the Allcomers race from L. Stewart, Doak, Wedderburn and K. Stewart.

Local drivers in the Prostocks were Daren Rae (Lochgelly), Graham Fleming (Kirkcaldy), Ian Christie (Kirkcaldy) and Kev Bell (Glenrothes).

Bell dominated the opening heat going through for an easy win over Paul Winfield although the latter had cut back the lead that he had built up to a few car lengths with Christie third ahead of Rae and Fleming.

Heat two followed mush the same pattern with Bell making good use of his white grade start to open up a big lead. Winfield chased hard and was reasonably close when the chequer appeared with Christie again third ahead of Rae and Fleming.

Due to his double success Bell had to start the final from the yellow grade and he again made good use of the start and was soon clear of the others. Fleming ran in second for a few laps but was moved over as Winfield made up ground.

Rae was making up ground but at the chequer it was Bell who was clear of Winfield, Rae and Christie with Fleming in sixth place.

This time Bell was caught by Robert Hamilton during the early laps in the Allcomers and when he made his bid to retake the lead spun suspending the race. Hamilton led the cars away but with Rae making his bid to get inside to grab the lead only to clip another car and had to retire with a puncture.

Winfield was the new leader and he went through to win from Hamilton and Christie.

Next week the closed door meeting takes place on the Sunday afternoon and features the Saloons, Minis and Micro F2 drivers with a 1pm start.