By Barry Lindsay

The 2014 Autotest championship blasted off with plenty burning rubber at the first event at Longtown Auction Mart. 16 competitors lined up with 12 tests planned over the car park and wagon parking area with a mixture of good tarmac and hard unsurfaced areas. The first test was a good one to warm up the handbrakes after the winter rebuilds! I would run first on almost all the tests this first one on the loose would mean I was leaving marks for others to follow, but was there more grip? Barry Lindsay 1m 08, John Ross & Kenton Pattison 1m 16, Stephen Dixon 1m 18. On the re-run Now with it being looser it was definatly slower. Barry 1m 16, Stephen, Nigel Harkness on 1m 17 then Kenton 1m 18.

Now onto the tar test, Stephen was fastest showing how to flick the Corsa round the cones with precision, 52sec, Geoffrey Harkness made it a Corsa 1-2 with 55sec, Kenton got 56 ahead of the Micra of George Edminson on 57sec. Myself well I hit a cone…

On the re-run Stephen was again quickest with 53sec, Barry 54sec, Geoffrey 55sec, Kenton 56sec.

Test 5 was a more spread out test using most of the area of the first test added together. Barry 49 sec, Andrew Graham & Neil Thomlinson ( Hand brake wasn’t working before and this test didn’t need it) 52sec, John, Stephen & Nigel all on 53sec. On the re-run Barry got 49, Stephen, Andrew & Neil got 52sec

Test 7 was an extra bit added to the previous test, Barry 1m 12sec, Stephen & Neil 1m 16sec, John & Kenton 1m 19sec

On the re-run Barry 1m 13sec, Stephen & John 1m 17sec, Andrew, Geoffrey & Jon Stynes getting the hang of the C2 on the loose all on 1m 19sec.

Back to a shorter tighter test for 9 all on the tarmac part. Tighter test suited the C1 of John along with Geoffrey & Barry 48sec, Neil, Kenton, Andrew & Jon all on 49. On the re-run Barry 45sec, Neil 47sec, George & John on 48sec.

Final two tests weren’t run as the now routine Super special as there was too much surface variation to get true equal tests. Barry 46sec, Kenton 47sec, Andrew 49sec, Jon & Neil on 50. The re-run Barry 46sec, Stephen 47sec, Nigel, John & Andrew 49sec.

Thanks to Ian Robinson & Michael Lindsay for marshalling and Longtown Auction Mart for the use of there car-park.

Next event – 27^th April ( Weather permitting) Long Park Farm, Scaleby. 1pm Start. Let Barry Lindsay know your entering then should it be called off for weather you will be contacted.

 

Results

1^st Barry Lindsay         11m 32           9^th Geoffrey Harkness         12m 54

2^nd Kenton Pattison       12m 03       10^th Joe Thomlinson             13m 32

3^rd Stephen Dixon         12m 05         11^th George Edminson           13m 40

4^th John Ross               12m 21            12^th Helen Gibbon (1^st Lady) 13m 43

5^th Andrew Graham       12m 29       13^th Kieron Stynes                 13m 58

6^th Nigel Harkness         12m 35       14^th Eric Ritchie                     14m 23

7^th Neil Thomlinson       12m 42       15^th Christine Ross               14m 24

8^th Jon Stynes               12m 50        16^th Rob Glenndinning (LSD)14m 52

( Underlined = Road car class)