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Total Control Racing’s Tom Onslow-Cole completed a lights-to-flag victory in the final round of the 2006 ELF Renault Clio Cup to sign off his title-winning year in style at Silverstone National circuit. The 19-year-old clinched his 10^th win of the campaign by just 0.317s from Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford with Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert in third.

In typical fashion, the final Clio Cup race featuring Clio Renaultsport 182 racers was incident packed from the start as Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett, Mardi Gras’ Robert Lawson and TCR’s James Williams entered Copse corner three abreast on lap one. Rivett led the group in fifth place, just behind TCR’s Nick Adcock who lost two places on the opening tour to Byford and Colbert.

Adcock then lost a further place as two-time former Champion Rivett passed him for fourth place and as Adcock briefly slowed on the National Straight he saw Williams and PH Motorsport’s Philip House relegate him to seventh at the end of lap three. Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor (Whitley Bay) ran wide into the gravel trap at Brooklands but recovered to finish 11^th, albeit some distance behind.

With Onslow-Cole unable to pull away from Byford, the top eight cars were covered by just 2.5s after four laps, as each driver used the slipstream of the car in front on the long straights at the Northamptonshire venue to maintain close contact. The man on the move was House who set two successive fastest laps before the Safety Car was deployed on lap six after a touch between JHR Racing’s Steve Wood and Boulevard/Formula Nuts’ James Clarkson sent the former spinning into the pitwall and coming to rest on the start/finish straight.

Racing resumed after five laps behind the Safety Car with Adcock immediately seizing sixth place from his team-mate Williams. The 16-year-old looked to respond instantly but his overtaking manoeuvre saw him run wide allowing Lawson and Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik to pass. Williams also lost out to JHR Racing’s Michael Doyle, who was driving a strong race having started from the pitlane, and Clarkson, in just his second-ever car race.

In the battle for podium places, Rivett passed Colbert for third place on lap 11 and immediately closed onto the rear bumper of Byford, gaining second place at Becketts on lap 15 of the extended 21-lap race. Just behind, House passed Colbert for fourth at the same corner but the Ulsterman regained the position around the outside at Brooklands.

Lap 17 saw Rivett make his first bid for the lead, challenging on the inside of Onslow-Cole at Brooklands but falling back and only just managing to hold off Byford at Luffield. Meanwhile, Clarkson, who was running in ninth, had a slight engine problem that saw him forced into retirement at Becketts. An unrelated incident resulted in Team Pyro’s Mel Healey retirement, the first DNF of the 26-year-old’s season.

The main drama was yet to come and on lap 19 the podium positions changed once more. Rivett ran wide into Becketts as a damaged front brake pipe disrupted his braking. The pump failed completely as the 28-year-old raced down the National Straight at almost 100mph. His only course of action was to take to the gravel trap in an effort to slow down but he skipped across the hazard and slid helplessly across the circuit at Brooklands. Amazingly, the leading four drivers all avoided contact, with Adcock just a few feet from what would have been a dangerous collision.

Onslow-Cole began the final lap with a lead of just 0.752s over Byford with Colbert in close attendance. But the TCR ace showed just why he is the Champion as he kept his cool and did enough to keep Byford at bay for the final 1.64-mile circuit. Although Byford closed the gap, the Champion held on for his 10^th win of the season.

Commenting on his victory, Onslow-Cole said: “Two wins is a fantastic to end the season and really proves how dominant we have been. It’s been a total team effort with Total Control Racing and myself and I can’t thank them enough because I couldn’t have had such a good season without them. I didn’t feel the pressure out there today even though Martin was close at the end and did what I needed to for the win.”

Second-placed Byford, who recorded his ninth successive podium having joined the Championship at the midway stage, said: “Once again I showed I have the pace to be at the front and the season has gone much better than I could have imagined. I set a target of finishing in the top 10 overall so to be fifth is incredible. Tom handled the pressure really well today and backed off when he needed to and was very clever to get the win.”

For Colbert it is a fourth podium of the season and he added: “I had a very good start but lacked straight line speed and that compromised me at the end of the long straights here. It was very close with Paul and Martin but a clean race as well. I knew I had clinched third overall yesterday so there wasn’t much pressure today and I was able to enjoy it.”

The chequered flag also signalled the end of seven years’ racing with the Clio Renaultsport 182, which is replaced by the 2.0-litre 205bhp New Clio Cup for 2007. To date, 65 deposits have been received for the new car with the second payment instalment required by Wednesday, 1^st November.

Tom Onslow-Cole is the 2006 ELF Renault Clio Cup Champion after finishing third in round 18 at Brands Hatch Indy today. Although his nearest rival Paul Rivett won the race ahead of Martin Byford, the Total Control Racing star’s lead of 69 points is insurmountable with just two rounds left.

Onslow-Cole was again cautious at the start of the race as the cars charged into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert made the best start, passing Onslow-Cole and drawing alongside Rivett as they headed up to Druids, although the Boulevard Team Racing ace held his lead.

Colbert then held up the chasing pack as Byford and Onslow-Cole jostled for third place, ahead of JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle and Mardi Gras’ Robert Lawson. The battle for places among the top six allowed Rivett to open a 2.1s gap after just three laps.

On lap seven, Colbert suffered a mechanical failure that ended his race, a broken throttle bracket identified as the problem. Three laps later, Onslow-Cole carried better momentum than Byford through Clearways and passed the Z Speed Racing man at Paddock Hill Bend, only for Byford to regain the place on Cooper Straight.

Onslow-Cole’s next passing attempt also narrowly failed and as he lost speed through Graham Hill Bend, Doyle pounced to surge into third place at Surtees. Meanwhile, Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt got the better of 16-year-old James Williams to move into ninth behind Boulevard’s Martin Johnson.

With just four laps of the 19 left, Doyle made a bid for second place at Druids. Although he briefly got past, Byford held the inside line through Graham Hill Bend to reclaim the place, with Onslow-Cole following Byford’s line to regain third. On the same lap, Drive 4 Life with SVE’s Niki Lanik passed Williams for eighth place.

One lap later, Martin Johnson encountered a bizarre accident when his front-left wheel broke free from his car, despite the wheel nuts staying in place. The hugely experienced 43-year-old, who has competed in more Clio Cup races than any other driver, was then a passenger as his car hit the tyre wall at the bottom of Paddock Hill, Johnson fortunately escaping injury.

All the while, Rivett had been consistently edging out more of a gap with each successive lap, eventually crossing the line with a relatively large margin of 4.568s. Byford narrowly won the sprint to the line with Onslow-Cole, edging out the new Champion by just 0.173s.

Commenting on his Championship win, Onslow-Cole said: “It’s been such a long year and the pressure is on all the time – not just when I’m racing because it’s always in my head away from the track. It was another tough race today and it’s so difficult to pass here. The battle with Martin was great fun, very clean as always with him and a good race to win the title in.”

Race-winner Rivett paid tribute to the new Champion, saying: “Tom’s done a good job all year and it’s been great racing with him. Today’s race was about as easy as they come for me. I knew it was going well when I looked in my mirrors at the end of the main straight and couldn’t see anyone! It’s great to win again and hopefully we can finish the season strongly at Silverstone.”

