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Drivers’ standings after round 12 – provisional 

1 Martin Byford  GBR  Z Speed Racing  284 pts
2.Stefan Hodgetts  GBR Momo UK   236 pts

3.Robert Lawson GBR  JHR Developments  228pts
4 Jim Edwards Jnr  GBR  Kangaroo Int/SMC Renault/JHR 182 pts
5 Ed Pead  GBR   Mardi Gras Motorsport 174 pts
6 Ben Winrow   GBR  Total Control Racing 173 pts
7 Michael Doyle GBR  In Tune with Robertshaw Racing 156 pts
8 Chris Dymond GBR  Robertshaw Racing    119 pts
9 Andrew Herron GBR  JHR Developments  117 pts
10 Mark Speller  GBR Full Speed Racing   116 pts

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2007 Elf Renault Clio Cup

FIVE-STAR HODGETTS ENDS SEASON ON A HIGH 

Momo UK’s Stefan Hodgetts clinched his fifth ELF Renault Clio Cup victory of the season during round 12 at Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 14^th October. The win secured him second place in the overall drivers’ standings behind Z Speed Racing’s 2007 champion Martin Byford, who came second in the race. JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson completed the podium line-up in the final round and finished third overall. 

With the inaugural title using the New Clio Cup race car already secure, Byford was looking for his first victory of the season and from fifth on the grid he took the lead on lap one from Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s pole-sitter Jim Edwards Jnr who dropped to fourth. Hodgetts came through from seventh on the grid to lie second with Lawson maintaining third. 

PH Motorsport’s Philip House made the best start of all to rise from 18^th on the grid to 10^th, while Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes gained three places to ninth before the Safety Car was deployed. When racing resumed on lap four, Byford and Hodgetts broke away from Lawson, while Fildes was involved in an incident at the Complex that ended his race prematurely. 

On lap four, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead passed JHR Developments’ double former champion Paul Rivet for seventh, while Andrew Herron gained two places to ninth. Lap six saw Pead gain another place by passing Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik (Ashurst Wood), but contact made by Pead in completing the pass at Club chicane was later penalised by the Clerk of the Course with a two-second penalty, effectively reversing the positions. 

As the race approached mid-distance, Hodgetts began to significantly close on Byford, crossing the line just 0.3s behind to begin lap nine. The Safety Car was deployed at the end of the lap but while the cars were allowed to race until they reached the start/finish line, Hodgetts capitalised on a small mistake by Byford to take the lead at Goodwood. 

Rivett also slipped back on lap nine as both House and Herron gained a position. The Safety Car then came out to enable the recovery of In Tune with Robertshaw Racing’s Michael Doyle’s car, after he had a heavy impact at Noble having been running in a solid 11^th place. 

Following three laps behind the Safety Car, the restart came on lap 13 with only three racing laps remained with Byford intent on passing Hodgetts to claim his first win of the season. Lawson kept pace with the leading duo as Edwards Jnr fended off the attention of Mardi Gras Motorsport duo Árón Smith and Ed Pead. 

Entering the Complex on lap 14, Smith nudged Pead into Edwards Jnr, both drivers taking to the grass as Smith negotiated the corner but lost places to Rivett and Herron. Edwards Jnr remarkably kept fourth place, while Pead dropped down the order on successive laps to finish 19^th. His two-second penalty moved him to 21^st behind Lanik, replicating their positions prior to the contact on lap six. 

The final lap saw more drama as the cars raced up Woodham Hill towards Club chicane for the final time. At speeds of approximately 120mph, slight contact between House and Pead saw both cars spin, the unlucky Andrew Herron caught up in the incident. Robertshaw Racing’s Chris Dymond rose from 10^th behind Pead to finish sixth, while Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd completed a superb weekend in seventh place having started 24^th on the grid and earn the Renault Financial Services Driver of the Day award. 

Untroubled by the events unfolding in midfield, the leaders raced through the chicane with Hodgetts cleverly holding the middle of the road to take the victory ahead of Byford by a mere 0.381s with Lawson just behind in third. Edwards Jnr’s fourth place came under threat in the final turns from team-mate Rivett, the 2000 Clio Cup champion edging out the 2002 and 2004 champion by just 0.090s. 

Commenting on his victory, Hodgetts said: “Finally I got to have a real race with Martin, which is what we’ve been waiting for all season long. We each know that we can race with confidence in the other and it was great fun. To win five races in such a competitive championship, the most of anyone, is a great season for me and it’s a shame it wasn’t quite enough to take the title.” 

Second-placed Byford, who wins the title by 48 points from Hodgetts, said: “For one reason or another, myself and Stefan haven’t had much racing together this year despite being ahead in the championship. He was pushing me very hard in the early part of the race and I just made a slight mistake that was enough for him to take advantage of. It would have been nice to get a win to top off the championship but to be on the podium again is fantastic.” 

Third-placed Lawson, in only his second year of racing, commented: “I’ve had a really good season with my first win at Snetterton. It’s a shame I had a couple of couple of non-finishes, especially yesterday with the oil on the circuit, as that hurt my championship hopes. Today’s race was very close and nice for the top three in the championship to stand on the podium at the final round.” 

BYFORD THE CHAMPION AFTER TWIST IN PENULTIMATE RACE 

Martin Byford is the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup champion after a dramatic round 11 at Thruxton circuit on Saturday, 13^th October. The Z Speed Racing privateer finished second in round 11 to Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr who took his first win of the season, after a red flag ended the race early due to oil on the circuit. 

Two podium finishes for JHR Developments’ duo Edwards Jnr and Andrew Herron ensured the Dronfield-based team clinched the Entrants’ title with one race to spare. 

Byford becomes the first champion in the new era of Clio Cup racing, which saw a record 44 entries at the start of the season following the introduction of the new Clio Cup race car, based on the road-going Clio Renaultsport 197. The field included former Clio Cup champions Edwards Jnr and Jonathan Fildes with double champion Paul Rivett contesting the final four races. 

An oil spill at Club chicane put paid to five of the race’s leading eight drivers, including title contenders Stefan Hodgetts, Robert Lawson. Lawson made a perfect start from pole position as Edwards Jnr and Árón Smith dropped back on the opening lap. Lawson led by 1.8s at the end of lap one but the Safety Car was deployed following two separate incidents that left Derek Pierce, Chris Law and Michael Doyle out of the race and Jonathan Fildes, Alex MacDowall and Carl Bradley well down the 32-car field. 

Hodgetts took advantage of the shuffling ahead of him to rise to second place and boost his title chances with championship leader Byford down in fifth. Edwards Jnr dropped one place to third ahead of Winrow, with double race-winner Paul Rivett in sixth ahead of Árón Smith. 

