FORMER champion Steve Johnson rolled back the years on last weekend’s CSMA North West Autotest at Lymm when he wheeled out his 1275cc Mini Special in a return to the sport he graced almost a decade ago.

Johnson, from Accrington, put in a class-winning performance but had to settle for second best in the overall standings to the Westfield SE of Gordon Holmes.

Johnson said: “It’s over eight years since I last autotested competitively so I was a bit rusty.

“Back in my championship winning days I was competing every weekend and I reckon today I was no more than 95 per cent of my driving peak, but it was good to get the car out particularly on the same weekend as David Coulthard was driving one.”

The former F1 star got behind the wheel of a similar car to Johnson’s as part of National Motorsport Week, which aims to encourage newcomers into grassroot motorsport.

The Lymm Autotest was one of four events taking place at the Poplar 2000 Services venue last Sunday.

Accrington Motor Sports Club Craig Moore took top Clubmans AutoSolo honours in his Rage.

Fellow Accrington member David Robinson finished second in the National B AutoSolo, while his 14-year-old son Simon finished third, behind team-mate Daniel Barker, in the Production Car Autotest.