Second-placed Byford said: “Both of my mirrors got folded in on the first lap so I wasn’t always sure where everyone was around me, which made it hard to defend. I definitely had the legs on Stephen before he retired and it was just a case of waiting for the right time to make the pass. It was then a great fight with Tom and it’s been good to race against him in the second half of the year.”

Total Control Racing’s Mark Speller claimed his first ELF Renault Clio Cup victory in round 16 at Donington Park, in front of 56,700 fans at the World Series by Renault meeting on Sunday, 10^th September. The 22-year-old rose from fifth on the grid to take the lead on lap four and held off the challenge of team-mate and Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole to win by 3.345s.

After Onslow-Cole’s last-ditch bid for the victory failed, Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford took second to go with his win on Saturday and Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett took third.

The huge crowd was treated to the best race of the weekend as the UK’s premier one-make saloon-car series produced 12 laps of thrilling racing, the first four of which saw countless overtaking manoeuvres. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson was the first leader, passing pole-sitter Onslow-Cole before the first corner.

Rivett made up two places on the opening lap as TCR’s Nick Adcock slipped back from fourth on the grid, but the biggest mover was Mardi Gras’ Stephen Colbert ho climbed from 10^th to fifth, while Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt also gained five places from 13th.

Onslow-Cole made a successful bid for the lead on lap two at Fogarty Esses but Lawson fought back to reclaim the place on the run to Goddards chicane. Meanwhile, round 15 winner Martin Byford got out of shape twice on the opening lap but was able to recover to battle for third when Rivett ran wide at McLeans in an attempt to pass Onslow-Cole.

With Lawson not having the pace to pull away at the front, the leading eight cars were covered by just five seconds for the first half of the race. On lap three, Rivett passed Speller for second place at Goddards chicane. But on the following lap, Rivett clipped the kerb heavily at the Old Hairpin and slid sideways, using all his experience as a double Clio Cup Champion to correct the car and continue in third place.

At the end of lap four, Speller made the decisive move of the race, passing Lawson on the inside at Fogarty chicane. Lawson had a poor run down the start/finish straight and also lost out to Onslow-Cole, Rivett and Byford on the run to the Melbourne Hairpin.

After a thrilling opening, the race finally settled down on lap five but not for long as Lawson ran wide on lap seven allowing his team-mate Colbert to force his way through. Lawson then arrived at Fogarty Esses alongside Hunt and Adcock, with only the latter emerging from the corner as Lawson and Hunt had a brief trip to the gravel trap.

The action wasn’t limited to the leading positions as Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik set the fastest lap of the race and leapt four places in the space of two laps to claim seventh place. The experienced Ray MacDowall followed his younger rival through the field, gaining five places in three laps to finish ninth. The unfortunate Richie Faulkner, in just his second Clio Cup race, suffered brake failure at Melbourne Hairpin and was sent spinning backwards into the tyre barrier, although he escaped serious injury.

On the penultimate lap, Onslow-Cole ran wide at McLeans as he continued to press Speller for the lead, but still gained half a second as he carried his momentum. But on the final lap his enthusiasm got the better of both he and Speller as the pair ran wide at the Old Hairpin, with Speller recovering sooner to take a commanding lead. Onslow-Cole then made a third mistake by braking too late for Melbourne Hairpin allowing Byford and Rivett to claim the final two podium places.

Commenting on his first win, Speller said: “I’ve been on the pace for the last few rounds and it’s nice to finally convert a good drive into a race win. I had one of my best qualifying sessions and although I struggled with the brakes late in the race, the three behind me were in the same situation. I like Brands Hatch and usually race well there so hopefully I’ll be able to match this result before the end of the season.”

Second placed Byford said: “This was a podium I really had to work for after a relatively easier time yesterday. Once I got some clear track ahead of me I was able to start closing down on Paul. He was having difficulty with his tyres and struggling at the corners and I was able to get a good run at the chicane and steal second.”

Rivett added: “The rear of the car has been tricky all weekend because we missed testing and the slide on lap four was particularly bad, although it probably looked good for the crowd. We were kicking up the dust in a few places and overtaking everywhere and it was a really fun race to be involved with. Luckily, Tom made a couple of errors on the last lap and both myself and Martin were able to get ahead right at the death.”

Onslow-Cole now leads the Championship by 62 points from Rivett with four rounds left. Rounds 17 and 18 will be held at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 23^rd/24^th September.

The result of round 15 remains provisional pending investigation by the Clerk of the Course into two incidents.

Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford won his third race in succession in round 15 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park. He won the race, watched by a crowd of more than 33,000 at the World Series by Renault meeting, by 4.358s from Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole, who recorded his 12^th podium finish of the year. JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle was third for the second consecutive race.

With Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor unable to take the start after gearbox problems in qualifying, Byford led the 17-car field away from the line although he had to fight hard to fend off fellow front-row starter Onslow-Cole. The Total Control Racing ace was then passed by Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson and would drop to fifth before fighting back to second by the end of lap one.

Further down the field, TCR’s Mark Speller made a poor start from fifth and would drop to 15^th by the end of the lap. He was caught up in the battle between Nick Adcock and Lawson and, subsequently, Adcock and Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett, which left Adcock out of the race and Lawson relegated to 16^th.

As Lawson and Rivett spun at the Melbourne Hairpin, Doyle took full advantage to climb from 12^th on the grid to fourth by the end of lap one and he soon passed Stephen Colbert for third place. On lap four, when Onslow-Cole lost momentum coming out of the Old Hairpin, the young Scot swooped to take second place. Although Onslow-Cole regained the position two laps later, Doyle completed a superb drive in third place earning him the Armor All Driver of the Day award for the first time this season.

At the front, Byford immediately opened a gap over the rest of the field and led by 2.288s after lap one. While those behind continued to scrap for places, the 34-year-old set about extending his lead, which reached more than four seconds by the midway point of the 12-lap race. Meanwhile, Rivett was beginning his comeback drive from 12^th place by forcing his way past TCR pair Ray MacDowall at Redgate and James Williams at the Melbourne Hairpin to lie sixth after four laps.

His next target was local driver Mark Hunt in his Team Pyro car. Hunt was the fourth car in the chain behind Onslow-Cole, Doyle and Colbert. On lap four, Colbert briefly held third place when he followed Doyle past Onslow-Cole, but the Championship leader regained the spot at Redgate corner having lost out at Goddard’s.

Further down the field, Boulevard’s Martin Johnson was holding off JHR Racing’s Philip House for eighth place, while Drive 4 Life with SVE’s Niki Lanik joined the fight when he passed House on lap six. House would later retire after running wide at Melbourne Hairpin and hitting the perimeter wall.

On lap 10, Rivett, who had been closing at the rate of half a second per lap, passed Hunt for fifth place and was immediately on the rear bumper of Colbert. The Ulsterman, like Hunt before him, made a slight error at the Old Hairpin allowing the double former Champion up to fourth and he also set the Fastest Lap of the race at the 2.50-mile circuit of 1min 47.206s (83.95mph) to claim two bonus points.