At the restart on lap six, Lawson stayed just ahead of Hodgetts but was forced to defend at the chicane on successive laps as the Momo UK ace made use of the slipstream up Woodham Hill. A coming together between Smith and team-mate Ed Pead saw Pead drop to 19^th as Smith was passed by Niki Lanik, while Rivett passed Byford for fifth place. 

Further down the field, Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes was beginning a recovery drive and ended up in 11^th place, while Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd (Sandbach) consolidated his remarkable opening lap that launched him from 25^th to 12^th. 

As the leading duo broke away from the field, fourth-placed Winrow made a slow exit from Club chicane allowing Rivett to pass into Allard. Byford and Lanik also found their way past on lap nine, with Rivet immediately closing onto the rear bumper of his JHR Developments team-mate Edwards Jnr. 

In midfield, Fildes and PH Motorsport’s Philip House reached the top 16, while Lawson set the fastest lap of the race at 1min 24.710s (100.12mph). Meanwhile, Ed Pead had recovered to 15^th place, going on to finish eighth. 

Lap 11 saw a change for the race lead as Hodgetts drafted behind Lawson up Woodham Hill before moving to the outside as they entered the right-left-right chicane. Forcing his way through at the second apex, Hodgetts took the lead and was on course to reduce Byford’s championship lead to just 10 points. 

Disaster struck for the race leader on lap 12 as, ironically, his team-mate Robert Brown hit the kerb at the chicane and broke his sump, dropping oil on the racing line. Hodgetts was the first of the leaders to encounter the slippery surface on the following tour, his slick race tyres leaving him no chance of avoiding sliding off the circuit and ending his race and championship bid in the tyre wall. 

Lawson, Rivett, Lanik and Winrow were also unable to avoid the same fate as marshals attempted to warn the drivers, while third-placed Edwards Jnr, fifth-placed Byford and eighth-placed Andrew Herron spotted the warning flag and safely negotiated the chicane to claim the podium positions as the Clerk of the Course deployed the red flag to end the race. 

The result leaves Byford with a 50-point lead over Hodgetts with a maximum 34 available from the 12^th and final round on Sunday, 14^th October. The number of retirees also resulted in season-high top-10 finishes for David Shepherd in sixth, Alex Osborne in seventh, James Williams in ninth and Steve Wood in 10^th. 

Commenting on the race, new champion Byford said: “It’s not the ideal way to clinch the championship but I’m definitely happy to have wrapped it up with one round spare. When I set out this season I knew there were a lot of drivers who could win races and that consistency would be key. That has paid off for me and now all I need is a win in the last race to cap a fantastic season. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.” 

Race-winner Edwards Jnr said: “It’s an absolutely fantastic way to end the year and makes all the hard work this season from myself and the team worthwhile. It’s a slightly lucky way to win the race but for once my pace over the weekend had put me in position to benefit from the luck. I pulled a lap out of the bag late in qualifying to get second on the grid and pole for round 12 and made the most of it in the race today.” 

Third placed Herron, scoring the first podium of his debut season in car racing, said: “I feel as though a podium finish has been coming but I didn’t quite expect it to happen this way. I had the pace today to run with the leaders and made up a couple of places early on. Everyone needs a bit of luck from time to time and the luck shone on me today. This gives me the confidence to believe I can run at the front.”

SECOND WIN FOR RIVETT IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD 

Paul Rivett won his second ELF Renault Clio Cup race in succession in front of 80,000 fans on Sunday, 9^th September. The double former Clio Cup champion, who has only started two races this season, clinched a 2.463s victory from Momo UK’s Stefan Hodgetts as the premier one-make saloon-car series made its annual appearance as a support race to the World Series by Renault at Donington Park. 

Rivett started on pole position but lost out to the fast-starting Hodgetts on the run to the first corner, Redgate. He then lost another place, to Z Speed Racing’s championship leader Martin Byford at Coppice corner, while Benham Motorsport with Robertshaw Racing’s Barry Benham also lost out on the opening tour falling from fourth to seventh with a problematic clutch. 

Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes  and Youth for Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik both gained six places on lap one, the pair going on to be involved in intensely close racing throughout. Out of a season-high grid of 38 cars, Collison Racing’s Steve Collison made the best start of all to pick up eight places and lie 28^th at the end of the lap. 

As Hodgetts looked to build an early lead and close the gap on Byford in the drivers’ standings, Byford made a small error at Fogartys Chicane giving Rivett the chance to drive past on the run to Melbourne Hairpin. Hodgetts had a two-second lead at the end of lap two, but Rivett soon began to chip away at the gap. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead held fourth-place after getting past JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson on lap two as Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr dropped back from fifth to 12^th. 

Just outside the top 10, Fildes and Lanik were joined by Edwards Jnr and Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith. TCR’s Ben Winrow, who won round six at Donington Park, and In Tune with Robertshaw Racing’s Michael Doyle caught the group on lap four after earlier falling down the order. Doyle went on to set the fastest lap of the race on lap six at 1min 47.387s (83.81mph). 

At the head of the field, Rivett was inexorably reeling in Hodgetts and closed to within half a second at the end of lap five. Two laps later came the change of leader as Rivett pulled alongside into Hollywood and the pair raced side by side through the Craner Curves, each giving the other just enough room and proving they have the quality to race at Touring Car level. Rivett emerged from the Old Hairpin in the lead and was never threatened as he went on to score a valuable win. 

Further down the field the action was non-stop with Smith, Edwards Jnr, Pierce Race Team with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce  and Cleland Motorsport’s Jamie Cleland running four-wide approaching Redgate, the quartet sriving superbly to emerge from the corner as close as ever. Former Clio Cup champion Edwards Jnr won out in the end to finish 14^th ahead of Smith and Pierce, while Cleland did brilliantly to recover a huge slide as a result of a tap from Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd. 

The final lap saw only one change in the top 10 as Doyle passed JHR Developments’ Andrew Herron for ninth place. Meanwhile, Winrow recovered from a minor off at the chicane to re-pass Edwards Jnr for 13^th place. Pead threatened to overhaul Byford for third by lapping more than half a second quicker in the final three laps but a podium place eluded him as the race ended after 10 laps with Pead just 0.3s adrift. 

Two top-five finishes for Rivett and Lawson have virtually assured JHR Developments will win the Entrants Championship, which it leads by 110 points from Total Control Racing with a maximum of 120 available to score at the final race meeting. 

Commenting on his victory, an ecstatic Paul Rivett said: “I have to thank my team for giving me a great car and all my sponsors for supporting me and giving me this opportunity. I made it hard for myself with two small mistakes on the first lap but came back from that. I could see Stefan was really pushing the car so I kept cool and just went for it through the Craner Curves. We both trusted each other not to make contact and it’s fantastic to get another win.” 

Second placed Hodgetts commented: “I’ve closed the gap in the championship on Martin slightly but I was obviously hoping for more. We just couldn’t find the ‘sweet spot’ on the car’s set-up that we needed this weekend. But there are still two more races possible and it’s never over until it’s over.” 

