Motor racing: Mixed fortunes for Shire Formula IIs

Aug 26 2008 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE fans who went to the Racewall on Saturday night were treated to plenty of action and talking points throughout the meeting.

Kevin Smart rolled his Formula II on the pit bend after riding the wall and then Robbie Dawson and John Fortune fell out in the final followed by the Grand National, resulting in both drivers being removed from the race.

In the Robins, there was no shortage of roll-overs, with Chris Burgoyne rolling his several times on the pit bend, ending up wrecking his car.

In the Formula IIs, the local drivers were Garry Sime (Newtyle), Gavin Millar (Blairgowrie), Steve Donavan (Perth) and Gavin Scott (Bridge of Earn).

But, with only 23 drivers at the track, the format was an all-in-one.

John Fortune won heat one from Chris Burgoyne and Sime with Scott in ninth place.

Sime won heat two from Derek Gilchrist and Fortune.

The final ended with Sime going through to win from Bryan Forrest and Gilchrist, with Scott in ninth place.

Only a small field of cars appeared for the Grand National, which was depleted quickly, and in the end Steve Maclachlan went through to win from Sime and Paul Reid.

Heat one was the Graham Cotterell Memorial Trophy which was won by Ian Donaldson from Norman Ledingham and James Jamieson.

Donaldson then won heat two from Ledingham and Billy Bonnar. The final saw Donaldson take the lead and once there pulled away to win from Ledingham and Graeme Calendar.

Adam O’Dell was a visitor in the minis which included locals Ryan Forbes (Stanley), Addison Weir (Longforgan) and Ryan Muirhead (Perth).

Heat one saw Siobhan Martin go through to win from Liam Rennie, Ross Watters and Forbes with Muirhead in seventh. Martin won heat two from O’Dell and Rennie.

Heat three ended up with Kevin Morrison going to win during the closing stages from O’Dell and Rennie.

The first heat was won by Chris Burgoyne from Jonathan Lattka and James Jamieson. Taut Knowles then came out on top in heat, two crossing the line clear of Adam Low (Forfar) and Jamieson.

The final saw the lead swap hands before Jamieson took the Scottish champion title from Mark Delgarno and Garry Clyne (Tealing).

This weekend, the saloon drivers race for the biggest title in their calendar, the World Championship. The top names will come to the Racewall. The meeting is televised by Sky.

Already there are 24 drivers guaranteed a place on the grid, plus four non-seeded drivers from Northern Ireland and the continent.

Filling the front row are David Aldous and the British Champion Luke Grief whilst behind them are the National Points champion Shaun Webster and the first Scot on the grid Stuart Shevill, jun.

On row three are Craig Barnett and the defending World Champion Steve Webster, non-seeded drivers from outwith Scotland and England on row four and on row five Shane Brown and Todd Jones.

Other Scottish drivers on the grid are Stevie Honeyman, Kenny Purdie, Frankie Cunningham, Gordon Alexander and Michael Bethune.

The last chance qualifying race will see a host of Scottish drivers hoping to finish in the top six which will get them onto the back of the World Final grid and give them at least an outside chance of winning.

Amongst those with a chance of making the final could be Peter Low (Forfar), Barry Russell (Brechin), Lindsay Wilson, Derek Duff, Stuart Drobinski, Brian Honeyman, Fraser Clark and James Cochrane.

But there will be quite a few English and Northern Ireland drivers hoping for a similar result.

The first lap of a World Final can be a very cruel one and many a driver has seen his aspirations disappear after a hard shunt has sent him crashing into the wall and out of the race.

The action will run right through the race and it might not even be decided until the very last bend.

The meeting starts on Saturday at 6pm, but the gates will be opening early so all the cars can be scrutineered and weighed in time for the practice session.

The meeting continues on Sunday with a 1pm start.