Byford started the last lap 4.046s ahead of Onslow-Cole and, as he had for the previous 11 laps, looked completely untroubled as he navigated his way to his third win in succession. With Rivett too far back to challenge Doyle for the final podium spot, the only changes for position came in midfield where Johnson passed Williams and Lawson passed Boulevard’s series debutant Richie Faulkner.

Commenting on his victory, Byford said: “It was a strange race really because after the first corner, where there were a couple of guys challenging me, I was out front with a fairly comfortable gap to second place. In races like this it’s important to try to forget how big the lead is and concentrate on each lap and building the advantage. It’s great to get another win and I’ll be looking for a repeat in tomorrow’s race.”

Onslow-Cole added: “I got a bit bogged down at the start that allowed Martin to get away from me and he drove a great race. It was a good battle with Michael, which I eventually came out on top. Then it was a case of protecting the points for second place, which really helps me for my Championship position.”

A delighted Doyle commented: “I didn’t qualify well but on the first lap I could see a bit of jostling ahead of me and took a chance to go round the outside at Redgate corner. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but luckily enough for me it paid off this time. I was able to get past Tom briefly but I knew he was quick and when he came back at me it was better to settle for the points for third place and another podium.”

BYFORD COMPLETES SUPERB DOUBLE AT SNETTERTON

Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford wrapped up an incredible weekend at his home circuit with victory in round 14 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Snetterton on Sunday, 13^th August. Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett finished second to close on Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle scored his second career podium in third place.

Byford started the race from pole position after a tremendous qualifying session saw him dominate the timesheets. However, Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole made the better start and passed Byford on the inside of Sear corner. Byford then fought back on the run down the Revett Straight, regaining first place through the second part of the Esses.

Onslow-Cole then lost out to Rivett through Coram Curve and the pair continued to scrap for second place on lap two. Current series leader Onslow-Cole tried to pass on the inside of Sear corner, edging ahead and forcing Rivett wide. As the Boulevard ace attempted to complete the corner and move back onto the circuit, he made contact with Onslow-Cole who spun, dropping to 10^th place and promoting Doyle to second.

Just behind, Mardi Gras Motorsport duo Robert Lawson and Stephen Colbert made good progress to fifth and sixth place respectively, while Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt looked to challenge for the final podium spot. Hunt was on hand to follow Rivett past Doyle as the young Scot ran wide on the exit of Sear corner on lap three. Doyle was gently bumped by Lawson, allowing Colbert through to fifth.

With Byford leading by more than five seconds, his lead was suddenly wiped out by the deployment of the Safety Car after a tyre barrier was dislodged at the chicane. After two laps behind the Safety Car, Hunt struggled as the heat left his tyres and ran wide at Riches, dropping to eighth place. Meanwhile, Colbert passed Doyle for third place following Hunt’s demotion, although Doyle would regain third place for good on lap 10 for his first podium finish since the final round of 2005.

Onslow-Cole was beginning his fight back through the field, passing Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik , TCR team-mate Nick Adcock and Mark Hunt in the space of four laps. PH Motorsport with JHR’s Philip House was also driving well after a first-lap mistake and made it up to 11^th by overtaking Martin Johnson before a broken driveshaft ended his race.

TCR’s Mark Speller drove a great race from 13^th on the grid to the top five by passing Lawson on lap 11 but he finished down in 13^th after suffering a mechanical problem on the penultimate lap. This allowed Onslow-Cole into fifth place to limit his points deficit to Rivett to just eight. Mark Hunt confirmed his strong pace by passing Onslow-Cole at Sear corner but a mistake at the Esses relegated him back down to 10^th.

At the head of the field, Byford gradually began to ease away from Rivett and re-establish the lead he had built before the Safety Car spell and was four and a half seconds clear going into the final lap of the 1.95-mile circuit. He was then able to ease off on the final tour, crossing the line 4.002s ahead of Rivett. Lawson clung on to sixth place by just 0.170s from Niki Lanik, the Austrian driver improving in every session of the weekend to earn a fine seventh place.

Commenting on his second victory of the weekend, Byford, who only returned to the series at Donington Park in July, said: “I couldn’t believe it when the Safety Car came out but I’d seen the tyres on the track and knew they would have to do that. The set-up of my car has been on the button the whole weekend and I don’t think Paul was ever close enough to have a lunge for the lead and I was able to ease off over the last four or five laps.”

Rivett, who now trails Onslow-Cole by 61 points, said: “Two second places from the weekend is good points for the Championship so I am happy overall. I actually tried to back off slightly from Martin to get a tow and try for the fastest lap but I backed off too much and couldn’t close the gap again! Martin was a class above this weekend and full credit to him for what he achieved.”

Doyle, 19, was delighted with his first podium of the season and had been closing on Rivett for second place in the closing stages. He commented: “It was a bit hectic in the first couple of laps and I had a good battle with Colbert and Lawson. When I managed to get past them I pulled away a little bit and did my fastest laps in the middle part of the race. This was a good weekend for me because I got a good few points, which I really needed for the Championship.”

Rounds 15 and 16 form part of the World Series by Renault meeting at Donington Park Grand Prix circuit on 9^th/10^th September.

HOME WIN FOR BYFORD AS ONSLOW-COLE’S LEAD IS CUT

Martin Byford won his first race since returning to the ELF Renault Clio Cup after a three-year absence in a fascinating wet race at Snetterton on Saturday, 13^th August. It was also the 50^th win of the 34-year-old’s career. Paul Rivett finished second with Robert Lawson gaining his first-ever podium in car racing in third. Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole’s damaged sump meant he failed to finish for the second race in succession and sees his series lead cut to 69 points.

Having qualified comfortably on pole position, Byford suffered excess wheelspin at the start and Rivett was able to get in front before Riches corner. Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole was held up by Byford allowing JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle into third place, but the TCR man got back ahead on the second lap.

Also making rapid progress were Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert , who climbed four places on the first lap, and JHR’s Steven Hunter , who had started from the back of the grid after a technical infringement in qualifying. Hunter passed four cars on the second lap and was running seventh after just six laps before retiring when he made unavoidable contact with Nick Adcock.

As the rain became heavier, Rivett pulled away from Byford to open a 2.5s lead after four laps. Just behind, Onslow-Cole ran wide at Riches allowing Doyle and Lawson to pass and the Championship leader was forced into retirement at the end of the lap. Onslow-Cole’s problem coated the already slippery circuit in oil, making the track conditions treacherous.

One of the worst affected areas was Coram Curve where Doyle and Team Pyro’s Mel Healey spun on successive laps but both showed great car control to continue in the race. At the same time, Lawson was beginning his charge through the pack to third place, lapping at least one second per lap faster than those ahead of him.

On lap nine, Byford finally made his move on Rivett who had been struggling to find the best line on the oil-soaked track. Carrying better speed through Riches, the Z Speed Racing man was able to dive up the inside of his Boulevard Team Racing rival at Sear.

In midfield, sixth-placed Mark Speller (Hereford), Martin Johnson (Alford, Lincs) and Nick Adcock were running in close formation until Adcock began to drop back and was eventually passed by Doyle. At the same time, Lawson closed right onto the rear bumper of Rivett, but the two-time former Champion used all his experience to keep the rookie driver behind him over the final laps.

