Event Cheap Motorsports - Autotesting fun

[The Moog]

13 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Dribble.....

V8 as well.   

[The Moog]

I am going to enter this on 6th September - http://glenrothes-msc.com/2025/08/andy-wilson-memorial-autotest-saturday-6th-september/ 

Anyone else fancy it?  I might have a spare seat if anyone wants to try it without risking their car! 

[The Moog]

Any Scottish shires fancy a Motorsport introduction. There is a streetcar event at knockhill on 27th September.  

 

 

 

[Supernaut]

Hmm!

I'm actually renting a holiday cottage in Perthshire from the 20th to the 27th.

Could perhaps pop over before heading back north.

[The Moog]

Today's autotesting was the first trip out in the pink peril

 Quite complicated courses

Interesting mix of cars

The Volvo was amazing.

The jazz managed 6 runs before dumping loads of white smoke out the back.  At which point I decided to call it a day - nursing it the hour home. 

First thought was oil smoke, but I am convinced now it is hgf. Temp got up. Once I let it cool down and then this popped up .

 I had added this to the car as I hate having no coolant gauge.

The bonus is it can read and clear codes

I am going to try some k seal and if that *fixes* it. 

Problem is that MOT is due in Oct, it needs a clutch release bearing and has done 150k. 

Positive is that dogs like the car, it owes me nothing, it wasn't bad at autotesting and it is pink! 

[The Moog]

Next Autotest is 18th January at Errol Airfield. https://www.saltirerallyclub.co.uk/copy-of-events-2024

I have got a couple of spare driver's seat if anyone fancies coming along.  It means you don't need to risk your car. 

You can take part from 14 years old - so bring yourself and your little shiter. 

Let me know if anyone fancies trying it 

[The Moog]

Slightly smaller numbers at autotest today, I think the weather might have had an impact! 

Anyone spot the course? 

 

Literally couldn't see from one end to the other of the course. 

Was a bit nippy as well at 0 degrees all day.  Swift did single figures mpg after a day being ragged, quite impressive.

Took the swift and the rover 45. The 45 was a proper weapon, felt quite nimble round the course and got some nice 4 wheel drifts happening

Swift on the other hand got full on axle tramp as the suspension I think has seen better days.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

That looks a proper laugh. Sounds like the Rover won in every single way! Both you and your daughter look be be loving it, for sure.  I fancy doing something similar with our lad when he's older. 

[Mr Livered]

11 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Both you and your daughter look be be loving it, for sure.  I fancy doing something similar with our lad when he's older. 

Same here, I've got a couple of offspring who would probably love doing that, but one in particular. How old is your daughter, @The Moog?

[The Moog]

20 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

That looks a proper laugh. Sounds like the Rover won in every single way! Both you and your daughter look be be loving it, for sure.  I fancy doing something similar with our lad when he's older. 

 

8 minutes ago, Mr Livered said:

Same here, I've got a couple of offspring who would probably love doing that, but one in particular. How old is your daughter, @The Moog?

Not my daughter - that's my friend (Craig) and his daughter (Ada) . She is 15 1/2 so been doing it for just over a year. 

You can start as a passenger aged 11 (I think) but kids can drive from 14.  Both my nephews have done it multiple times and Ada's brother is already counting down the days till he turns 14.

Ada loves it, she getting quicker all the time.  Highly recommend it as they learn car control pretty quickly.   

You can find local events here - https://www.motorsportuk.org/events/.

Cheap as well -£35 for today's event. 

 

 

 

[Rustybullethole]

Looks great fun. That jazz is a great colour too.

Also sorry

Not sorry

[The Moog]

Next autotesting is 26th April at Erol airfield if anyone fancies it.  

Might have a spare driver's space if interested in trying but not in your car! 

[The Moog]

Had a fab time autotesting - small field due to exams, lambing and other events. 

The main issue is the rover is shit at the hairpins.  The MOT is up in June, so tempted to stick it in to see what it needs.  If it passes then I would refresh the suspension to try and improve the handling.  Alternatively there is part of me that thinks just bin it off and get something more suitable. 

 

[The Moog]

I am heading to this at the weekend 

https://abingdoncarnival.com/car-nival-autosolo/

Taking my brother and my niece for their first Autosolo outing. Sadly only two can drive the same car, so I am relegated to put crew.  

Still open if anyone else fancies heading along. 

[The Moog]

My next adventure is over the water to the isle of wight.  Hoping to go autotesting in Chale on 12th July. https://iowcc.co.uk/ 

[hairnet]

On 06/05/2026 at 09:55, The Moog said:

 

 

 

'no dis me - me quicker

 

yer no hauvin a cake ken..........

