2008 Scottish news & reports by Mad Jock
Photos by GM Photos
Archive 2007, 2006, 2005 HERE

Crimond – 4th May
Mad Jock reports:  Meeting 5 of the Scottish season saw Crimond unusually have its second event in as many weeks to accommodate this coming weekend’s doubleheader at Cowdie.

A bright but cold afternoon greeted the seven Rods to make the grid; amongst the missing were the offshore Steve Manett and the suspended JJ, whilst Brian Wilson (696) was the only GMP car present.

Jamieson has been handed a three race/one meeting ban, with the same again suspended, after his actions at the last Crimond meeting.  This was first for the initial heavy contact on Brian Wilson, and then for refusing to obey the black flag. JJ is therefore clear to resume racing at Crimond from May 18.  The ban however does not affect any GMP meetings, (the promotion JJ is registered with) thus allowing him to compete in this weekend’s Open Scottish.

Heat 1 had a lively start with Graeme Gordon supplying the entertainment along with too much power, and as a result tank slapping his way down the home straight, eventually spinning out in front of Brian Wilson. It could have been worse as Wilson’s attempts at avoiding the careering Tigra meant the two Rods only eventually clipped each other; the yellows were then quickly brought out to aid the stranded Tigra.

On the restart it was a huge battle between John Buchan and Eddie Schraeder, with Graeme Gordon on a huge charge (this time in a straight line!) in his effort to catch the leaders. It was a three car battle to the line with Schraeder holding a tight line as Buchan looked for the inside route and Gordon waited for the chance that finally came as he and John Buchan side by side went for the line, the Tigra just beating the CC to the line for second.
Result:  323 Eddie Schraeder – 338-300-306-696-387-311

Heat 2 saw Schraeder’s luck change, as with clutch problems it was a rolling 323 at the back of the grid for an otherwise clutch start. Further problems for Schraeder weren’t far away as the suspension on the Rod decided to go the same way as the clutch, resulting in the Clio attacking the tyrewall in the closing laps.  John Buchan took the flag for this one with Brian Wilson following John home as Graeme Gordon completed the top 3.
Result:  300 (John Buchan) –696- 338-387-306- N.O.F.

Final time and Schraeder was back on track for his second victory of the afternoon, as Eddie just led the CC of John Buchan over the line, Graeme Gordon again making up the top 3.
Result:  323 – 300-338-696-387-306.

This weekend sees the running of the Hot Rod Open Scottish over two days at Cowdie, along with the Ray Gunn tribute. Hopefully the grid will be added to by a decent travelling contingent from Crimond. This might include a track debut by Eddie Schraeder, who has certainly proved to be immediately competitive after nearly a decade away. A decent English contingent would be welcome and could therefore result in a very healthy turnout. Mad Jock (With thanks to Scott Keith)

Crimond – 27th April
Mad Jock reports:  Crimond was again the venue for the Scottish Rods fourth appearance in 2008. This time it was an 11 car field which included three season-debuts. 311, long-time Crimond stalwart Chick Laing, appeared in a 16v Clio, 333 Gary Ingram in a pinto-powered Mini, and Ian Ostrau used a group A Starlet. The season total now stands at 23 Scottish Rods to make the track after just four meetings.

Heat 1 got off to an eventful start with Ian Ostrau and Steve Manett having a coming together on pitbend, leaving the TT with nowhere to go. Eddie Schraeder was then the early leader, with JJ - after losing the 16v pack - closing rapidly. With Schraeder holding a tight line JJ was forced to take the long route and it was three door-handle to door-handle laps; JJ just failing at the flag to find a way past Schraeder by the depth of a bumper.
Result – 323 – 305-338-300-303-306-333-311-365

Heat 2 saw Eddie Schraeder gain his second victory of the afternoon after building up a significant lead which the 16v cars were never going to pull back once they broke clear of the pack.  Steve Manett came closest, but was still well adrift at the flag.
Result – 323 – 303-338-305-300-306-333-696-311-365