The battle between Rivett and Lawson allowed Byford to extend his lead to almost two seconds and the 34-year-old was able to complete a memorable comeback victory on his home circuit by 1.961s.

Commenting on his first Clio Cup victory since 2002, when he finished fourth in the Championship, Byford said: “To sum the race up in a word, I’d say it was ‘fraught’. When the oil went down it made it very hard. I hadn’t made the best start but was able to settle into second and then wait for Paul to make a mistake. He was first to the oil every lap and I could see a couple of places where I was quicker. I went to the inside at Sear and he gave me room when he saw me coming through. It’s boosted my confidence for tomorrow’s race for sure.”

Rivett was delighted to close the Championship gap on Onslow-Cole, saying: “I didn’t realise Tom had retired but I knew he wasn’t in the first four or five. I was on quite old wet tyres because I didn’t know how bad the rain would get and with another race to come it was important not to throw it at the scenery. I’d rather give up one place to score good points than go all out for a win and end up with nothing.”

Lawson was ecstatic to earn his first podium appearance, adding: “It feels absolutely fantastic. In wet testing I was half a second quicker than the next best person so when it rained I knew I had a good chance of being strong. I didn’t qualify well and knew I had a lot to do but it all came together just right.”

Paul Rivett took his fourth ELF Renault Clio Cup victory of the season with a commanding drive at Donington Park National on Sunday, 30^th July. The Boulevard Team Racing ace finished 3.292s ahead of Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford who made a return to the podium in just his second race after a three-year absence from the series. Total Control Racing’s James Williams came third to become the youngest Clio Cup podium finisher aged 16 years and 197 days.

Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole failed to finish the race after being spun round on the opening lap by Steven Hunter to drop to 10^th place and then made contact with team-mate Mark Speller and Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt on lap three to force him into retirement.

Onslow-Cole had made a poor start allowing both Nick Adcock and Hunter to pass him at Redgate corner. Rivett then ran wide to allow Speller into fourth place, while Adcock took the race lead. Hunter then forced his way into second place at Park Chicane before closing the gap to Adcock at the head of the field.

On lap two, Rivett passed Hunter at Park Chicane for second place before taking the lead on lap three with a bold move on Adcock. Hunter also managed to pass the 41-year-old, now in his fourth season of Clio Cup racing, but as the pair went into Redgate corner, Adcock braked too late to avoid hitting the JHR Racing Developments team owner forcing them both into retirement.

On the same lap, Speller, Onslow-Cole and Hunt came together, with all three dropping down the order allowing Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert to climb to second place, with Byford in third and Williams in fourth. Byford, in only his second Clio Cup race since 2002, got past the Ulsterman on lap five to claim second place.

JHR’s Michael Doyle made rapid progress to fifth place behind James Williams with the pair pressing Colbert for the final podium spot, while Philip House attempted to stay with the pace. Team Pyro’s Mel Healey finished in a comfortable seventh place ahead of JHR’s Steve Wood ), while Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor just managed to hold off the charging Drive 4 Life with SVE car of Niki Lanik (in ninth place.

On lap nine of 14, Doyle managed to get the better of Williams as the pair entered Craner Curves but the Scot then ran wide allowing the 16-year-old back through. Meanwhile, Lanik was able to pass both Speller and Hunt to move up to 10^th place having dropped to the rear of the field following a minor spin.

With Rivett and Byford comfortable at the front of the field, with Byford setting the Fastest Lap of 1min 19.479s (88.65mph), the battle was on for the final podium spot with Colbert hanging on ahead of Williams. But on the penultimate lap, the 28-year-old slid wide and onto the marbles at Coppice corner allowing both Williams and Doyle to pass. Williams then kept a cool head on his young shoulders to bring the car home in third place and become the youngest driver to stand on the Clio Cup podium.

Rivett’s victory cuts Onslow-Cole’s Championship lead to 99 points and the two-time former Champion has renewed hope going into the second half of the season. Rivett said: “Hopefully this can be a turning point in the Championship and in Clio Cup you never know what can happen. It’s been very hard for me lately but today I was able to get away as everyone else seemed to come together. We’re only just past halfway in the Championship and even though Tom’s got a big lead, I’ve not given up yet.”

Byford was delighted to return to the podium on his return to Clio Cup, saying: “I set myself a target of top four in qualifying and a podium finish. I didn’t quite get in the top four on Saturday but today’s podium makes up for it. The Fastest Lap is a sweetener really because it proves I’ve got the pace to challenge for race wins later in the season.”

For Williams, his third place finish was the result of some hard work over the last few rounds. He also won the Armor All Driver of the Day award, adding: “I had a really positive result in the first round at Brands Hatch but it’s not gone so well since and I’ve had a bit of bad luck. It was a close battle with Michael and Stephen today but clean as well and once he got on the marbles I got through and kept it going until the end.”

After the race, the Clerk of the Course gave Nick Adcock a three-point endorsement on his licence and deducted three Championship points. Steven Hunter received two penalty points and had two Championship points deducted.

Rounds 13 and 14 take place at Snetterton circuit in Norfolk on 12^th/13^th August.

Tom Onslow-Cole won two races in a weekend for the first time this season as he dominated round 10 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Croft on Sunday, 16^th July. After winning round nine on Saturday, the Total Control Racing man eased past team-mate Nick Adcock in the early stages and was never seriously threatened as he extended his already commanding Championship lead.

Adcock, who struggled while leading due to being the first man to encounter oil on the circuit from the damaged JHR Racing Developments car of Michael Doyle, held on to finish second with Mark Speller completing a TCR one, two, three for the second race in succession.

JHR Racing’s Steven Hunter made up for his round nine retirement with a fighting fourth place, while Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett held off the challenge of Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson for the full 12 laps to clinch fifth.

With the track already slippery due to the sweltering heat, damage to Doyle’s sump after hitting the kerb hard at the first corner, Clervaux, only served to make driving conditions even more hazardous. Race leader, Nick Adcock, suffered most, with Onslow-Cole able to choose a quicker racing line through the Esses and pass his team-mate at Sunny.

Local racer Alan Taylor made a fantastic start to climb to eighth place from 14^th on the grid but lost two places, to another home favourite, Philip House, and TCR’s James Williams after sliding on the treacherous surface.

After an initial early break by the front four drivers, Rivett and Lawson began to close the gap to make it a six-way battle at the head of the field with less than five seconds covering the bunch. Lawson, racing in front of his home fans, made several attempts to pass the two-time former Champion, pulling right alongside at the Hairpin on lap six, but Rivett used his greater experience to hold the 29-year-old, in only his first season of racing, at bay.

Just behind, Rivett’s team-mate Martin Johnson had his mirrors full of the distinctive yellow and black-liveried Clio of Philip House for the opening half of the race before the PH Motorsport with JHR driver was able to pass for seventh place. Johnson stayed glued to the rear bumper of House for the remainder of the race but was unable to find a way through.

At the head of the field, Onslow-Cole set the fastest lap of the race twice in succession to open a 3.7s lead. Although Adcock briefly reduced the deficit, Onslow-Cole put in a lap of 1min 33.836s (81.60mph) to pull away once again and claim the two bonus points.