[The Moog]

Well iow was a bit of a failure.  No one's fault really.  

I take my nephew who has autism, and he loves it.  The iow car club has a rule that you must wear a helmet which he can't cope with.   It is a bit of an oddity as it is a club rule rather than UK Motorsport.  

So sadly we had to withdraw.  It was an interesting set up as it was in a proper field.  The people there were lovely and a great group . 

 

 

[The Moog]

So make up for it we are off to this tomorrow.  It is the Tunbridge Wells motor clubs evening autotest series. 

The route maps look like some slight risque graffiti from the 1980s you would find in the back of a text book. 

Looking forward to it. 

[The Moog]

I have also entered this on Sunday 

 

It is run by the Farnborough District Motorsport Club. 

I am going by myself, so if anyone fancies trying Autosolo then I will have a car they can use, plus I can passenger them to help them not get lost! 

Entries close today I think so if you do then need to be quick.   

[2110]

I have really wanted to get into this but always something going on or not had a car I'm happy to thrash around a field with a valid MOT at that time! And this is not far from us so might have to see if we are free and finally give it a go. I know my boy (13 and with autism) is desperate to drive again so I have been thinking of getting him in on autosolo/autotest (14 I think is the age?). I'll have a look on the site and see if we are free then will ping you a message if it's a go from our end

 

[The Moog]

2 minutes ago, 2110 said:

I have really wanted to get into this but always something going on or not had a car I'm happy to thrash around a field with a valid MOT at that time! And this is not far from us so might have to see if we are free and finally give it a go. I know my boy (13 and with autism) is desperate to drive again so I have been thinking of getting him in on autosolo/autotest (14 I think is the age?). I'll have a look on the site and see if we are free then will ping you a message if it's a go from our end

 

They have reduced the age to 13 from the beginning of this year.  If you both wanted to do it, you can always ask the organisers if they are ok for 3 of us to drive - they are normally happy to do so with notice. 

 

Let me know if you do fancy it 

[2110]

I think he needs a bit more practice with the clutch and changing gear, so far he's only driven an old L200 pickup truck around some woodland owned by a friend a year ago, so he's fine getting moving but hasn't had any experience of changing gears when moving yet, and says he hated going in reverse (I think through over-thinking rather than actually being afraid of it). Once he has got to grips of car movement confidently he won't mind other people being around so I will ask him after school but I reckon it would only be me driving as we don't have anywhere for him to practice sadly!

[The Moog]

In the past my nephew and nieces got a quick trip round a quiet supermarket car park for 10 mins and that was it.   You don't need to change gear, so as along as they can pull off it works! Even if they don't, they tend to let them have a few false starts. 

[The Moog]

Yesterday at Edenbridge was challenging but a great autotest.  Very different to our normal ones. 

Before that though. I managed to get a flat tyre on way up from Southampton 

Luckily I had brought a full size spare so managed to swap it over. 

2 hours to travel 40 odd miles in M25 traffic and no air con made the trip there challenging.   On arrival there was signs that an autotest was going to happen 

There were three courses set up and each had 2 different runs on it.   The way the evening worked was it a case of once the courses were set up and the marshalls were there, you decided on your plan of attack.   Each course you got two runs, with the fastest counting ( 6 in total.) .

Join the queue for your course, tell them the run and off you go. 

Definitely a nicer class of car than my usual autotest ! 

It was dusty as buggery 

First two runs went well, until the next launch and the clutch went to the floor. 

No one there had brake fluid, so we soldiered on using the starter motor to turn the car over before giving it some gas to go. 

This was fine until the battery started to die on the final two runs. Letting the car idle, we got some power back and finished around 8:20.  Some rushed WhatsApp to trusted shiters to work out what would be open late for some fluid meant a vague plan was hatched.    One of the local guys suggested  a garage 2 miles away which would definitely  stock fluid.  

All back together and headed home.  Perfect until the clutch went again 2 miles from home

So that's today's job ready for Farnborough on Sunday 

[The Moog]

Last autotest of the season at Errol airfield.  

Wide range of cars

This is one of the tests on the airfield roads

 

Took the lemony c2 which performed mostly faultlessly aside from 1) it now needs new tyres all round 2) the abs acculamtor is knackered - hard braking led to pedal going to the floor or locking on the wheels! 

So in some ways glad I didn't Roffle it.  Got to decide whether it is worth fixing, or just spend money on something else. 

I had planned on taking it to Hillclimb next Sunday, but I think it will be retired to the naughty corner for now.