Third placed Martin Byford said: “I’m pleased to be up on the podium, especially this weekend with the huge crowd. We were strong here earlier in the season and had a good set-up. At this stage of the season I’m thinking about the championship and consolidating my position so if I couldn’t beat Stefan the best place to be is one place behind and that’s what I managed to do.” 

The 10^th and final race meeting for the ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place on 13^th/14^th October at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit in support of the British Touring Car Championship. The grid at Thruxton can accommodate 38 Clio Cup cars and two championship races will be held unless the entry exceeds 38.

RIVETT WINS ON RETURN AS BYFORD TAKES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Former double champion Paul Rivett won round nine of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup on Sunday, 19^th August in a sensational return to the championship at Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The JHR Developments’ driver beat Z Speed Racing’s new championship leader Martin Byford and Total Control Racing’s pole-sitter Ben Winrow. 

Momo UK’s Championship leader Stefan Hodgetts was one of eight drivers who failed to start the race after tricky track conditions caused the first attempt to run the race to be aborted. With a drying but still damp track, all drivers went out on slick tyres. Amery Motorsport’s Jonathan Shepherd spun on the green flag lap before six other drivers retired on lap one causing a red flag. On the green flag lap for the restart, Hodgetts spun at Graham Hill Bend causing a second red flag and the race was moved to the end of the day. 

When the race began at its rescheduled time, Winrow led away from Byford and Rivett with PH Motorsport’s Philip House moving up to fourth around the outside of JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson at Paddock Hill Bend. Lawson also dropped behind team-mate Jim Edwards Jnr and TCR’s Jonathan Fildes on the opening tour. 

Full Speed Racing’s Mark Speller (Hertford) made the best start of anyone to surge through from 27^th on the grid to 15^th, while his team-mate Ant Scragg thrilled his local crowd by moving from 20^th to 11^th. Benham Motorsport with Robertshaw Racing’s Barry Benham, in the race as a reserve following the earlier incidents, made his way through from the back of the grid to 20^th by lap three. 

Rivett, in his first race of 2007, made his move for the lead on lap four with a pair of superb overtaking moves. First he passed Byford on the inside at Druids and immediately closed onto the back of Winrow. Carrying greater speed through Clearways, Rivett took the lead as they crossed the line and was never seriously challenged. 

With the top seven pulling away, Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik was in a lonely eighth place as Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith headed a train of 12 cars. Pierce Race Team with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce was making progress through this group, passing Mardi Gras’ Chris Rice, Scragg and Speller on successive laps. 

Lanik lost his comfortable eighth place with an error at Druids, falling to 20^th place. Edwards Jnr then ran wide at Paddock Hill Bend after a tap from Fildes, somehow keeping the car going and losing only two places. Lawson took the opportunity to pass Fildes for fifth place. 

On lap 10, Pierce overtook TCR’s James Williams at Paddock Hill Bend with slight contact between the two resulting in Williams spinning to the rear of the field. JHR Developments’ Steve Wood was unluckily caught up the incident and fell to last place. Speller caught and passed both Smith and Pierce, at Paddock Hill Bend and Druids respectively, to finish eighth. 

At the halfway stage, Rivett had opened a 2.7s lead, while Winrow was still resisting Byford’s pressure in second place. In the lower points-scoring positions, Cleland Motorsport’s Jamie Cleland produced a daring overtaking move at Paddock Hill Bend to pass EPS UK with IDL Racing Services’ Robert Gaffney. 

With three laps to go, Winrow finally made a mistake under pressure from Byford and ran wide on the exit of Paddock Hill Bend. Byford took full advantage to pass on the inside at Druids and score three extra championship points. House then started to catch Winrow but as rain fell and drivers began to struggle on slick tyres, the red flag was deployed to halt the race one lap from its scheduled conclusion. 

For Rivett is was a triumphant return to Clio Cup racing, with the 2002 and 2004 champion winning by 5.171s and earning the RFS Driver of the Day award. Commenting after the race he said: “I came here to do a job for all the sponsors who have given me an opportunity this weekend and to win the race is the best way to thank them. The team is very professional and gave me the car to perform in and once I got past in the early part of the race there was no looking back.” 

Second placed Byford commented: “Today’s race was about maximising points with Stefan unable to race. Paul was very quick and as he’s not in the title race I didn’t defend too hard against him. I was more intent on passing Ben and when he made a small mistake I took my chance so it worked out really well.” 

Third placed Winrow commented: “I’ve been going well all weekend and it’s a relief to get on the podium with all the problems earlier in the day. Paul and Martin are great competitors and for my championship hopes it’s a solid podium finish. I like Donington Park and won there last time so hopefully the next race meeting will be good for me.” 

The ELF Renault Clio Cup leaves the British Touring Car Championship support package for its next race meeting, which takes place alongside World Series by Renault at Donington Park on 8^th/9^th September. Renault has issued more than 250,000 free tickets for the event.

MAIDEN WIN FOR EMOTIONAL LAWSON AT SNETTERTON 

JHR Development’s Robert Lawson scored his first ELF Renault Clio Cup victory in round eight of the Championship at Snetterton on Sunday, 29^th July. The 30-year-old, in only his second season of racing, led round seven winner Michael Doyle of In Tune with Robertshaw Racing for the full 16 laps after beating him off the start line, with Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford third at his home circuit. 

The first attempt to start the race saw the cars of Robertshaw’s Alan Taylor, Full Speed Racing’s Ant Scragg and Momo UK’s Robert Brown  retire before the first corner. A spectacular roll for Team Pyro’s Chris Law at Riches corner meant the red flag was shown to stop the race. However, as cars slowed at different speeds, Momo UK’s championship leader Stefan Hodgetts was dramatically knocked out of the race along with Robertshaw’s Chris Dymond. All drivers involved were unhurt, with 27 cars left to take the restart. 

Having led away from pole position at the first time of asking, Doyle lost out as the race got underway with Lawson taking the lead round the outside at Riches. and Byford, who had both passed Total Control Racing’s Ben Winrow (Earls Barton). 

While the majority of the grid made a clean start, contact at the Esses between Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead and Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik saw Lanik drop to 13^th at the end of the lap and Benham Motorsport with Robertshaw Racing’s Barry Benham fall to last place after taking evasive action. 

The top eight cars broke clear as those behind slowed but the field bunched up as the Safety Car was deployed to allow marshals to remove a tyre stack from Russell chicane. In a repeat of his round seven heroics, Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd rose from the 16^th row of the grid to lie 20^th as the Safety Car came out on lap three. Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan made up a place just before crossing the line to come under Safety Car conditions by passing TCR’s Jonathan Fildes. 