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert who was second in the drivers’ standings going into round 10, was forced to drive a recovery race after being caught in Doyle’s first lap incident and finished 10^th, less than half a second behind Williams.

For Onslow-Cole, it was a 10^th podium finish in 10 races to give him a commanding 122-point lead over Adcock, with 32 points available for a win. Onslow-Cole said: “It’s the best meeting yet but it was really tough today with the oil on the circuit from the chicane right through Sunny. Luckily I was able to watch Nick and find a faster line. It’s been a fantastic year so far and the Championship is looking really good if I can keep going.”

Once again Adcock had to settle for second place as his search for a maiden Clio Cup win continues. He said: “It was my first pole in Clio Cup racing and I thought I could get my first win with the pace I had. Once the oil went down I didn’t know how the car would react and I was a pioneer finding out where it was. Tom got past and immediately opened a gap and that’s where it stayed throughout.”

Speller was delighted to claim his second podium finish in as many days, adding: “It’s nice to be up here again and now my job is to try to catch the two in front of me. It’s a shame it’s taken half a season to find the pace in the car but hopefully I’ll be able to keep it up. The team’s got the car working brilliantly and I have to give them credit for this result.”

Rounds 11 and 12 take place on the Donington Park National circuit on Saturday, 29^th July and Sunday 30^th July respectively.

Tom Onslow-Cole maintained his run of finishing on the podium in every race in this season’s ELF Renault Clio Cup with a victory and a second place in rounds seven and eight at Knockhill on Sunday, 18^th June. The round seven winner’s 62-point haul from the Renault Race Day increases his lead over round eight winner Paul Rivett by 28 points to 79.

Saturday’s qualifying saw the top nine drivers separated by less than one second, but a deterioration in conditions led to two typically incident-packed races. In round seven, JHR Racing Developments’ Steven Hunter made the best start from the front row to lead Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole into turn one.

A coming together at the first corner saw Robert Lawson unluckily forced into retirement while Mark Speller dropped down the order to finish 13^th. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert (Northampton) took full advantage to seize the lead from seventh on the grid, while Rivett did well to control his car on the grass and recover to pass Nick Adcock at Clark bend, only to spin at Taylor’s Hairpin and fall to 12^th place after contact with Adcock, which saw the 41-year-old deducted two Championship points.

With the Safety Car deployed, Rivett moved through the field to regain his place in fourth and although he went on to finish the race, his decision to overtake under Safety Car conditions led to his exclusion from the race classification and the deduction of two Championship points, the Boulevard Team Racing ace later acknowledging a misunderstanding of the relevant regulation.

Colbert made a brilliant restart to lead Onslow-Cole by almost two seconds. Behind them, Hunter, Ray MacDowall and home favourite Michael Doyle were having a terrific battle with less than one second between the trio, MacDowall winning out to take fifth place on his return to Clio Cup racing.

After 10 of the 15 laps had passed, Onslow-Cole had worn down Colbert’s

advantage to just 0.422s having freed himself from the challenge of his TCR team-mate Adcock. However, Colbert’s lead was restored to more than three seconds when Rivett and Onslow-Cole made contact at Taylor’s Hairpin on the following lap.

But in a thrilling finish, Onslow-Cole chased down Colbert (right, pic :11/56 Motorsport) once again as the Ulsterman sought his first-ever Clio Cup victory. On the final lap, Colbert, who turned 28 three days before the race meeting, ran wide at the final hairpin allowing Onslow-Cole thorough to claim his fourth win of the season.

In round eight, Rivett was able to pass Onslow-Cole at the first corner as the TCR man looked to protect his overall Championship advantage, settling for second place. Rivett opened a large gap as the round seven Armor All Driver of the Day, PH Motorsport’s Philip House, slotted into third place. Meanwhile, Hunter, Colbert, Speller and Adcock diced for fourth place throughout the race.

The decisive moment in that battle came on lap 13 when Hunter ran wide at Clark bend and was passed by all three of his rivals, while the gap at the front of the race was narrowing to less than one second.

But Rivett (leading Cole and House below, pic :11/56 Motorsport)

was able to judge his run to the line to perfection to keep Onslow-Cole at bay to win by 0.682s. With Phil House comfortably in third place, Speller capitalised on a mistake by Colbert at Taylor’s Hairpin to bag fourth place, his best result of the season to date, to earn the Armor All Driver of the Day award.

Commenting on another successful weekend, Onslow-Cole said: “Once again I’ve extended my Championship lead. The main thing I’ve tried to do is keep the big picture in mind and for me, that means winning the Championship. Paul is having to risk more to get the wins but I’m happy to pick up podiums because that will be enough for me to win the title now.”

Round eight winner Rivett was philosophical about his round seven exclusion, commenting: “I thought I was allowed to re-take my place because I hadn’t fallen to the very back of the field but that’s only on the green flag lap not under the Safety Car, so I can’t argue with the decision. The second race was about as easy as they come and I was just pacing myself home at the end.”

The Championship now takes a three week break before rounds nine and 10 at Croft circuit, North Yorkshire on 15^th/16^th July.

* Following juducial review, the penalty assessed to car 22 has been amended, with six points deducted for infringement of Championship regulation 3.8.7 and 3.8.13 and regulation E.5.1.8. Please find attached the updated drivers' standings, with Steven Hunter now second in the Championship.

Steven Hunter scored his maiden victory in the ELF Renault Clio Cup Championship by winning round six at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 4^th June. The 32-year-old passed pole-sitter Paul Rivett, who recovered from a poor start to finish second ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole.

Hunter’s victory followed his second place finish in round five, lifting him to within four points of two-time former Champion Rivett in the driver’s standings. Also climbing a place in the standings is Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert who finished fourth after a terrific wheel to wheel battle with team-mate Robert Lawson.

After a poor start from pole position, Rivett passed JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle at Club chicane. The young Scot then lost further places to Onslow-Cole and Colbert before clashing with Total Control Racing’s Mark Speller dropping the pair to the middle of the pack.

Onslow-Cole immediately set the Fastest Lap of the race to close to within 0.2s of his nearest title challenger Rivett. Meanwhile, Lawson pulled off one of the most spectacular overtaking manoeuvres of the season so far to pass Colbert at Club chicane, running on two wheels through both turns of the final chicane.

The battling behind allowed Hunter to open a five-second lead by the midway point of the 12-lap race. Further down the field, series newcomer Alan Taylor showed no signs of nerves around the high-speed circuit and was able to hold off the more experienced Mel Healey until the closing stages when a missed gear change cost the Robertshaw Racing driver two places.

During the middle stint of the race, Onslow-Cole dropped away from the rear of Rivett’s car but found more speed in the latter stages to rejoin the fight for second place. Despite pulling alongside his rival at Club chicane on successive laps, Rivett used all his experience to hold off the Championship leader’s challenge.

Rivett’s team-mate Martin Johnson, the most experienced driver in the Championship with more than 100 Clio Cup races to his name, was also defending well to hold onto seventh place from Doyle. However, the 18-year-old was able to overtake on the penultimate lap with Speller following him through to finish eighth.

