By Barry Lindsay

The second grass Autotest ran mid-June but this report wasn’t written for the newsletter copy deadline the week after so for those of you can remember back, this is how it unfolded.

Fourteen competitors arrived at the freshly silaged grass field at Longpark. Setting out the new layouts a test of routes to be used at the display the club were doing at the Cumbria Auto Show the week later…turned out to it never ran as dust prevented the display happening. However, test one of the new tests was one that no one had ever ran so this event was a leveller. Helen Harkness was fastest with 1m06 just ahead of Nigel Harkness on 1m07. Geoffrey Harkness and Barry Lindsay getting 1m09. Running new tests always produces wrong tests, Phil Hodgson, Andrew, Geoffrey, Mike, Sade & Lizzy Burke and Josh Shaw.

On the second run, Barry got the hang of his recently acquired 206 which was to be broken for rally car spares getting 1m 03, Helen, Nigel, Phil H and Martin Davies were close behind on 1m04 though, then Andrew J & David Garstang on 1m05.Test 3 was the same cone layout but different route. Times were tight with Nigel, Helen, Barry and John Ross all getting 47sec, Andrew J getting 48 then Martin Davies on 49sec. Wrong test for David and Geoffrey.

Test 4 was a repeat 43sec was the quickest time for Martin and Barry with Nigel & Phil getting 45sec then David on 46sec.

Positions after test4

1^st Barry L      3m 42              8^th Phil H          4m14

2^nd Nigel H      3m 43              9^th Geoffrey     4m30

3^rd Helen H     3m 46              10th David G   4m30

4^th Martin D     3m 47              11th Sade B    4m33

5^th John R       3m 52              12^th Lizzy B     4m35

6^th John B        4m 01              13^th Josh S      4m49

7^th Andrew       4m 12              14^th Mike B      4m50

Test 5 was another route around the same cones. Phil H getting 1m05 then Barry on 1m08 followed by Mike Burke & Nigel getting 1m09. Wrong tests for Josh Shaw, David G and Lizzy B.

Test 6 Mike B, Nigel & Phil were tied on quickest time of 1m 06, Helen & Barry getting 1m07 then John R & David both using the club car getting 1m 08.

Test 7 was a test that had been used before but caught out Geoffrey and Sade both getting wrong tests Phil was quickest with 1m11 ahead of Barry on 1m13 then Helen on 1m17. Nigel didn’t wrong test but lost some time with a detour but still better than getting it wrong.

Test 8 Phil repeated his earlier run with 1m11 followed by Mike & Nigel both on 1m13. Followed by Helen & John on 1m14. Wrong test for Lizzy and David G.

Finial test and the weather was to play a major part as it started raining and the times increased as each car went. Nigel was quickest into the start and got fastest time of 1m05 followed by Geoffrey on 1m07 then John Ross on 1m09. Wrong test for Sade and Martin D. Others losing out were Helen who went near the end in wet horrible conditions getting 1m13 while Barry could only manage a 1m23 which did include a cone.

Results

1st        Nigel Harkness      9m47            8th           Andrew Jeffrey 11m01

2nd (1st L) Helen Harkness  9m48        9th             Mike Burke       11m13

3^rd        Barry Lindsay       9m49           10th           Geoffrey Harkness 11m20

4th       John Ross            10m06             11th            David Garstang 12m28

5th       John Barber          10m32           12th (1st Jnr) Josh Shaw      12m32

6th       Martin Davies        10m44         13th            Sade Burke       13m49

7th (1st NC) Phil Hodgson 10m44        14th             Lizzy Burke       14m15

Thanks to Michael Lindsay & Caroline Lodge for marshalling and Joe & Neil Thomlinson for the use of the field.