By Barry Lindsay
Longtown Spring Auction Autotest wasn’t very spring like, with flurries of snow in air and an arctic wind blowing over the car park.
Two test sites were set up and tarmac area and a loose area. Michael Lindsay & Caroline Lodge marshalled Tests 1 & 2 on the tarmac area while Ian Robinson marshalled the loose area tests 3 & 4. 15 Drivers lined up for the 10 tests that lay ahead. Barry lead the event off but was to be on a back foot from the off by clipping a cone. Newcomer Jon Stynes was quickest with 1m01 ahead of John on 1m06 then another newcomer Danny Little with 1m07.
On the re-run Barry fought back with 58sec ahead of Andrew with 59sec then Nigel on 1m08.
On the gravel test Danny showed his speed getting 1m05 in his lowered Saxo. Jon got 1m09 with the mini followed by Andrew, Nigel & George on 1m10. Wrong routes for John, Eric & Mike dropped them back.

Danny Little
On the re-run Jon & Barry tied at the top with 1m07 ahead John & Neil V with 1m09. This test also saw the retirement of Neil T & Kenton who had a brake pipe burst.

Kenton Pattinson
Positions after Test 4
1 Barry Lindsay 4m27 8 Kieron Stynes 5m15
2 Andrew Graham 4m30 9 Danny Little 5m16
3 Nigel Harkness 4m39 10 Helen Gibbon 5m30
4 Jon Stynes 4m42 11 Mike Hebson 5m32
5 John Ross 4m58 12 Pete Johnson 5m38
6 Neil Varah 5m00 13 Eric Ritchie 6m10
7 George Edminson 5m04
With the routes changed and walked, it was tests 5 & 6 and also 7 & 8. Test 5 Barry got the 106 around in 46sec, ahead of Andrew & George both on 49sec then Helen on 51sec.
On the re-run George showed the speed of the micra along with Jon both got 48sec ahead of Andrew, Neil V and Nigel all got 49sec Barry dropping back with another cone. While Eric got a wrong test.

Eric Ritchie
On the gravel section Jon & Barry tied on 52 sec followed by Andrew on 54sec then John & Neil V on 55sec.

Neil Varah
On the re-run George was quickest on 50sec ahead of Barry and Jon tied again on 51sec, the Andrew, Danny & Neil V on 53sec.Two test remained, this was a bigger but quicker test joining up both tarmac & loose section.

Peter Johnson
Barry & Danny were quickest with 54 sec then Mike who stretched the legs of the Midget and Jon who got 55sec.
For the final run Andrew was leading by three seconds. Quickest were Jon & Barry on 54sec, Mike again on 55sec then Andrew on 56sec.

Andrew Graham
RESULTS
1st Andrew Graham 9m39 8th Mike Hebson 10m56
2nd Barry Lindsay 9m40 9th Kieron Stynes 11m19 (1st Jnr)
3rd Jon Stynes 9m53 10th Helen Gibbon 11m27
4th Nigel Harkness 10m14 11th Danny Little 11m34
5th George Edminson 10m25 12th Pete Johnson 12m14
6th Neil Varah 10m33 13th Eric Ritchie 12m21
7th John Ross 10m39 14th Phil Jobson 12m54
Retired: Neil Thomlinson & Kenton Pattison.
Thanks to Longtown Auction Mart for the use of the car parks and to Michael, Caroline & Ian for marshalling.
(Images © B. Lindsay/ E. Ritchie/ Spadeadam Motor Club 2013)