With Hunter cruising to victory, the race for second place kept the crowd on the edge of their seats until the final corner as Onslow-Cole made one final bid. The 19-year-old braked late into Club chicane and although he tapped Rivett in the middle of the corner, the Boulevard Team Racing man was able to cover the racing line to hold onto second by just 0.102s.

After claiming his first Championship victory, Hunter commented: “In truth, I felt I had the car to win yesterday’s race so that made today even sweeter. With everyone else battling I was able to get away and it was just a case of keeping my concentration. It’s nice to make it a three-horse race for the Championship now and I just hope I’m backing the right horse!”

After his race-long duel with Onslow-Cole, Rivett was delighted to hold onto second place, saying: “It was a good tussle with Tom and it was clean for the most part. A couple of times I felt he came down the inside with not much room to spare and there was contact but I was able to fend him off. It may only be one point I gained

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ELF Renault Clio Cup CHAMPION’S WIN TALLY HITS DOUBLE FIGURES AT SEASON FINALE Total Control Racing’s Tom Onslow-Cole completed a lights-to-flag victory in the final round of the 2006 ELF Renault Clio Cup to sign off his title-winning year in style at Silverstone National circuit. The 19-year-old clinched his 10^th win of the campaign by just 0.317s from Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford with Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert in third. In typical fashion, the final Clio Cup race featuring Clio Renaultsport 182 racers was incident packed from the start as Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett, Mardi Gras’ Robert Lawson and TCR’s James Williams entered Copse corner three abreast on lap one. Rivett led the group in fifth place, just behind TCR’s Nick Adcock who lost two places on the opening tour to Byford and Colbert. Adcock then lost a further place as two-time former Champion Rivett passed him for fourth place and as Adcock briefly slowed on the National Straight he saw Williams and PH Motorsport’s Philip House relegate him to seventh at the end of lap three. Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor (Whitley Bay) ran wide into the gravel trap at Brooklands but recovered to finish 11^th, albeit some distance behind. With Onslow-Cole unable to pull away from Byford, the top eight cars were covered by just 2.5s after four laps, as each driver used the slipstream of the car in front on the long straights at the Northamptonshire venue to maintain close contact. The man on the move was House who set two successive fastest laps before the Safety Car was deployed on lap six after a touch between JHR Racing’s Steve Wood and Boulevard/Formula Nuts’ James Clarkson sent the former spinning into the pitwall and coming to rest on the start/finish straight. Racing resumed after five laps behind the Safety Car with Adcock immediately seizing sixth place from his team-mate Williams. The 16-year-old looked to respond instantly but his overtaking manoeuvre saw him run wide allowing Lawson and Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik to pass. Williams also lost out to JHR Racing’s Michael Doyle, who was driving a strong race having started from the pitlane, and Clarkson, in just his second-ever car race. In the battle for podium places, Rivett passed Colbert for third place on lap 11 and immediately closed onto the rear bumper of Byford, gaining second place at Becketts on lap 15 of the extended 21-lap race. Just behind, House passed Colbert for fourth at the same corner but the Ulsterman regained the position around the outside at Brooklands. Lap 17 saw Rivett make his first bid for the lead, challenging on the inside of Onslow-Cole at Brooklands but falling back and only just managing to hold off Byford at Luffield. Meanwhile, Clarkson, who was running in ninth, had a slight engine problem that saw him forced into retirement at Becketts. An unrelated incident resulted in Team Pyro’s Mel Healey retirement, the first DNF of the 26-year-old’s season. The main drama was yet to come and on lap 19 the podium positions changed once more. Rivett ran wide into Becketts as a damaged front brake pipe disrupted his braking. The pump failed completely as the 28-year-old raced down the National Straight at almost 100mph. His only course of action was to take to the gravel trap in an effort to slow down but he skipped across the hazard and slid helplessly across the circuit at Brooklands. Amazingly, the leading four drivers all avoided contact, with Adcock just a few feet from what would have been a dangerous collision. Onslow-Cole began the final lap with a lead of just 0.752s over Byford with Colbert in close attendance. But the TCR ace showed just why he is the Champion as he kept his cool and did enough to keep Byford at bay for the final 1.64-mile circuit. Although Byford closed the gap, the Champion held on for his 10^th win of the season. Commenting on his victory, Onslow-Cole said: “Two wins is a fantastic to end the season and really proves how dominant we have been. It’s been a total team effort with Total Control Racing and myself and I can’t thank them enough because I couldn’t have had such a good season without them. I didn’t feel the pressure out there today even though Martin was close at the end and did what I needed to for the win.” Second-placed Byford, who recorded his ninth successive podium having joined the Championship at the midway stage, said: “Once again I showed I have the pace to be at the front and the season has gone much better than I could have imagined. I set a target of finishing in the top 10 overall so to be fifth is incredible. Tom handled the pressure really well today and backed off when he needed to and was very clever to get the win.” For Colbert it is a fourth podium of the season and he added: “I had a very good start but lacked straight line speed and that compromised me at the end of the long straights here. It was very close with Paul and Martin but a clean race as well. I knew I had clinched third overall yesterday so there wasn’t much pressure today and I was able to enjoy it.” The chequered flag also signalled the end of seven years’ racing with the Clio Renaultsport 182, which is replaced by the 2.0-litre 205bhp New Clio Cup for 2007. To date, 65 deposits have been received for the new car with the second payment instalment required by Wednesday, 1^st November. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 20 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 546 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 433 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 371 pts 4 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 304 pts 5 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 289 pts 6 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 282 pts 7 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 276 pts 8 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 262 pts 9 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 247 pts 10 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 242 pts ONSLOW-COLE CROWNED CHAMPION AFTER BRANDS PODIUM Tom Onslow-Cole is the 2006 ELF Renault Clio Cup Champion after finishing third in round 18 at Brands Hatch Indy today. Although his nearest rival Paul Rivett won the race ahead of Martin Byford, the Total Control Racing star’s lead of 69 points is insurmountable with just two rounds left. Onslow-Cole was again cautious at the start of the race as the cars charged into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert made the best start, passing Onslow-Cole and drawing alongside Rivett as they headed up to Druids, although the Boulevard Team Racing ace held his lead. Colbert then held up the chasing pack as Byford and Onslow-Cole jostled for third place, ahead of JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle and Mardi Gras’ Robert Lawson. The battle for places among the top six allowed Rivett to open a 2.1s gap after just three laps. On lap seven, Colbert suffered a mechanical failure that ended his race, a broken throttle bracket identified as the problem. Three laps later, Onslow-Cole carried better momentum than Byford through Clearways and passed the Z Speed Racing man at Paddock Hill Bend, only for Byford to regain the place on Cooper Straight. Onslow-Cole’s next passing attempt also narrowly failed and as he lost speed through Graham Hill Bend, Doyle pounced to surge into third place at Surtees. Meanwhile, Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt got the better of 16-year-old James Williams to move into ninth behind Boulevard’s Martin Johnson. With just four laps of the 19 left, Doyle made a bid for second place at Druids. Although he briefly got past, Byford held the inside line through Graham Hill Bend to reclaim the place, with Onslow-Cole following Byford’s line to regain third. On the same lap, Drive 4 Life with SVE’s Niki Lanik passed Williams for eighth place. One lap later, Martin Johnson encountered a bizarre accident when his front-left wheel broke free from his car, despite the wheel nuts staying in place. The hugely experienced 43-year-old, who has competed in more Clio Cup races than any other driver, was then a passenger as his car hit the tyre wall at the bottom of Paddock Hill, Johnson fortunately escaping