Final time and the action happened!  In the opening laps - under pressure from JJ on his outside - Brian Wilson drifted wide on turns ¾, leaving little room between the 305 car and the tyrewall. After taking avoiding action, Jamieson slotted back in behind the 696 machine and when Brian braked for turn 1, JJ didn't! As a result Wilson’s 206 was sent skywards and carried by the Tigra’s bonnet to turn 1, where it slid off to spin out the race. After ignoring the black flag for 3 laps, the yellow flags were brought out as JJ was asked to vacate the track! On the restart, Schraeder held off the pressure of John Buchan and Graeme Gordon to claim his hat-trick.
Result – 323- 338-300-306-696-333-365

The Scottish Rods next appearance is in 2 weeks time, again at the Northern Outpost, before returning a week later to the Racewall for the two-day Open Scottish Championship.  Mad Jock (With thanks to Keith J. Scott)

Crimond – April 13th
Mad Jock reports:  Crimond opened its 2008 season on a cold, dry, windy afternoon. With no GMP visitors it was left to the home drivers to provide the content, which they did with a nine car entry.

The entry included seven seasonal debuts, JJ and Jason Duncan being the exceptions. The total number of Rods on track this season in Scotland now stands at twenty after just three meetings. Debuting at this meeting was Stuart Cowie, son of former points champion Jim, who dominated at Crimond in the early 90’s

Heat one provided the first of two victories for JJ as he led home the multi-time track champion John Buchan, with Steve Manett making up the top 3.
Result – 305 (JJ) – 300- 303- 338-14-306-387-307

Heat 2 saw JJ gain his second victory of the afternoon with the second and third places the reverse of the earlier heat. There were only two other finishers in this one; Graeme Gordon bringing his Tigra home in fourth, Stuart Cowie completing the finishers.
Result – 305-303-300-338-307

The final brought the first win of the year for John Buchan in his CC as this time seven made it to the finish, Buchan taking the flag from Schrader and Gordon.

The Scottish rods next appearance is again at Crimond in 2 weeks time. Mad Jock (full results by Bill Barrack).

Cowdenbeath - April 5th
Mad Jock reports:  The Scottish Rods made their second appearance of the season, which was again at Racewall on a dry but bitterly cold night. With no Crimond visitors, numbers stayed in single figures with a 9-car turnout. This figure included season-debuts from Ron Mac, Rab Norrie (in a shocking pink mini!) and Graeme Callender. The tenth car present - that of Stu Walker #54 - never left the pits, therefore 13 Rods have raced in the opening two meetings.

Heat 1 saw Newall take an early lead and that lasted until the tenth lap which included surviving a yellow flag after Norrie clouted the wall on lap 7. With his advantage gone, a fast moving JJ took over at the front 3 laps later, as Brian Wilson departed the race.  Despite a clear track in front of him, JJ had Newall glued to his back panel all the way to the chequered flag, the two being separated by less than a car length at the finish.
Result – 305 (JJ)– 601-844-871-9-187-192

Heat 2 saw the field drop to just 7 cars, with neither Brian Wilson nor Rab Norrie appearing again during the evening. The opening 3 laps saw three different leaders as Yorkston, Callender, and then Newall did the front running. Newall again built up a substantial lead with JJ powering through from the back in his effort to catch the flying white roof. With just 7 cars on track there wasn’t much to delay Newall’s progress and it was only in the dying laps that JJ seriously appeared in the Corsa’s mirrors.  With a lap to go, JJ was on Newall’s back panel, and that’s how they finished; David Newall collecting his maiden victory in the formula in only his second meeting. The top 3 was made up by Billy Bonner nursing his sick sounding 206 home for a distant third
Result – 601(Newall)–305-844- 871-187-9-192

Final time, and it was the same 7 cars that came to the grid, and the race followed a similar pattern to what had gone before. Yorkston led in his pinto-powered 206 for a single lap, then Graeme Callender took over for 3 laps before Newall took over and again built up a substantial lead with JJ again playing catch-up.  This time, whilst JJ was again the fastest car on track, the victory was a little more comfortable for Newall as the Corsa led JJ over the line by about 4-5 car lengths. The results however promoted Graeme Callender one place to second, with JJ officially ending in third.
Result – 601 (Newall) – 871-305-844-187-9-192

With the next appearance of the Scottish Rods at Cowdie not until May when they have their 2-day Scottish Open Championship, the next three domestic fixtures are at Crimond, starting next Sunday as Crimond open their season.  Mad Jock

Cowdenbeath - March 22nd
Mad Jock reports:  The Scottish rods started the 2008 season at Cowdie with the programme confirming there will be two Scottish cars on the World Final grid in 2009 with qualifying rounds scheduled for both Cowdie and Crimond commencing after this year’s world final.

