Results

Event: 1-Jun-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

Round four of the Motor Club’s Autotest championship was played out on Sunday at the Caldale Camp site, loaned to the club by Mr Brian Laughton. The weather was almost ideal being cool but dry, although several cars showed signs of overheating.

Ella Spence and her brother Iain shared the drive of Iain’s Citroen Saxo and both suffered from problems with the car’s power steering. The upshot of this was that a monumental effort was required to manoeuvre the little car around the set courses resulting in Ella and Iain occupying the two tail-end slots. This was however good enough for Ella to lift the trophy for best performance by a lady driver despite giving one of the concrete walls an almighty clout on her way round.

Once more at the wheel of his MG ZR, Johnny Mackay was on song and looked set for a podium finish until a succession of heavy contacts with course markers scuppered his chances of a better than fifth place.

It is unusual for Trevor Sutherland’s Ford Ka to be out of the top three places, but a series of maladies afflicted it including a failing water pump squirting water onto the electrics resulting in a misfire. So, despite being quickest on test run one, his total score dropped him to fourth spot and out of the trophies.

Driving his attractively liveried ‘Monster’ Citroen Saxo, Steven Tait climbed the first step of the podium in third place with a fast yet smooth drive. With no penalties and times always near the fastest his final position was well earned.

Not for the first time were the brothers Aaron and Andrew Moar in direct competition for the top prize whilst sharing the drive of a Subaru Justy. The car had been converted from four to two wheel drive enabling it to compete in the general category. Quite how this valiant little car absorbed the punishment meted out equally by both drivers remains a mystery. Suffice it to say that by the end only five points separated the two drivers. At the start of the fourth test Andrew and Aaron already had one fastest test to their name and it came down to Aaron to step up for his last run. At this point the Gremlins put in an appearance on the start line with a failure of the starting light requiring Aaron to restart the test. The second start was satisfactory but as Aaron was half way around the test route, unbelievably, the timing clock failed necessitating yet another restart. So, with replacement clocks in place, Aaron’s third attempt was made and despite all that had gone before he kept his head and brought the Justy home in the fastest time winning the event by five points over Andrew.

With more close competition in prospect, drivers have to wait until June 29th for their next chance to challenge this day’s winner.

JMS