injury. All the while, Rivett had been consistently edging out more of a gap with each successive lap, eventually crossing the line with a relatively large margin of 4.568s. Byford narrowly won the sprint to the line with Onslow-Cole, edging out the new Champion by just 0.173s. Commenting on his Championship win, Onslow-Cole said: “It’s been such a long year and the pressure is on all the time – not just when I’m racing because it’s always in my head away from the track. It was another tough race today and it’s so difficult to pass here. The battle with Martin was great fun, very clean as always with him and a good race to win the title in.” Race-winner Rivett paid tribute to the new Champion, saying: “Tom’s done a good job all year and it’s been great racing with him. Today’s race was about as easy as they come for me. I knew it was going well when I looked in my mirrors at the end of the main straight and couldn’t see anyone! It’s great to win again and hopefully we can finish the season strongly at Silverstone.” Second-placed Byford said: “Both of my mirrors got folded in on the first lap so I wasn’t always sure where everyone was around me, which made it hard to defend. I definitely had the legs on Stephen before he retired and it was just a case of waiting for the right time to make the pass. It was then a great fight with Tom and it’s been good to race against him in the second half of the year.” Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 18 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 480 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 411 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 337 pts 4 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 278 pts 5 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 248 pts 6 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 242 pts 7 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 235 pts 8 Martin Byford GBR Z Speed Racing 233 pts 9 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 230 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 215 pts SEASON’S HIGHEST CROWD WITNESS MAIDEN WIN FOR SPELLER Total Control Racing’s Mark Speller claimed his first ELF Renault Clio Cup victory in round 16 at Donington Park, in front of 56,700 fans at the World Series by Renault meeting on Sunday, 10^th September. The 22-year-old rose from fifth on the grid to take the lead on lap four and held off the challenge of team-mate and Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole to win by 3.345s. After Onslow-Cole’s last-ditch bid for the victory failed, Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford took second to go with his win on Saturday and Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett took third. The huge crowd was treated to the best race of the weekend as the UK’s premier one-make saloon-car series produced 12 laps of thrilling racing, the first four of which saw countless overtaking manoeuvres. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson was the first leader, passing pole-sitter Onslow-Cole before the first corner. Rivett made up two places on the opening lap as TCR’s Nick Adcock slipped back from fourth on the grid, but the biggest mover was Mardi Gras’ Stephen Colbert ho climbed from 10^th to fifth, while Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt also gained five places from 13th. Onslow-Cole made a successful bid for the lead on lap two at Fogarty Esses but Lawson fought back to reclaim the place on the run to Goddards chicane. Meanwhile, round 15 winner Martin Byford got out of shape twice on the opening lap but was able to recover to battle for third when Rivett ran wide at McLeans in an attempt to pass Onslow-Cole. With Lawson not having the pace to pull away at the front, the leading eight cars were covered by just five seconds for the first half of the race. On lap three, Rivett passed Speller for second place at Goddards chicane. But on the following lap, Rivett clipped the kerb heavily at the Old Hairpin and slid sideways, using all his experience as a double Clio Cup Champion to correct the car and continue in third place. At the end of lap four, Speller made the decisive move of the race, passing Lawson on the inside at Fogarty chicane. Lawson had a poor run down the start/finish straight and also lost out to Onslow-Cole, Rivett and Byford on the run to the Melbourne Hairpin. After a thrilling opening, the race finally settled down on lap five but not for long as Lawson ran wide on lap seven allowing his team-mate Colbert to force his way through. Lawson then arrived at Fogarty Esses alongside Hunt and Adcock, with only the latter emerging from the corner as Lawson and Hunt had a brief trip to the gravel trap. The action wasn’t limited to the leading positions as Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik set the fastest lap of the race and leapt four places in the space of two laps to claim seventh place. The experienced Ray MacDowall followed his younger rival through the field, gaining five places in three laps to finish ninth. The unfortunate Richie Faulkner, in just his second Clio Cup race, suffered brake failure at Melbourne Hairpin and was sent spinning backwards into the tyre barrier, although he escaped serious injury. On the penultimate lap, Onslow-Cole ran wide at McLeans as he continued to press Speller for the lead, but still gained half a second as he carried his momentum. But on the final lap his enthusiasm got the better of both he and Speller as the pair ran wide at the Old Hairpin, with Speller recovering sooner to take a commanding lead. Onslow-Cole then made a third mistake by braking too late for Melbourne Hairpin allowing Byford and Rivett to claim the final two podium places. Commenting on his first win, Speller said: “I’ve been on the pace for the last few rounds and it’s nice to finally convert a good drive into a race win. I had one of my best qualifying sessions and although I struggled with the brakes late in the race, the three behind me were in the same situation. I like Brands Hatch and usually race well there so hopefully I’ll be able to match this result before the end of the season.” Second placed Byford said: “This was a podium I really had to work for after a relatively easier time yesterday. Once I got some clear track ahead of me I was able to start closing down on Paul. He was having difficulty with his tyres and struggling at the corners and I was able to get a good run at the chicane and steal second.” Rivett added: “The rear of the car has been tricky all weekend because we missed testing and the slide on lap four was particularly bad, although it probably looked good for the crowd. We were kicking up the dust in a few places and overtaking everywhere and it was a really fun race to be involved with. Luckily, Tom made a couple of errors on the last lap and both myself and Martin were able to get ahead right at the death.” Onslow-Cole now leads the Championship by 62 points from Rivett with four rounds left. Rounds 17 and 18 will be held at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 23^rd/24^th September. The result of round 15 remains provisional pending investigation by the Clerk of the Course into two incidents. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 16 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 421 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 359 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 309 pts 4 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 235 pts 5 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 234 pts 6 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 231 pts 7 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 213 pts 8 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 210 pts 9 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 196 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 193 pts BYFORD NETS DONINGTON WIN AT WORLD SERIES EVENT Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford won his third race in succession in round 15 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park. He won the race, watched by a crowd of more than 33,000 at the World Series by Renault meeting, by 4.358s from Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole, who recorded his 12^th podium finish of the year. JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle was third for the second consecutive race. With Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor unable to take the start after gearbox problems in qualifying, Byford led the 17-car field away from the line although he had to fight hard to fend off fellow front-row starter Onslow-Cole. The Total Control Racing ace was then passed by Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson and would drop to fifth before fighting back to second by the end of lap one. Further down the field, TCR’s Mark Speller made a poor start from fifth and would drop to 15^th by the end of the lap. He was caught up in the battle between Nick Adcock and Lawson and, subsequently, Adcock and Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett, which left Adcock out of the race and Lawson relegated to 16^th. As Lawson and Rivett spun at the Melbourne Hairpin, Doyle took full advantage to climb from 12^th on the grid to fourth by the end of lap one and he soon passed Stephen Colbert for third place. On lap four, when Onslow-Cole lost momentum coming out of the Old Hairpin, the