Last race of the month at Cowdenbeath Racewall

Kielan Ogilvie had an interesting meeting, where he won his first race and then rolled his car during the final after a wheel came adrift.

Others to pick up their first ever wins were ORCi Stock Rod drivers Neil Gilogley and Taylor Borthwick, although the latter had been a prolific winner while in the Ministox.

Borthwick, it’s reckoned, became the first female driver to win a stock rod at the Racewall since Siobhan Martin did a good few years past.

Spare a thought, though, for Lee Burden, who twice saw the win snatched from him on the last lap, while John Galloway twice had to be pushed off the grid as his car suffered a mechanical gremlin.

Making a return to the Stock Rods was Sandy Allen, who is staring his 33rd season of racing, having raced in nearly every formula going.

Craig Tosh suffered an exhaust problem with his car and ended up borrowing one of the tractors to complete his racing!

There were free practice sessions prior to the first organised races and, while most drivers took part, only one came to grief. That was Stuart Wedderburn, who hit oil and drifted wide, damaging his steering.

Logan Tweedie put in some really quick laps in his Ministox, while Peter Watt, Dean Sievwright and Raffaele Donofrio managed plenty of laps in their Formula IIs.

The ORCi Stock Rod drivers revelled in the racing conditions and, as a result, there were a lot of close and exciting dicing throughout the order.

Fife drivers included in the ORCi Stock Rods action were Stuart Wedderburn (Leven), Sandy Allen (Methil), Kris Simpson (Methil), Liam McGill (Dysart), David Dignan (Methil), Neil Gilogley (Tayport) and Michael Bethune (Kirkcaldy).

However, both Simpson and McGill encountered problems in their opening heat and had to retire from the meeting.

Simpson led the cars away when the green flag dropped, although he had Gilogley, Borthwick and Burden in close order.

At the start to the next lap, Gilogley moved through into the lead, with Burden following through. They began to ease away as Cammy Doak and Michael Bethune began to make inroads from the rear of the grid.

Liam McGill slowed to retire his Adam after a few laps, while Bethune was another to retire. Gilogley continued to lead but, slowly but surely, Doak was reeling them in.

Mid order saw Wedderburn and David Dignan running nose to tail after having swapped places. With two laps remaining, Burden took the lead as Doak moved into second and then the lead, crossing the line just clear of Burden and Gilogley, with Wedderburn beating Dignan for fourth spot.

Heat two saw McGill missing from the line-up and, this time, Burden made the better of the start to lead from Gilogley. But, by the end of the lap, Borthwick had moved into second spot.

Doak was running just clear of Bethune and they were making up ground quickly. Burden, though, was clear, with Borthwick now being reeled in by Doak and Bethune. During the closing stages, Doak moved ahead of Borthwick and then began to erase the gap which Burden had built up.

As they started the last lap, they were nose to tail, with Doak slipping inside on the turnstile bend to lead. While Burden tried to retake the lead on the pit bend, Doak held on to pick up his second win of the night, leading home Burden and Bethune, with Wedderburn fifth and just ahead of Gilogley.

The Final was a standing start and it was Gilogley who out-dragged Burden to lead into the turnstile bend. By the end of the lap, Borthwick had slipped inside of Burden. Dignan was running in fourth, while further back, Doak had Bethune for company and they were slowly making up ground.

Dignan closed up on Burden, while Wedderburn had Doak and Bethune looking to overtake. Just before the half distance, Burden slowed to retire, with Gilogley clear of Borthwick, but the latter was slowly being caught by Doak.

The gap between Borthwick and the leader began to close slightly but Gilogley held on to win his first ever race.

However, there was a blanket finish, with Borthwick just fending off Doak, who was alongside, and Bethune, with Dignan fifth, Wedderburn seventh and Allen ninth.

The Allcomers race saw Borthwick lead from start to finish, going on to win from Doak and Bethune, with Dignan sixth and Wedderburn eighth.

The Prostock Basics saw Joanne Hilditch’s car newly sign written but, unfortunately, during the opening heat, it blew a head gasket and she was left to spectate. Fife drivers were Graeme and Jordan Dignan (Leven), Taylor Osborne (Cowdenbeath) and Kev Bell (Glenrothes).

When the race started, Ogilvy made the better of the starts to lead from Bell. This duo eased away from the field quickly. Osborne was ahead of J. Dignan, although when Hilditch caught them, she quickly moved into fourth. Jake Mason was running ahead of Lauren Ford and G. Dignan. Up front, Ogilvie began to open up a gap to Bell but the latter was being caught by Mason. At the flag, Ogilvie took the chequer and he crossed the line clear of Bell, with Mason in third, J. Dignan fifth, G. Dignan seventh and Osborne eighth.

Heat two started with Bell making the better of the starts, running ahead of Osborne, then Ogilvie, although the latter was soon through into second (continued right).

Further back G. Dignan was running ahead of Ford but closing in on J. Dignan. As the race progressed the gap between the leaders began to close but try as he might Ogilvie couldn’t close the gap sufficient to put Bell under pressure and at the line that was the finishing order with G. Dignan in third, Osborne fifth and J. Dignan sixth

John Galloway, finally got his car running, and he led the cars away when the final started with Bell and Ogilvie filling the top three.

Osborne dropped back and on lap four Bell dived inside to take the lead but Ogilvie was able to follow through the gap. Ford was closing in on the leading group but had G. Dignan running in close order.

Ogilvie was searching for a way through to take the lead but when Ford appeared on his back bumper he had to keep a watchful eye on his mirror to try to keep her at bay.

Going onto the last lap drama occurred and as Ogilvie was shaping up for a last bend challenge his car shed a wheel and he entered the pit bend sideways. His car clipped the wall and promptly rolled with the errant wheel over taking his car. Bell was declared as the winner from Ford and G. Dignan with Osborne fifth.

The Allcomers race was led from start to finish by Bell who led home to finish off and exciting afternoon’s racing.

Next week there is another closed door session featuring the Micro F2 drivers and Prostock Basics drivers whilst there will also be practice sessions for other formula. Drivers must pre book but check the GMP web site for further information.

* Formula II World Champion Gordon Moodie from Windygates was racing on the shale at Northampton International Raceway on Saturday and after a fifth place in his heat, Moodie scythed through the field to record a hard fought win.