Results

Event: 22-Apr-2012

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

An excellent turnout of competitors met at Caldale Camp on Sunday to contest the third round of the OMC Autotest championship. Creature comfort dictated that most club members welcomed the dry and bright conditions although, traditionally, there were some who wanted a wet course to better slide their cars around the set routes.

Once again competitors were confronted with a trick two lap special on routes three and four and several succumbed with penalty points for going the wrong way as directed on the diagrams issued to drivers at the start.

The scores are arrived at by taking the time in seconds for completing the test and adding to this any penalties picked up for going the wrong way (30 points) or striking course markers (10 points for each).

The tail-enders at this event, in thirteenth and fourteenth places, were Alan Tait and Sam Macleod. Their lowly positions were both attributable to mechanical gremlins that struck Sam in the clutch department of his venerable Ford Ka. When enquiring about the reason for Alan’s breakdown it could only be determined that “something underneath” had failed catastrophically!

John Firth once again fielded the Citroen Saxo borrowed from the Moar brothers but as his position in twelfth indicated he was still struggling with the gearbox linkage which seemed destined to prevent him from selecting the appropriate gears. Add to this sixty penalties for errors on the third and fourth tests and his fate was sealed. Sharing the Saxo with John was Andy Reid who had more success with the cars gears and, unlike John, had a solid drive to eleventh place with no penalties.

Steven Tait was sharing the drive of his often used Vauxhall Corsa but when it failed with his father Alan at the wheel this sidelined Steven in tenth spot aided by penalties for striking a course marker.

Euan Barnett and Ryan Doull once again brought their tidy Rover 200 to the event and both displayed a good turn of speed. Unfortunately however both picked up penalties and they ended as ninth and eighth respectively.

In seventh place, driving the 2.8 litre Ford Capri, was Andrew Moar who thrashed the big Ford unmercifully leaving lurid tyre marks that were probably visible from space. The price of this enthusiastic driving however was time lost recovering from slides plus a penalty for crushing a course marker.

Aaron Moar was one place ahead of his brother, this time driving the MGF he shared with his brother. Had he avoided taking out two course markers he would have moved up the leader board two places. By not getting penalties, Andrew Moar faired better with the MGF and took Fifth slot despite more dramatic driving.

Alan Tait obviously put his poor luck with the Corsa behind him and brought out a bright green road-legal Citroen Saxo for the first time.Despite accruing thirty penalty points on the fourth test Alan brought the Saxo home in fourth. It just goes to show the value of a good handbrake!

Aaron Moar, not to be outdone by brother Andrew, took the shared Capri to a new level off opposite lock drifting culminating on the third test with a nearly perfect demonstration of rear wheel driving control. His final position of third does not adequately reflect the effort required to bring this big car to the podium with no penalties.

The top two positions were, not for the first time, fought out between the cars of Steven Tait and Trevor Sutherland. Trevor took his Ford Ka to fastest times on the first two tests but left the door open on tests three and four. Steven, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, jumped straight in and by a narrow margin took fastest times on these last two tests. Both drivers were impressively fast, accurate and penalty free and the difference between them at the final tally was just three points in favour of Trevor and his long suffering Ka.

In two weeks time both drivers come head to head once again at Caldale Camp to contest the fourth round of the championship and it remains to be seen who else will step up to challenge for the top spot.



JMS