Bathgate stock car ace David Philp Jr raced to a second successive European title, writes Jim Turner.
Philp Jr was unbeatable at the Cowdenbeath Racewall in Fife as he retained his European ORCi Stock Rod Championship trophy.
And the good times didn’t end there for our local drivers as Livingston’s Robbie Armit won the Keir Miller Memorial Trophy the following day in a brilliant weekend of racing. The pair were the highlights of a string of impressive results in Cowdenbeath for West Lothian drivers.
In the European ORCi Stock Rod Championship, Philp Jr was third in his first heat and second in his other to book himself a front row start in the final.
Kirknewton’s Leon Stewart suffered a puncture in his opening heat but then picked up a runner-up spot in his second race to start from row five in the showdown.
Bathgate racer Philp Jr and Michael Bethune were nose to tail for much of the final until the latter was sent crashing out, handing Philp Jr the advantage and he duly delivered as he reeled off the remaining laps with ease to retain his title. Stewart was rewarded for a fine drive with a fifth place finish.
Armit was well-placed in the Ministox ORCi Championship when he rolled out of the final when leading. He had picked up a second in heat one and whilst Fauldhouse’s Bobby Brandon won heat three, Armit was third. Broxburn’s Evie McLellan was runner-up in her first race but tangled with another car in heat two and was forced out.
However, Armit was to make up for that disappointment the next day.
Despite starting off at the rear of the grid, he quickly made inroads in the Keir Millar Memorial Trophy race and took the lead with a handful of laps remaining. He wasn’t able to shake off the attentions of his challengers but was able to cling on for a win by the narrowest of margins.
Philp Jr was in action also but was unable to quite replicate his displays from the previous day, however he still produced a fine result in the ORCi Championship.
He failed to classify in the first heat before taking a respectable third in heat two. He quickly moved into second place in the final but wasn’t able to get out in front and had to settle for the runner-up spot while Stewart was fifth.
McLellan was back out in her Micro F2 and claimed eighth and ninth placed finishes in the heats.
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