|  | International
Autoecosse - 4 & 5 June 2011
Co-promoted
with Club Triumph
 The
Helm family managed to keep the top trophy in the 2011 International
Autoecosse, with last years winner Mike Helm handing the trophy to sons
Matthew and Nathan, who have inherited dad's
“spirited” driving on the tests in their Spitfire,
and showing that the young bucks are taking over! Mike and Gillian did
manage to secure their class trophy in the TR6.
Taking
the class prize
behind the winners were Andy Murdoch in his resplendent recently
rebuilt 1974 Mini with Alistair Coles, only 11 penalties behind Matthew
and Nathan.
Co-promoted with Club Triumph the
event format of a tour round some of Scotland's lesser known roads
which take in the great scenery the country has to offer, is balanced
with some fun and competition at race and track venues.
 Supporting
Macmillan Cancer Support the event collected a total of £500
through spectator donations, a raffle at the prizegiving and a donation
from CCHMSC.
52 crews reached the start line at
Gretna Welcome Break services for the 2011 International Autoecosse
tour of Scotland, including crews from Germany and the Netherlands
making this a truly “international” event.
This
year the starters routed through Dumfries and Galloway, by the Galloway
Forest to Dalmellington, and Cumnock on their way to lunch and the
first set of tests at Kames race circuit.
The
event also attracted a number of ex works cars, including the 1965
Triumph 2.5 PI FHP933C ex works rally car and prototype 2.5PI, which
was to have been crewed by ex works driver Bill Bradley and his wife
Valerie Bradley who sadly had to drop out at the last minute, their
place being taken by Dave Pearson and Jason Chinn, who in turn would
have brought ADU 5B, the 1964 Triumph Spitfire ex tour de
France car. Clark Dawson with co-driver Colin Wilkinson brought the
1965 Hillman Imp FRW 308C previously driven by Peter Harper
and Rosemary Smith, rescued and rebuilt after finding the car on a
scrap heap in Geneva. The 1962 Triumph Vitesse 6002VC crewed by Mike
Sutcliffe / Roy Fiddler in the 1963 Monte Carlo, and chase car in
1963-64 events, now owned and crewed by Andrew and Lisa Martin also
joined the ex-works line-up. The Martin's would go on to win their
class prize, and third overall on this event.
Two
sets of tests at Kames, and the opportunity to drive the race circuit
offered a real treat for the crews and an opportunity to critique their
colleagues attempts while munching on their buffet lunch.
From
one of Scotland's famous motorsporting venues to another, over at
Forrestburn, near Harthill between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The route
took participants across country to Carstairs, famous for not only its
railhead (the west coast trains split with one half going to Glasgow,
the other to Edinburgh) but also its prison. Fortunately no calls of
help were received from any crews falling foul of the law and ending up
behind bars!
Being the highest point between the two
cities Forrestburn has the advantage of great views, but also acts as a
magnet for bad weather. Luckily we arrived in the dry, though a bitter
north east wind was cutting across the hill, a complete change to the
previous day which saw temperatures climb to 27 centigrade. This
however did nothing to stop the crews having a good time on one of
Scotland's great hillclimbs.
Taking
minor roads across Scotland, particularly in west of Scotland, you
could be forgiven for thinking you're on the surface of the moon. Some
of the potholes are more like lunar craters, and despite attempting to
choose a route to minimise their number and size the event
unfortunately lost Andrew and Ian Heeley in an MK Indy due to the
winter ravages. Not unlike a Westfield/Caterham 7, the MK Indy holed
its sump on the road to Forrestburn. Councils are attempting to repair
the potholes, but some have an enormous task, and another winter may
simply put us back to square one. A Mental note to myself to include
sumpguards for low slung cars in next years regulations!
The
result of pothole repairs closed many minor roads in North Lanarkshire,
and several “reccies” were required to keep up with
them, each time forcing a redesign of the route. Fortunately the crews
are pretty road “savvy” and know how to read a map,
or if your Ellis Stokes in a TR7, how to read not one but two satnavs
at the same time!!! Perhaps he was trying a new form of 3D satnav!
Once
through the central belt we drove the famous Crow Road which climbs
into the Campsie hills from Lennoxtown, and a return to the quiet
highways to Killearn and finally our last test of the day at Loch
Lomond Shores. It had been a very long day and crews were glad to reach
their overnight beds, though as usual the Club Triumph guys went on to
party.