When racing resumed on lap six, Benham immediately set about recovering lost ground from the back of the pack. In midfield, Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith and Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Dan Eagling resumed their incredibly close race for 11^th, before contact as Eagling attempted to overtake through Coram curve on lap nine dropped him to 24^th. 

As the race reached lap 10, the top eight remained unchanged with Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr having passed Pead for eighth spot. Benham was certainly a man on the move, gaining three places on lap nine. He then took advantage of Shepherd and Cleland Motorsport’s Jamie Cleland slowing through the Bomb Hole to pass both drivers and PH Motorsport’s Philip House to lie 15^th on lap 12. At the head of the field, Lawson had eased out to a 0.5s lead over Doyle with Herron in hot pursuit. 

The Northern Irishman pressed a little too hard on lap 12, however, running wide at Sear corner allowing Byford to draft past on the Revett straight into third place when it looked as though he had been dropping back from Herron. 

On the following lap, Smith received another unwanted tap, this time from TCR’s James Williams as the pair went through the Esses. Full Speed Racing’s Mark Speller was alert enough to dive through into 12^th ahead of Smith, while Williams dropped to 19^th. Williams then dropped to 23^rd by losing momentum as EPS UK with IDL Racing Services’ Robert Gaffney made a brave move around the outside at Riches. 

With two laps to go, Lawson was still secure in the lead with a gap of one second to Doyle. Just behind, contact between team-mates Fildes and Winrow dropped the pair behind Edwards Jnr, with Fildes falling back to finish 11^th. The penultimate lap saw Cleland pass three cars in one corner as he took full advantage of other drivers’ overtaking attempts to pass Shepherd, House and APO Motorsport’s Alex Osborne for 15^th. 

Despite confusion over his pit board leaving him to think he had won the race one lap early, Lawson held on for his first Clio Cup win after just over one year in the sport. Commenting after the race he said: “This is quite an emotional time for me and it means a lot to get my first win. The team has been brilliant all season and this weekend it has all come together for us. I had my first podium here last year and now my first win so I definitely like this circuit!” 

Second placed Doyle said: “I had a good start the first time but Robert got the jump on me at the second start and I had to slot in behind. I was always looking for a way past but couldn’t keep close enough through the high-speed corners to make a move. After the win yesterday, I’m still very happy with a first and second place from the weekend.” 

Third placed Byford said: “I’d made up places before the red flag but luckily I was able to repeat that when the race got going the second time. Andrew just made a small mistake and that allowed me through to third and with Stefan not finishing it’s good for my championship. I still want to race Stefan properly on the track and we were together on the grid today but unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way.” 

The result of round eight remains provisional pending further judicial review.  

DOYLE AND ROBERTSHAW CELEBRATE FIRST VICTORY 

Michael Doyle clinched his first ELF Renault Clio Cup victory at Snetterton, leading the whole of round seven from pole position until a red flag on lap 13 brought the race to an end. The 20-year-old Scot’s win is also the first in the series for Robertshaw Racing, the team he joined at the start of the season. Championship leader Stefan Hodgetts finished second to extend his lead, with Doyle’s team-mate Chris Dymond in third making it a day to remember for the Whitley Bay team. 

The race, scheduled for 16 laps and extended to 19 due to an earlier Safety Car period, was red flagged when Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Chris Rice hit the stationary car of Double Six Racing’s Andrew Bentley. Rice was treated in the medical centre and although badly shaken, received no serious injuries. 

As the lights went out to start the race, Doyle made a clean start to lead into the first corner. Fellow front row starter Ben Winrow was quickly swamped by cars and retired on lap one by going off at the Bomb Hole. JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson inherited second place ahead of Hodgetts and Martin Byford. 

Dymond and Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan each gained two places on lap one, while JHR’s Andrew Herron) fell three places. Further down the field, Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd made up 10 places in a flying opening tour. 

Lap three saw Hodgetts pass Lawson for second place and immediately close onto the rear bumper of Doyle. Byford also got past Lawson for third, while Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes overtook Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik to take fifth place. Rice dropped two places as Dymond and Jordan continued to make progress towards the top six. 

At the end of the lap the Safety Car was brought out to recover the car of Momo UK’s Robert Brown, who retired on lap one along with JHR’s Steve Wood, Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Guy Parr and Bentley. In the battle for third place, Lawson edged past Byford but it later transpired this occurred after the start-finish line so the cars were running in the incorrect order under the Safety Car. 

When racing resumed on lap nine, Hodgetts immediately had a run on Doyle after carrying more speed through Sear corner, although the leader was able to keep his place heading into the Esses. Just behind, Byford and Lawson touched at the Esses as Byford attempted to pass and both ran wide, Byford recovering to finish 10^th while Lawson retired. Lawson was penalised two Championship points by the Clerk of the Course for the contact, a decision upheld on appeal by the Stewards of the Meeting. 

The incident delayed Lanik and promoted Fildes into a podium position ahead of Dymond and Jordan who were involved in a terrific race in their debut Clio Cup season. Soon after, Mardi Gras’ Ed Pead (Northampton) and Benham Motorsport with Robertshaw Racing’s Barry Benham (Cheltenham) both passed Rice, dropping him to eighth ahead of Byford. 

Jordan set the fastest lap of the race on lap 11 of 1min 18.324s (89.71mph) to close the gap on fourth-placed Dymond. The pair then jumped up another place as Fildes, on course for a second podium of the season, suffered a broken track rod at the Esses and retired. Doyle and Hodgetts were as close as ever at the head of the field, with Dymond and Jordan having an equally tight tussle. 

As the final push for podium places was set to begin, Rice went off between Riches and Sear after contact with Lanik and hit Bentley’s car with great force. The severity of the incident brought the red flag, with the result taken from the end of lap 12. Lanik was later excluded from the classification and penalised four Championship points, a decision also upheld by the Stewards of the Meeting. 

Commenting on his win, an ecstatic Doyle said: “I had the pace in a straight line but Stefan caught me under braking so it was always going to be close and I wasn’t disappointed the race finished early. I’ve been trying each season for this win and had podiums before so to get it here, especially with it being Robertshaw’s first win as well, is fantastic. We’ve got another one to win tomorrow now.” 

Second placed Hodgetts said: “As soon as I saw Lawson and Byford go off in my mirror I was quite happy to finish second because I’m looking at the bigger picture in terms of the championship. I got alongside Michael at one point but he was so quick in a straight line he kept pulling away, even if I could catch him under braking.” 

Third place Dymond, who started 10^th on the grid, said: “Getting up to third is not bad at all! I got a decent start, not a great one, and kept out of trouble on the first lap. Then several people went off in front and it was a case of ‘thank you very much’. It was a great race with Andrew and although I think I can go quicker, I can’t complain about finishing third.” 

