Results

Event: 13-Apr-2014

Note: BPLD = Best Performance by a Lady Driver, BPYD = Best Performance by a Young Driver, Max = Maximum penalty for incomplete test(s), DNF = Did Not Finish

Report

The start of the Orkney Motor Club's 2014 Autotest season took place last Sunday under leaden skys at the Caldale site. The following heavy rain did little to discourage the nine competitors that had entered the event, despite a veritable duck pond appearing in the middle of the course.

As with previous competitions, the days event comprised two tests each of which had to be run twice with the total time taken, plus any penalty points, counting toward the final score. The lower the final score the better the chance of a podium award.

Entrant Ella Spence had entered her brother Robbie's Rover 24 and survived well in the prevailing conditions, with only one ten point penalty, until a mystery malaise struck the car on the third test bringing it to a sudden halt. Ella was not ready to give up at this stage and, with the loan of fellow competitor Trevor Sutherland's Ford Ka, she completed the fourth test. However, she had been awarded a penalty maximum score for her uncompleted third test and these points inevitably dropped her to last slot for the day.

Driving the ex Sam Macleod Citroen Saxo was Iain Spence putting in a good penalty-free group score only spoiled by a next to useless handbrake keeping him down at eighth place.

Karen Laughton was out in a Ford Focus borrowed from Aaron Moar for the afternoon. Not the nimblest of cars, Karen attacked the tests with gusto and brought the Focus home in a penalty-free seventh place lifting the award for the best performance by a lady driver.

Returning to club competition after a year off was Johnny Mackay driving his MG ZR. As at previous events Johnny pushed the MG hard but when a podium place looked possible he got lost on test three and picked up thirty penalties on test four for a wrong route infringement. His final score due to this was sixth and out of the awards.

Robbie Spence was at the wheel his Rover 24 and despite intermittent faults looked on course for an award. It was not to be however as the Rover's gremlins struck with finality. Like his sister Ella, Robbie was not one to give up easily and when Johnny Mackay offered his MG, Robbie just about tore his arm off to finish the fourth test and get two championship points for fifth place.

Burning the midnight oil is something that comes readily to Trevor Sutherland and so it was in his preparation of his chosen Ford Ka. On the Saturday night before the event the Ka's engine was in pieces resembling a mechanical jigsaw puzzle but it was ready to go by the time of the competition. Regrettably, time did not allow for vital handbrake tweaking so despite his rapid progress the best he could manage was fourth overall.

Another competitor working on car remedials up to the morning of the event was Andrew Moar. He had prepared another Subaru Justy following his success last season with a similar car. His progress, as usual, was very rapid and penalty free and, like several others, was not afraid to dip his car into the 'duck pond' putting up great rooster tails of muddy water. Despite this though he missed the top step of the podium by just ten points having to settle for second place overall.

The driver to deprive Andrew of this place was his brother Aaron who was fastest on test two, three and four and equal fastest on test one. To rub salt into the wound, Aaron also double entered his Ford Focus and with this he managed a creditable third place to end a good afternoons work.

The club meets next at the Caldale Camp site on the 27th April where, hopefully, after mechanical improvements the competition will be even closer and the weather greatly improved.

JMS