August 6th, 2012
Grass Autotest. Auchenbainzie. August 5th.
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Grass Autotest. Auchenbainzie. August 5th 2012
Twelve members enjoyed the slopes and dips of one of our best venues yet again, thanks to David Kirkpatrick for giving us the use of the field with the most scenic view.
Here’s Mark Simpsn’s slant on things:
“Twelve intrepid explorers set out for the Penpont Pyrenees on Sunday.
The sun made brief appearances and the pis*** precipitation stayed away.
The organising team of Carruthers and Simpson, somewhat uncharacteristically (for one of them anyway) were first on the scene. Had we got the right day or even the correct field? We had indeed, because as promised Willie K had dropped the cones in the allotted heap. Willie was enjoying the bounteous pleasure that is a kids Birthday party. Hope he’d didn’t get a sore tummy eating all the cake!
Having sorted out the orange arrows for the direction of the puir soles without the Satnav, we plotted a course through the boggy bits, some o’ the bumpy bits, across the tap o’ the ‘illy bits and roon the back o’ the stand for the Grand Finally(sic).
In the interest of organizer laziness it was decided that each test would be driven in convoy, which helps the puir soul first off as they’ve got a line through the Rashes O’, so to speak.
The tests didn’t vary tremendously through out the day, only being tweaked at the tighter turns as they cut up. The surface was to prove the biggest challenge to most drivers as the only grip available was between their hands and the wheel.
The first seven drivers were covered by seven seconds and with Danny P taking the early lead, the newbies were all struggling with the soddin’ sodden grass. Times were slower for all on the second run, except Robert McG who woke up on the second tour.
Graham McC was to suffer at the hands of the ‘WD’ monster spoiling a good showing in the Wee Ka’s first outing in his hands.
As the day progressed, the slippy nature of the field continued to punish wayward driving (Kelsey) and brutish throttle control (Drew and Warren).
Danny was enjoying dominating the field but as he pushed the Corsa he became careless, picking up some unwanted cones in the process. Second place Ronnie C was also pushing his Corsa but a mature drive(r) kept this cone crunching to a single hit.
As the final driver, Danny took to the start of the final test while the rest of the competitors were seen rushing for cover as a Tornado like rain storm moved in from the North, over Sanquhar. In Fact it was later reported on the news that as the twister passed over Sanquhar there had been an estimated £35,000 worth of improvements !
Warren and Ronnie’s final efforts weren’t enough on what had been an interesting days motor sport, the Young Gun was first to the summit of the poultice that was the Penpont Pryenees.
Many thanks to Roland, George and Colin, the Flourestent Flunkies, who spent the day putting the world to rights at the bottom of our filthy Field of Fun. M&D
Mark Simpson and Donald Carruthers. Clerks of the Course.