Judicial review after the race found Andrew Herron guilty of overtaking under yellow flags that were waving to cover the incident involving Rice. Herron was excluded from the classification by the Clerk of the Course and penalised four Championship points, a decision reduced on appeal by the Stewards of the Meeting to a reprimand and two points, meaning he retains his eighth place. 

Round eight of the ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place on Sunday, 29^th July at 13.10.

ECSTATIC WINROW CLINCHES FIRST CLIO CUP WIN OF THE SEASON

Ben Winrow scored his first victory of the season in round six of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park National circuit on Sunday, 15^th July. The Total Control Racing man, who finished sixth overall in 2005, took the lead on the opening lap and was never threatened as he won by 5.938s from JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson. Momo UK’s Stefan Hodgetts extended his Championship lead despite ending a run of four wins with third place. 

Z Speed Racing’s pole-sitter Martin Byford made a clean start to lead Hodgetts into Redgate corner on the first lap but Robertshaw Racing’s third placed man Chris Dymond stalled on the grid and fell to 17^th. In trying to build a significant advantage, however, Byford carried too much speed into the Old Hairpin and ran onto the grass, with Hodgetts following him with his own off-track excursion. This left the way clear for Winrow to snatch the lead with Lawson and Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead also gaining places to lie second and third. 

Series debutant Jamie Clarke saw his first race for Cleland Motorsport end at the second corner as he retired in the gravel. Mardi Gras’ Chris Rice and TCR’s Jonathan Fildes also failed to complete a lap as the 36-car field entertained the crowd at the 1.96-mile Derbyshire circuit. 

After heavy rain earlier in the day, all drivers were on wet weather tyres with the exception of Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd, who took the gamble of slick tyres. The gamble failed to pay off with a series of spins leaving Shepherd one lap behind, although he did score two bonus points for setting the fastest lap of the race at 1min 24.658s (83.23mph) on the penultimate lap as the track continued to dry out. 

At the start of lap two, Lawson ran wide at the exit of Goddards chicane allowing Pead to close onto his rear bumper although Lawson, in just his second season of car racing, was able to defend from the three-time Clio Cup vice-champion. Just behind, Hodgetts had recovered to fifth place and was pressuring Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Dan Eagling, passing him at the end of the pit straight. 

Eagling was then passed on lap five by Benham Motorsport with Robertshaw Racing’s Barry Benham, with the duo joined by Byford as they crossed the line nose to tail. Both Eagling and Byford were able to pass Benham as they raced through Craner Curves in thrilling wheel-to-wheel action. 

By the halfway stage of the 14-lap race, Winrow’s lead was up to six seconds over Lawson and Hodgetts, who passed Pead as he ran wide on the exit of Coppice. Meanwhile, Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik  had surged from 32^nd on the grid to 17^th, Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr had climbed from 13^th to sixth and Team Pyro’s Chris Law had risen from 36^th to 24^th in seven laps. 

The end of lap eight saw two changes in the top order as Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan passed Benham around the outside at Redgate, while Edwards Jnr got the better of Dan Eagling. 

Two laps later, Dymond continued his fightback by passing TCR’s Alex MacDowall for 10^th place before Dymond, MacDowall and Benham entered Goddards three-wide. Although they all got through the corner, Dymond saw his race end at Redgate, where Full Speed Racing’s Mark Speller joined him in retirement one lap later. 

In the battle for podium places, Hodgetts thought about a move on Lawson at Goddards with three laps to go but Lawson defended the place well. On the same lap, Lanik, who made a memorable debut in the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park in 2006, gained three more places to finish in 12^th place and earn the RFS Driver of the Day award. 

At the start of the final lap, Byford made another uncharacteristic error as he ran wide out of the chicane allowing Jordan to snatch seventh place. Momo UK’s Robert Brown also lost out to PH Motorsport’s Philip House and JHR’s Andrew Herron who finished ninth having started 23^rd. 

Victory belonged to Winrow and he moves to within five points of Lawson in the battle for third overall in the drivers’ standings. Commenting on the win, Winrow said: “TCR has put in a lot of hard work this weekend with the changeable conditions and to win today is a great result. Stefan and Martin both went off early on and I went for the gap and was away. I just kept an eye on the gap back to Robert in my mirror and kept a steady pace until the end.” 

Second placed Robert Lawson said: “To start sixth and finish second, in tricky conditions, is a good result for me. Towards the end I had to decide whether to defend against Stefan or settle for third place but I had the pace in the car to keep him at bay. We’d had some difficulties with the set-up but it all worked out well when it mattered most.” 

Third placed Hodgetts commented: “It’s a shame to end the run of wins but there’s a championship to think about and I’ve extended my lead so that’s important. On the first lap I tried to follow Martin and keep with his pace but that meant that when he went off so did I. It was good fun to battle back through to third though and I’m pleased overall.” 

The result of round six remains provisional pending further judicial review. After the race, Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor, Booker Motorsport’s Dean Hobson and Full Speed’s Chris Panayiotou were all penalised two points by the Clerk of the Course. Following Saturday’s qualification races Taylor was penalised two points, while Full Speed’s Ant Scragg and Double Six Racing’s Andrew Bentley were each penalised three points. 

FOURTH WIN AS HODGETTS EXTENDS LEAD

Stefan Hodgetts  clinched his fourth successive ELF Renault Clio Cup victory with a lights-to-flag win in round five at Oulton Park Island circuit on Sunday, 24^th June. The Momo UK ace beat Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford  into second place with Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead  in third. 

A capacity grid of 32 cars began the race at the 2.23-mile Cheshire venue and intermittent rain showers meant the majority started the race on wet weather tyres. Only Amery Motorsport’s local driver David Shepherd and Double Six Racing’s Andrew Bentley opted for slick tyres, which turned out to be an inspired move. 

All the cars safely negotiated the tight first corner, Old Hall, on lap one with Hodgetts just holding off the fast-starting Pead. Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes  also got away from the line well, passing In Tune with Robertshaw Racing’s Michael Doyle and challenging Byford for third place. 

Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan  passed Full Speed Racing’s Mark Speller  for 10^th place on the opening tour. In the midfield pack, Speller’s team-mate Chris Panayiotou had a spectacular first lap to gain five places, while Amery’s Jonathan Shepherd thrilled the home fans by making up eight places to lie 22^nd. 

However, contact on the run up Hilltop towards Knickerbrook chicane saw Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor (Whitley Bay) unlucky to hit the tyre barrier with a heavy impact, spreading debris across the track. The nature of the incident made recovery of the stricken car difficult and meant the Safety Car was deployed for five laps. Due to timetable restrictions and a circuit noise curfew, the race was reduced to from 12 laps to nine. 

As the circuit dried, drivers on wet tyres attempted to preserve them by weaving off line, while Bentley and David Shepherd looked set to capitalise on their choice of slicks. When racing resumed on lap seven, Bentley immediately passed Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Dan Eagling . David Shepherd, however, was another innocent casualty as a spinning car unavoidably ran into him, ending his race. 

