Turner Talk
The well known Stockcar writer Jim
Turner has the following to say about happenings up at Cowdenbeath. Don't forget to visit Cowdenbeath Racewall Home site .............
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There was no shortage of action at the
stock cars over the weekend where the Scottish drivers dominated in the
saloons for a change with Robbie Burgoyne going through to win the
Superbowl.
Gordon Moodie won the Champion of Champions
race but it was Chris Burgoyne who won the final as well as the track
points championship.
Whilst Saturday night was dry the track was
greasy but on Sunday it was wet with the rain never ceasing. The manitou
spent more than an hour trying to clear the water away from the top bend
and whilst it must have moved gallons of water it was trying to keep the
tide at bay!
MOODIE’S CHAMPION BUT BURGOYNE TAKES POINTS!On Saturday night there were 29 formula II
drivers in action with 4 from Northern Ireland and 3 from England,
including Rob Speak and David Polley, who was racing in his 99th meeting of the
season.
The first formula II race was the last
chance qualifying race which Speak won from Gregor Turner and Denver
Grattan. The Champion of Champions race was an exciting one with Paul Reid
the initial leader but he was spun as Ally Noble took over only to see the
yellow flags being waved with Speak in the wall on the top bend and Barry
Folan on the wall in the pit bend.
After a couple of race suspensions Gordon
Moodie took the win from Lee McGill and George
MacMillan.
Stuart Mitchell won the consolation from
Chris Burgoyne and Polley.
The James Clarke Cochrane memorial trophy
final proved to be fast and furious with three race suspensions and in the
end it was Burgoyne who retained the trophy leading home MacMillan and
Barry Stephen.
McGill went on to win the Grand National
from Robbie Dawson and Burgoyne.
A SCOTTISH WHITEWASH!There were 31 saloon drivers at the track
with 11 from England including the World Champion Carl Waterfield whilst
David Aldous was hoping to make it three Superbowl wins in a row. The
saloons were split into three groups with each driver racing
twice.
Heat one went to Alan Ainslie who led home
Robbie Burgoyne and Luke Grief. The second heat looked as if it was going
the way of Chris Lattka but he ended up spinning when lapping back markers
and it handed the win to Sandy Allen who led home Stevie Honeyman and
Jamie Sampson. Heat three finished with Stuart Shevill Jnr winning from
Burgoyne and Lattka.
The final paired Burgoyne on pole with
Lattka alongside with Grief on row 2 whilst Aldous was at the back of the
grid.
When the race started Burgoyne led the
field away with Lattka slotting in behind but Grief moved ahead for a lap
before dropping back down to third. On lap seven the race was suspended
after Ainslie’s car shed a wheel.
On the restart Burgoyne made a good start
but a couple of laps later lost out to Lattka but that lasted only a
couple of laps before Burgoyne was back in the lead. However Todd Jones
and Derek Duff crashed heavily and the race was suspended. Burgoyne led a
train of five cars away but the race was again suspended after Aldous and
Gordon Alexander tangled on the pit bend with Lee Sampson ending up on
Aldous’ boot whilst Alexander spun with a few of the cars in close order
joining in.
When the dust had settled there were only
six cars remaining and whilst Stevie Honeyman challenged he ran into
troubles and had to retire. Burgoyne reeled off the remaining laps to win
the Superbowl from Stuart McCammon and Paul
Honeyman.
WET AND
WINDY!
On Sunday in the wet Stevie Honeyman won
the opening saloon heat from Luke Grief and Robbie Burgoyne. Craig Barnett
chalked up the visitors first win over the weekend when he won heat two
leading home S. Honeyman and Todd
Jones.
There was certainly a surprise in store for
the drivers during the final when white grader David Hughes, better known
for driving a stock rod, basically led the final from start to finish to
win the Charlene Kingston Memorial trophy from Grief and C.
Barnett.
The hot rod races were dominated by Ian
Donaldson who won all three races, the final from Derek Conner and Ian
McGuigan.
There were 26 ministox drivers at the track
with the numbers being swelled by four from south of the border with the
Disco trophy up for grabs.
Heat one went to Todd Payne who led home
Liam Rennie and Craig Banwell. In heat two Payne went on to win from Adam
O’Dell and Ross Watters.
Lyndsey Clyne led the third heat for a long
time but lost out on her lead when the race was suspended. Although she
led the pack away, O’Dell managed to get her wide before going through to
win from Clyne with Kyle Irvine in third
spot.
NEXT MEETINGThat is the season over – there is a meeting in January
and then the season starts again in March.
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