Sunday and we started bright and early for
our trip to the Isle of Bute. The forecast had deteriorated to rain,
but apart from a cloudy sky we managed round with only a few spots from
time to time, though it was still bitterly cold.
A
test at Lomond Shores woke up the crews before they set of to Arrochar
over the old Glen Fruin Road. Last used earlier in the year on the
Clubs Argyll Classic outing we used the knowledge that cattle grids can
rip off exhausts when driving with “spirit”. A big
CAUTION in the road book prevented a repeat on this event.
 The
Rest and be Thankful is one of Scotland's iconic hillclimbs and though
pretty rough currently will be undergoing “major
surgery” to restore the road to its former glory. A recent
full survey by CCHMSC member Dave Spence, and landowner Stephen
Kinghorn, both qualified road engineers has reported that although
surface and drainage is poor the foundations are in good order. Needs a
lot of cash to carry out the repair work so fundraising is now the
major task.
The low slung cars had to be very
careful on the approach from the A83 through the forestry section to
the hill climb start line. Adrian Harper, with son Paul took an
unintended turn into the section in their 2000 Ferrari 360 F1, and soon
realised their error. By then it was more difficult to reverse (have
you ever tried to reverse a Ferrari 360? not a lot of rear vision as
not required in a Ferrari!) than to go on. Thankfully the exhaust,
which must cost a four figure sum to replace, remained intact.
Chris
Noble brought his 1926 Bentley 4.5 Le Mans special along for the run.
No problem with ground clearance for his car. I enticed Chris to have a
second run up the Rest, with me in the co-drivers seat, just to get a
few photo shots of course! Reliving my recent run up in a 1924 Bugatti
Type 13, the run in the Bentley was just as exciting. This majestic
machinery excites the senses, of seeing, hearing, and feeling in bucket
loads. At 17 mile to the gallon it was a thirsty tour for the old girl,
but thankfully for Chris it is not a “blower”
Bentley whose superchargers, he told me, drop the mpg to around 4 to
the gallon, ouch! Chris would go on to reach Rothesay and win the
Competitors Favourite Car award.
Just after the
finish of the hillclimb Ben Hunter and Dennis Edwerds limped into the
top car park in their 3 wheeled Lomax, based on a Citreon GS and a
bit like a Morgan 3 wheeler. One of the cylinder bank
exhaust pipes had come adrift and they were searching for a
garage to get some bandage. Unfortunately they parked next to three
motorcylce cops taking a tea break, so Ben had to go cautiously so as
not to raise suspicion!
From the Rest and be
Thankful the tour headed into the Cowal Peninsula, covering most of the
roads, which compared to what we had driven on were a real delight. Not
surprising really as they are little used for through traffic. We
reached Colintraive for the short ferry ride to the Isle of Bute. There
is just about time to climb up to the viewing deck before the ferry
reaches the other side, so close a longer ferry boat would make it a
bridge!
 A run round the island to take in the Island
views ended at Rothesay Esplanade, where the cars lined up and
the
crews had a bit of fun on the final test. Ellis Stokes once again
showed his enthusiasm by collecting a cone underneath his TR7. It took
several guys to lift the front corner to extricate the now battered
cone from the underside of the car.
A Scottish
High Tea at the Victoria hotel followed by prizegiving completed the
weekend. Some would rush for the last ferry to the mainland, others
stay to party until the morning. My thanks to all the venue's and the
marshals they provided to assist us, and those competitors who helped
to marshal. A special thank you to Mike Charlton for an excellent job
organising the Club Triumph end, and doing his PR bit with the local
press. He has even booked the 2012 pre-event night stop already. Looks
like we will running the International Autoecosse next year, heading
over some new roads and venues next year.
Results
| Trophy | Crew | Car | Year |
|---|
| Overall | Matthew
& Nathan Helm | Spitfire | 1978 | | Class
1 | Andy Murdoch / Alistair Coles | Mini | 1985 | | Class
2 | Andrew & Lisa Martin | Triumph
Vitesse | 1962 | | Class
3 | Mike & Gillian Helm | Triumph
TR6 | 1972 | | Favourite | Chris
Noble | Bentley 4.5l | 1926 | | Spirit | Ben
Hunter & Dennis Edwerds | Lomax | 1966 |
|
| Updated 9 June 2011
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