On the same lap, PH Motorsport’s Philip House  passed Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr (Maidenhead) at Island hairpin to take eighth place. Edwards Jnr then lost out on the following lap to Jordan as he dropped to 10^th. 

In the three-way battle for fourth place, Doyle pulled alongside Fildes as they raced out of Island Hairpin, with the Scot edging out the Irishman for fourth at Knickerbrook. Contact between the pair slowed their momentum, allowing TCR’s Ben Winrow (Earls Barton) to pass both in the space of a few corners and secure fourth spot at Druids. 

Panayiotou made further progress by passing both TCR’s Alex MacDowall  and JHR’s Steve Wood  to rise to 12^th place. On the last lap, he was passed by team-mate Speller to eventually finish in 13^th place and earn the RFS Driver of the Day award. 

The penultimate lap saw Bentley climb three more places to lie 13^th, while Robertshaw’s Chris Dymond ran wide at Cascades fall six places to 27^th. Meanwhile, Cleland Motorsport’s Jamie Cleland, who opted to start from the pit lane to avoid any incidents at the first corner, gained six places in one lap to lie 25^th. 

On the final lap, Byford finally received the reward for pressuring Pead throughout the race with a neat overtaking move at Island Hairpin. As Pead covered the inside line, Byford moved to the outside and carried greater speed on the exit of the corner as Pead ran wide. Just behind, Jordan challenged House for eighth place but was unable to find a way past as he bounced across the grass.

Bentley’s remarkable rise ended in 10^th place as he crossed the line, also setting the fastest lap of the race at 1min 40.371s (79.83mph). This was more than one-second quicker than the best lap of race-winner Hodgetts and Bentley would surely have finished higher had the race been able to run its full distance. 

At the head of the field, Hodgetts remained untroubled as Byford and Pead battled for the remaining podium positions. Hodgetts took the chequered flag with a lead of 1.537s and open a gap of 10 points over Byford at the top of the drivers’ standings. 

Commenting on a fourth successive victory, Hodgetts said: “Losing laps to the Safety Car doesn’t bother me because I’m still on the top step of the podium. I’ve had four wins but that’s not enough for me, I still want more. I’ll keep working hard myself and with the team and hopefully have more days like this.” 

Second-placed Byford said: “It’s difficult to pass here and Ed was able to defend the inside line quite easily. I went to the outside and hoped he would out-brake himself and that’s what happened so I was able to switch back to the inside. I still need to up my game a bit more to beat Stefan but hopefully we’ll race again on a clear track.” 

Third-placed Pead commented: “I’m disappointed with third place because I shouldn’t have let Martin get past when he did. The car has been going well this weekend and it’s good to be back on the podium but it’s frustrating to drop a place with only a few racing laps.” 

Round six of the ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place at Donington Park National circuit on 14^th/15^th July. The results of round five remain provisional pending further judicial review. Full Speed Racing’s Ciaran Butler was issued with a formal reprimand and penalised two championship points. Robertshaw Racing’s Chris Dymond’s car was found to be under weight after Saturday’s timed qualifying session and he is penalised six championship points.

Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 5 - provisional 

1 Stefan Hodgetts            GBR            Momo UK                                132 pts

2 Martin Byford  GBR            Z Speed Racing                                     122 pts

3 Robert Lawson            GBR            JHR Developments                  101 pts

4 Ben Winrow             GBR            Total Control Racing                      92 pts

5 Ed Pead                   GBR            Mardi Gras Motorsport                   84 pts

6 Mark Speller             GBR            Full Speed Racing                         81 pts

7 Michael Doyle   GBR            In Tune with Robertshaw Racing         74 pts

8 Jim Edwards Jnr            GBR            Kangaroo Int/SMC Renault/JHR         70 pts

9 Andrew Jordan GBR            Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit          58 pts

10 Jonathan Fildes  IRL            Total Control Racing                          46 pts

THREE IN A ROW FOR NEW SERIES LEADER HODGETTS  

Stefan Hodgetts surged to the top of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup drivers’ standings after clinching his third victory in as many races at Croft circuit on Sunday, 3^rd June. The Momo UK ace, who missed the first round, took his third win from Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Fildes. The Irishman and third-placed Jim Edwards Jnr, both former Clio Cup champions, made their first appearance on the podium this season. 

With yet another capacity grid of 36 cars at the 2.13-mile North Yorkshire venue, Hodgetts led from pole position and held off the challenge of Fildes and Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford to lead into the first corner, Clervaux, on lap one. Action in midfield and the concertina effect led to Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan, Team Pyro’s Chris Law and APO Motorsport’s Alex Osborne failing to complete the first lap. 

Collison Racing’s Steve Collison suffered damage on the opening lap and although he rejoined, he was lapped by the leaders before retiring on lap three. On the same lap, a coming together between Full Speed Racing’s Ant Scragg and Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith saw both retire in the gravel at Clervaux, with Smith penalised two championship points. 

Hodgetts set about building a lead over Fildes as Byford led Mardi Gras’ Ed Pead, Edwards Jnr and In Tune with Robertshaw Racing’s Michael Doyle in the chasing pack. With a lead of more than one second, Hodgetts approached Collison to lap him and as he moved to put his headlights on, inadvertently switched off the ignition for a brief moment. He recovered just in time to retain his lead but Fildes closed onto his bumper as the pair entered the Complex for the third time. 

While lapping Collison, PH Motorsport’s Philip House lost out to a clutch of cars dropping from seventh to 12^th place. JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson was sixth at his home circuit ahead of Doyle and Full Speed’s Mark Speller  who had a quiet race in seventh. 

Pushing to capitalise on Hodgetts’ error, Fildes braked late and slid wide at the Complex, allowing Byford to challenge at the hairpin but to no avail and Pead in turn closed on Byford. Together with Edwards Jnr, the trio ran nose to tail for the first half of the race before 2000 Clio Cup champion Edwards Jnr was able to pass Pead for fourth place on lap seven with a neat move at the hairpin. 

Pead lost a further place on the following lap as Doyle followed Edwards Jnr’s lead to pass at the hairpin. Pead tried to fight back at Tower Bend but succeeded only in tapping Doyle sideways. Doyle recovered to lie sixth, while Pead was forced into retirement, promoting Lawson to fifth. 

Towards the rear of the field, series debutant Richard Cannon marked his first outing for JHR with a creditable 23^rd place finish. Having never raced cars competitively, the 39-year-old lost out to Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor and Team TWC’s Barry Benham  in the early stages but held off TCR’s Alex MacDowall  comfortably and was challenging Benham to the chequered flag. 

On lap nine, Edwards Jnr completed his rise to the final podium spot with an opportunistic pass as Byford slid at the Complex. Just outside the top 10, TCR’s Ben Winrow passed JHR Developments’ Andrew Herron and led him across the line with the duo almost touching, just 0.095s apart. 