New cars on show were Robert Newall debuting the ex-Hunn/Marriott Corsa, Gary Black making his first appearance in the ex-John Buchan 206 and returning after a year’s sabbatical was Martin Yorkston in a Red 5 206. Chas Bain’s car was also resplendent in new colours as Jason Duncan’s Fiesta lost its shocking pink paintjob from last year, replaced by a more traditional colour scheme.

Heat one on a dry, but cold evening saw 10 cars leave the grid and immediately Newall stepped into the lead. It was a lead that he was to maintain until the 10th lap when the yellows unavoidably were brought out after Paul Whiteman’s Ka did a sharp left turn on entering pitbend and rammed the concrete virtually head-on with the concrete winning and the Ka in a sorry state, which will earn it an entry in Clattered Hot Rods.

Newall’s lead on the restart was gone and within a lap JJ moved into the lead, although the white roof remained in his mirrors all the way to the flag.
Result – 305 (JJ) – 601-844-10-696-306-192-9

Heat 2 amazingly saw Whiteman on the grid with the Ka held together with a mountain of tape at the front end. It was again Newall who grabbed the early lead and maintained a pace that meant it wasn’t until the 10th of 15 laps the JJ loomed in the mirror. With 5 to go and the gold roof crawling all over the back of the white roof, it might have been expected that JJ would slip easily past the Corsa, but it was another 2.5 laps before the Tigra found the gap to slip through. Even then it wasn’t a stroll for JJ as a lap later Newall had a big look up the inside entering the back straight before deciding to settle for second.
Result –305(JJ) –601-844-696-10-9-192-51

Final time and the weather had changed dramatically with heavy snow falling and the track decidedly greasy. As a result the slowest race of the night with the weather perhaps winning as much as JJ did, as he had to fight the conditions as much as the flying Corsa to complete his hat trick for the evening.

On this occasion with the weather making JJ’s pursuit of Newall all the more difficult, it wasn’t until 3 from home that the Tigra slipped by. Again making up the top 3, Billy Bonnar claimed his third-third place of the evening to round off the first meet of 2008.
Result - 305-601-844-696-10-306-9

The Scottish Rods are next on track in two weeks time with the second Cowdie meeting of the season, which will hopefully realise a larger field without clashing meetings in England. Crimond gets going the following week, which might hopefully encourage a few Crimond drivers to venture to Cowdie the week before. Mad Jock

Cowdenbeath practice day - February 24th
Mad Jock reports:  The Scottish Rods made their first appearance on track in ‘08 at Cowdie on Sunday at the pre-season practice session.

With no Crimond cars present, seven Rods appeared on a bright, if cold, afternoon; six of the Rods on show being last years cars. Included iamongst the seven Rods were two drivers that are new additions to the formula. Former Stock-Rodder Robert Newall (601) had his first run in the very smartly presented, ex-Marriot/Hunn Corsa. Chris McLaren was the second new addition to the ranks using the former Inglis 206. McLaren’s dad Ronnie raced in the formula back in the Nitten days.

Over the three runs the Rods had during the afternoon John Sibbald proved to be fastest of the day with a best time of 14.09, McVay, Newall and Ross in the 14.3’s.

With Knockhill largely gone from the fixture list with just a solitary appearance, the current 28-date fixture list starts in three week’s time, with the first of 11 outings for the formula at Cowdie in 2008. Crimond comes in with 16 dates, whilst Knockhill hosts the World Cup.

Major dates for 2008 are the GMP Open Scottish Championship over two days in May, the Hot Rod World Cup in June at Knockhill, and the GMP Scottish Championship on a date to be decided. Crimond rounds off the major dates with their Open Scottish Championship scheduled for September.

Lastly - and sadly - during the winter storm last month, one of Crimond’s stands was blown over resulting in the death of a sheep, standing in the wrong place at the wrong time! Mad Jock

Archive 2007, 2006, 2005 HERE
Photos by GM Photos