ANDREW HERRON - 2007 SEASON REVIEW

 

Few saloon car debutants have made as impressive an impact as Andrew Herron did during the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup, the Northern Irishman ending the main season as the highest placed car racing rookie before going on to secure his maiden Clio Cup race victory during November's four-round Winter Championship.

 

The 19-year-old, from Dromore in Co. Down, out-performed a number of vastly more experienced campaigners throughout the year and after ending the main championship an excellent ninth overall, from an incredible total of 50 registered competitors, Andrew raced to the Vice-Champion's position in the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup.

 

While always confident about what he could achieve in his first ever year of car racing, with just three years of karting experience behind him Andrew knew there would be much to learn during his maiden season of action in the British Touring Car Championship supporting Clio Cup.

 

Racing for JHR Developments, Andrew's competitive debut in the ELF Renault Clio Cup came at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Saturday, 31st March, during qualifying and the qualification race for the opening round of the championship.

 

Instantly on the pace, the Brian Herron Contracts-backed star qualified third fastest in his group and then raced to a highly respectable ninth place finish in round one on Sunday, 1st April, defeating experienced saloon car drivers such as Ben Winrow and former Clio Cup Champion Jim Edwards Jnr.

 

Four more points-scoring results followed at Rockingham, Thruxton, Croft and Oulton Park and then, at the first visit of the year to Donington Park in Leicestershire, Andrew made a welcome return inside the top 10 with a truly outstanding drive – climbing from 27th on the grid, the result of a problematic qualifying race, to ninth place at the chequered flag.

 

Commenting on his hugely entertaining effort, Andrew said: "Building up to the Donington weekend we'd been on the pace everywhere. It was frustrating to have so many problems in the qualification race but starting in 27th place just made me determined to go for it. I was really pleased with the result and equally delighted for the team who did a great job."

 

Snetterton, at the end of July, saw the first ‘double-header' meeting of the season as the Clio Cup reverted to its tried and tested format of two points-scoring races at one event, rounds seven and eight.

 

Equalling his previous season's best result of ninth position during the opening race of the weekend, which would become eighth following the exclusion of a rival competitor, Andrew went on to achieve a richly deserved top four finish in the second outing, just two 10ths of a second shy of a maiden career podium.

 

The second visit of the season to Brands Hatch saw Andrew line-up 12th on the grid after finishing sixth in his qualification race. Unfortunately though, the points-scoring ninth round saw him eliminated on lap one after contact from a fellow competitor.

 

The biggest race meeting of Andrew's career came next at Donington Park's Grand Prix Circuit, the Clio Cup supporting the British round of the World Series by Renault, and with approximately 135,000 spectators looking on the JHR sensation recorded his fifth top 10 finish to put memories of the Brands Hatch weekend firmly behind him.

Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire hosted the championship finale in mid-October and proved to be something of a turning point for Andrew as he achieved his first ever Clio Cup podium during a frantic round 11. Starting 10th on the grid, he gradually worked his way forward into a position to once again think about challenging for a rostrum.

 

On lap 12, the complexion of the race changed when an oil leak from a backmarker's car resulted in a slippery surface at the Club Chicane. Andrew, showing a level of maturity and ability belying his rookie status, managed to tip-toe his way through the danger zone and was rewarded for a terrific drive with his maiden podium in cars.

 

"I really wanted to finish in the top three before the end of the year and to have made that come true at Thruxton was a fantastic feeling", reflected Andrew, "The result gave me more confidence, getting onto the podium makes you believe in yourself.

 

"I came into Clios straight out of karting and didn't know what to expect. My first aim was to qualify for the Sunday races, then it was to be in the top 10 and then we achieved the first podium which was absolutely fantastic."

 

 

Lining up third and second on the grid respectively for rounds one and two at Donington Park National Circuit, Andrew produced a brace of outstanding drives to achieve a second place finish in the opening encounter, having led the race on several occasions, and a third place result in the second, a race in which he also set a new Clio circuit lap record.

 

Heading to Croft in North Yorkshire the following weekend second in the championship, Andrew qualified on the front row for both races and in the first, which took place on a slippery track following earlier rain, the 19-year-old didn't put a wheel wrong on his way to a stunning, lights-to-flag debut Clio Cup victory.

 

With just one round remaining Andrew was well placed to challenge for the winter title and although third position wasn't enough, his fourth podium in as many races did enable him to end the campaign as Vice-Champion, a terrific result.

 

Andrew commented: "I'm quite happy with how things went for us throughout the Winter Championship. It was good experience, I led a couple of races and took my first win so I was obviously very pleased with that. Finishing second in the championship wasn't too bad at all. We've had a very good first year in cars, I'm happy with what we achieved."