At the head of the field, Hodgetts and 2003 Clio Cup champion Fildes had opened a comfortable gap of four seconds over the rest of the field with Hodgetts holding a two-second advantage over Fildes. On the penultimate lap, Lawson tried desperately to pass Byford for fourth place but the Z Speed Racing man was able to defend the place to the chequered flag. 

But the day, as with the rest of the weekend, belonged to Hodgetts who completed a clean sweep of pole position and win in his Qualification Race with NGK Laser Platinum Pole Position, win and THB Clowes Fastest Lap of 1min 33.386s (81.92mph) in the championship round. 

Commenting on his victory, a delighted Hodgetts said: “I’m just trying really hard and I’m thoroughly enjoying the racing. When a sportsman is enjoying his job, he’s very hard to stop. The incident when I turned the engine off wasn’t too much of a panic because I realised quickly and got back to doing my job and winning the race.” 

Second-placed Fildes, who through no fault of his own had failed to complete a point-scoring round in the first three meetings, said: “It’s definitely long overdue and this is the best day I’ve had in a long time. I got past the first corner for the first time and it’s great for TCR and all my sponsors and I’ve got to thank them. Hopefully that’s all my bad luck out of the way for this season.” 

Third-placed Edwards Jnr, making his return to Clio Cup racing this season after a part-season in 2004, said: “It’s fantastic! I’ve wanted to win for a long time and I’ve been out of racing for a couple of years. To get on the podium in this championship is a great achievement because there are so many drivers that are so closely matched.” 

Hodgetts now leads the championship by six points from Martin Byford. The fifth of 10 race meetings takes place at Cheshire’s Oulton Park circuit on 23^rd/24^th June. 

Following a review of video evidence, Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik (Ashurst Wood) and Barry Benham were both reprimanded and penalised two championship points. 

WIN NUMBER TWO FOR HOTSHOE HODGETTS

HODGETTS WINS ON CLIO CUP DEBUT AT ROCKINGHAM

Stefan Hodgetts took victory in his first-ever ELF Renault Clio Cup race in round two at Rockingham on Sunday, 22^nd April. The 24-year-old former British Touring Car Championship driver replaced Sean Brown  at Momo UK after round one and immediately proved his quality by leading home Total Control Racing’s Ben Winrow and Robertshaw Racing’s Chris Dymond. The race, scheduled for 14 laps, was reduced to nine laps due to live television coverage of the BTCC race that followed the Clio Cup race. 

Winrow started the race from NGK Laser Platinum pole position after Saturday’s Qualification Races, alongside JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson. The pole-sitter led the 36-strong field through the banked Turn 1, with Hodgetts climbing from seventh on the grid to lie second. Team TWC’s Barry Benham had the best start of all, leaping from 17^th on the grid to sixth. 

Contact between Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE’s Niki Lanik, Cleland Motorsport’s Jamie Cleland  and TCR’s Jonathan Fildes  ended Fildes’ race before the banked Turn 1 and brought out the Safety Car for one lap. Fildes, the 2003 champion who was expected to challenge for the title again, has now failed to finish either race after being caught up in two incidents through no fault of his own. Lanik also retired later on lap one, while Cleland dropped from 16^th to 29^th. 

As the huge field swept through the right-hander at Yentwood, Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan retired after qualifying in sixth, while Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Chris Rice also retired. Dymond stayed to the inside line through Deene hairpin to move up to third place ahead of Lawson, Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford and Benham. 

At the restart, the front three swiftly made a break from the rest of the field and there was also a large gap between Full Speed Racing’s Chris Panayiotou in 23^rd place and EPS UK with IDL Racing Services’ Robert Gaffney  as drivers were caught out by the Safety Car pulling into pit lane. Almost immediately, Hodgetts found a way past Winrow to take the race lead, which he would hold throughout. 

PH Motorsport’s Philip House  and In Tune with Robertshaw Racing’s Michael Doyle also made the most of the restart to gain places in midfield. Then on lap four, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s round one winner and Championship leader Ed Pead  passed Benham for sixth place and closed onto the back of the battle between Lawson and Byford. 

On lap six, contact between Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley  and Cleland Motorsport’s Finlay Crocker  saw the former retire at Deene hairpin, while the Scot dropped to the rear of the field. At the head of the field, Hodgetts was now leading by almost 1.5s as Lawson continued to fend off the duo of Byford and Pead in the contest for fourth place. 

In the group that formed behind Lawson, Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/JHR’s Jim Edwards Jnr (Maidenhead) looked most likely to gain a place as he swarmed over the rear of Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Dan Eagling in 11^th and 12^th places. Edwards Jnr did finally get past Eagling on lap eight in a period that saw Benham fall four places after being overtaken by Double Six Racing’s Andrew Bentley at Pif Paf. 

In the lower positions, Team Pyro’s Chris Law  passed the more experienced Jonathan Shepherd  of Amery Motorsport for 25^th place. Edwards Jnr undid his earlier good work by out-braking himself into Deene hairpin under pressure from Eagling on the final lap to finish a disappointing 17^th having been 10^th on the penultimate lap. Benham was also looking to make up lost ground but found himself falling to 14^th place after his encouraging opening lap. 

At the head of the field, Hodgetts had continued to steadily extend his lead over Winrow and Dymond, setting the THB Clowes Fastest Lap of 1min 31.519s (76.65mph) on lap nine. As the BTCC pit lane prepared to open for its final race, which is shown live on ITV1, the chequered flag was shown at the end of lap nine to give Hodgetts victory in his first major car race since 2004. 

Commenting on the win, an ecstatic Hodgetts said: “When you spend two years not racing, a race like today makes you realise the hunger and determination you have to be racing again and I’ll cherish this win. I got a bit lucky at the start to make it up to second from seventh but then I had the speed and set-up on the car to get past Ben. It’s an awesome feeling to win on my first Clio Cup appearance!” 

Second-placed Winrow said: “I had the run on the inside line at lap one but got muscled out a little. As long as I finish on the podium consistently I’ll have a chance of the title so this is a good result for me. I was looking after the car to mount a challenge on the last few laps but unfortunately they never came so we’ll never know if I could have caught Stefan for the lead.” 

Commenting on his first Clio Cup podium, Chris Dymond said: “The start was crucial for me and I went straight to the inside and tried to follow Ben from pole position. I was able to keep pace with the front two and knew that the three behind me were scrapping among themselves so the podium place was safe. There wasn’t ever a chance to go for second place but in only my second Clio Cup race, third isn’t a bad result at all.” 

The results of round two remain provisional while the Clerk of the Course concludes the judicial proceedings. After the race, Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd  was penalised two championship points and received a formal reprimand. 

The next Clio Cup meeting is at Hampshire’s high-speed Thruxton circuit, where 38 cars are permitted to start championship races.

Drivers’ Championship standings after round 2 – provisional 

1 Ed Pead                   GBR            Mardi Gras Motorsport                               47 pts

2 Robert Lawson            GBR            JHR Developments                                                 47 pts

3 Martin Byford  GBR            Z Speed Racing                                     42 pts

4 Chris Dymond            GBR            Robertshaw Racing                                       37 pts

5 Ben Winrow             GBR            Total Control Racing                                     35 pts

6 Stefan Hodgetts            GBR            Momo UK                                                       34 pts

7 Mark Speller             GBR            Full Speed Racing                                     34 pts

8 Andrew Jordan GBR            Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit                        30 pts

9 Árón Smith               IRL            Mardi Gras Motorsport                               28 pts

10 Michael Doyle   GBR            In Tune with Robertshaw Racing             22 pts

PEAD TAKES LIGHTS TO FLAG WIN IN SEASON OPENER

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Ed Pead  clinched victory in round one of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup with a win from pole position at Brands Hatch Indy on Sunday, 1^st April. The three-time Clio Cup vice-champion opened a one-second lead by the midway point and although a brief Safety Car period erased that gap, he re-established his advantage to win by 2.261s. Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit’s Andrew Jordan  was second on his Clio Cup debut, with JHR Developments’ Robert Lawson completing the podium line-up. 

A capacity grid of 32 cars ensured spectacular action for the thousands in attendance, with Pead making the most of a clear track in front of him to pull away on lap one. Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford slotted into second by passing Full Speed Racing’s Mark Speller  who had initially taken the position at Paddock Hill Bend. Behind Pead, the 31 remaining cars looked to have negotiated Paddock Hill Bend without incident, before Jonathan Shepherdspun having started 27^th. 

Team TWC (GB) Ltd’s Barry Benham also suffered a spin on the opening lap, dropping him down to 27^th place having started fifth. On lap three, Lawson moved into fourth place at the expense of Speller with a neat move on the inside at Druids Hairpin. 

Pead and Byford quickly established a clear lead at the head of the field as the race settled into a rhythm at the front. In midfield, Total Control Racing’s Alex MacDowall passed his team-mate James Williams, while Ben Winrow leapt from 17^th to 13^th in the space of one lap. EPS UK with IDL Racing Services’ Robert Gaffney was forced into retirement after contact with Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley .Lap four saw Jordan set the fastest lap of the race and he bettered that time on lap six to set the THB Clowes Fastest Lap with a mark of 53.419s (80.80mph) to claim two bonus points and set a lap record for the 1.20-mile circuit in New Clio Cup, the brand new racer making its UK racing debut today. This also enabled him to close on Byford and the 17-year-old was looking to pass the more experienced Byford, gaining ground repeatedly at Paddock Hill Bend. 

In midfield, Double Six Racing’s Andrew Bentley was battling Team Pyro’s Chris Law  for 18^th place. The 16-year-old Law came out on top as Bentley ran wide at Graham Hill Bend and Clearways to drop to 25^th place, while a tangle between Bradley and Williams enabled Law to rise to 16^th as the Safety Car was deployed on lap eight. 

At the restart, Benham caught J&D Pierce Race Team’s Derek Pierce napping and moved through on the inside at Paddock Hill Bend. On the following lap, JHR Developments’ Andrew Herron passd Kangaroo International/SMC Renault/Mark Fish's Jim Edwards Jnr in exactly the same way at the same corner. 

A great tussle between Winrow, PH Motorsport’s Philip House and Glenn Eagling Motorsport’s Dan Eagling saw three passes in as many laps as Winrow emerged in 11^th place ahead of Eagling and House. Reigning ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup champion Niki Lanik  continued his rise from a disappointing grid position to 18^th place on lap 17 in his Youth 4 Human Rights with SVE car. 

Lap 17 also saw a change among the leaders as Jordan finally found a way past Byford, pulling alongside on the start/finish straight and holding the inside line at Paddock Hill Bend. Both drivers showed great respect and car control as they raced up the hill to Druids Hairpin but Jordan was able to keep the inside line and the position. 

Byford would lose out at Druids three laps later as Lawson took third place after failing to follow Jordan through in the earlier exchange. Meanwhile, Pead took the chance to extend his lead to 1.7s with three laps to go in a race lengthened to 23 laps due to the Safety Car spell. 

Robertshaw Racing’s Chris Dymond (Akeley) dropped four places to ninth after sliding at Clearways and only narrowly avoided an unintentional trip to the pitlane. This allowed Michael Doyle (Gartocharn) to climb to fifth place with Speller finishing sixth. Cleland Motorsport duo Finlay Crocker (Bathgate) and Jamie Cleland (Melrose) both ended their race in the gravel trap at Paddock Hill Bend as Crocker ran wide on lap 22 with Cleland unable to avoid following his team-mate off the track. 

But the day belonged to Renault Aftersales-backed Pead who secured his first Clio Cup victory since 2005 with a faultless race. Commenting on the win, Pead said: “It feels great to be back on the Clio Cup podium. Today I needed to make a good start and once I had done that, I managed to open a gap to Martin. I was able to conserve the tyres so when the Safety Car pulled in, I regained my advantage quite quickly and pushed on to win.” 

Second-placed Jordan, whose performance earned him the Atol Fuel Driver of the Day award, said: “I really couldn’t have asked for any more today. I was thinking before the race that a top-six finish would have been good so this is amazing. It was a planned move on Martin because I think he was struggling with his tyres so even though he squeezed me I was able to force him wide on the exit and keep ahead at Druids.” 

Third-placed Lawson commented: “This is a brilliant start to the year for me and I was hopeful of a good result after I did well in Friday’s practice. I had some work to do from sixth on the grid but I knew it was possible to make the podium. It wasn’t an easy race because there was a lot going on around me so I’m pleased with the outcome.” 

Round two is at Rockingham Motor Speedway on the International Super Sportscar circuit on 21^st/22^nd April.

Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 1 - provisional

1 Ed Pead                   GBR            Mardi Gras Motorsport                               32 pts

2 Andrew Jordan GBR            Team Eurotech-John Guest Speedfit                        30 pts

3 Robert Lawson            GBR            JHR Developments                                     25 pts

4 Martin Byford  GBR            Z Speed Racing                                     22 pts

5 Michael Doyle   GBR            JHR Racing Developments                         20 pts

6 Mark Speller             GBR            Full Speed Racing                                     18 pts

7 Árón Smith               IRL            Mardi Gras Motorsport                               16 pts

8 Chris Dymond            GBR            Robertshaw Racing                                       12 pts

9 Andrew Herron GBR            JHR Developments                                     12 pts

10 Jim Edwards Jnr            GBR            Kangaroo Int/SMC Renault/Mark Fish     11 pts

pics: Jakob Ebrey