young Scot swooped to take second place. Although Onslow-Cole regained the position two laps later, Doyle completed a superb drive in third place earning him the Armor All Driver of the Day award for the first time this season. At the front, Byford immediately opened a gap over the rest of the field and led by 2.288s after lap one. While those behind continued to scrap for places, the 34-year-old set about extending his lead, which reached more than four seconds by the midway point of the 12-lap race. Meanwhile, Rivett was beginning his comeback drive from 12^th place by forcing his way past TCR pair Ray MacDowall at Redgate and James Williams at the Melbourne Hairpin to lie sixth after four laps. His next target was local driver Mark Hunt in his Team Pyro car. Hunt was the fourth car in the chain behind Onslow-Cole, Doyle and Colbert. On lap four, Colbert briefly held third place when he followed Doyle past Onslow-Cole, but the Championship leader regained the spot at Redgate corner having lost out at Goddard’s. Further down the field, Boulevard’s Martin Johnson was holding off JHR Racing’s Philip House for eighth place, while Drive 4 Life with SVE’s Niki Lanik joined the fight when he passed House on lap six. House would later retire after running wide at Melbourne Hairpin and hitting the perimeter wall. On lap 10, Rivett, who had been closing at the rate of half a second per lap, passed Hunt for fifth place and was immediately on the rear bumper of Colbert. The Ulsterman, like Hunt before him, made a slight error at the Old Hairpin allowing the double former Champion up to fourth and he also set the Fastest Lap of the race at the 2.50-mile circuit of 1min 47.206s (83.95mph) to claim two bonus points. Byford started the last lap 4.046s ahead of Onslow-Cole and, as he had for the previous 11 laps, looked completely untroubled as he navigated his way to his third win in succession. With Rivett too far back to challenge Doyle for the final podium spot, the only changes for position came in midfield where Johnson passed Williams and Lawson passed Boulevard’s series debutant Richie Faulkner. Commenting on his victory, Byford said: “It was a strange race really because after the first corner, where there were a couple of guys challenging me, I was out front with a fairly comfortable gap to second place. In races like this it’s important to try to forget how big the lead is and concentrate on each lap and building the advantage. It’s great to get another win and I’ll be looking for a repeat in tomorrow’s race.” Onslow-Cole added: “I got a bit bogged down at the start that allowed Martin to get away from me and he drove a great race. It was a good battle with Michael, which I eventually came out on top. Then it was a case of protecting the points for second place, which really helps me for my Championship position.” A delighted Doyle commented: “I didn’t qualify well but on the first lap I could see a bit of jostling ahead of me and took a chance to go round the outside at Redgate corner. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but luckily enough for me it paid off this time. I was able to get past Tom briefly but I knew he was quick and when he came back at me it was better to settle for the points for third place and another podium.” Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 15 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 399 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 334 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 289 pts 4 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 235 pts 5 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 228 pts 6 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 213 pts 7 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 201 pts 8 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 199 pts 9 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 186 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 177 pts BYFORD COMPLETES SUPERB DOUBLE AT SNETTERTON Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford wrapped up an incredible weekend at his home circuit with victory in round 14 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Snetterton on Sunday, 13^th August. Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett finished second to close on Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle scored his second career podium in third place. Byford started the race from pole position after a tremendous qualifying session saw him dominate the timesheets. However, Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole made the better start and passed Byford on the inside of Sear corner. Byford then fought back on the run down the Revett Straight, regaining first place through the second part of the Esses. Onslow-Cole then lost out to Rivett through Coram Curve and the pair continued to scrap for second place on lap two. Current series leader Onslow-Cole tried to pass on the inside of Sear corner, edging ahead and forcing Rivett wide. As the Boulevard ace attempted to complete the corner and move back onto the circuit, he made contact with Onslow-Cole who spun, dropping to 10^th place and promoting Doyle to second. Just behind, Mardi Gras Motorsport duo Robert Lawson and Stephen Colbert made good progress to fifth and sixth place respectively, while Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt looked to challenge for the final podium spot. Hunt was on hand to follow Rivett past Doyle as the young Scot ran wide on the exit of Sear corner on lap three. Doyle was gently bumped by Lawson, allowing Colbert through to fifth. With Byford leading by more than five seconds, his lead was suddenly wiped out by the deployment of the Safety Car after a tyre barrier was dislodged at the chicane. After two laps behind the Safety Car, Hunt struggled as the heat left his tyres and ran wide at Riches, dropping to eighth place. Meanwhile, Colbert passed Doyle for third place following Hunt’s demotion, although Doyle would regain third place for good on lap 10 for his first podium finish since the final round of 2005. Onslow-Cole was beginning his fight back through the field, passing Drive 4 Life/SVE’s Niki Lanik , TCR team-mate Nick Adcock and Mark Hunt in the space of four laps. PH Motorsport with JHR’s Philip House was also driving well after a first-lap mistake and made it up to 11^th by overtaking Martin Johnson before a broken driveshaft ended his race. TCR’s Mark Speller drove a great race from 13^th on the grid to the top five by passing Lawson on lap 11 but he finished down in 13^th after suffering a mechanical problem on the penultimate lap. This allowed Onslow-Cole into fifth place to limit his points deficit to Rivett to just eight. Mark Hunt confirmed his strong pace by passing Onslow-Cole at Sear corner but a mistake at the Esses relegated him back down to 10^th. At the head of the field, Byford gradually began to ease away from Rivett and re-establish the lead he had built before the Safety Car spell and was four and a half seconds clear going into the final lap of the 1.95-mile circuit. He was then able to ease off on the final tour, crossing the line 4.002s ahead of Rivett. Lawson clung on to sixth place by just 0.170s from Niki Lanik, the Austrian driver improving in every session of the weekend to earn a fine seventh place. Commenting on his second victory of the weekend, Byford, who only returned to the series at Donington Park in July, said: “I couldn’t believe it when the Safety Car came out but I’d seen the tyres on the track and knew they would have to do that. The set-up of my car has been on the button the whole weekend and I don’t think Paul was ever close enough to have a lunge for the lead and I was able to ease off over the last four or five laps.” Rivett, who now trails Onslow-Cole by 61 points, said: “Two second places from the weekend is good points for the Championship so I am happy overall. I actually tried to back off slightly from Martin to get a tow and try for the fastest lap but I backed off too much and couldn’t close the gap again! Martin was a class above this weekend and full credit to him for what he achieved.” Doyle, 19, was delighted with his first podium of the season and had been closing on Rivett for second place in the closing stages. He commented: “It was a bit hectic in the first couple of laps and I had a good battle with Colbert and Lawson. When I managed to get past them I pulled away a little bit and did my fastest laps in the middle part of the race. This was a good weekend for me because I got a good few points, which I really needed for the Championship.” Rounds 15 and 16 form part of the World Series by Renault meeting at Donington Park Grand Prix circuit on 9^th/10^th September. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 14 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 371 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 310 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 269 pts 4 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 235 pts 5 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 213 pts 6 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 203 pts 7 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 191 pts 8 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 188 pts 9 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 186 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 163 pts HOME WIN FOR BYFORD AS ONSLOW-COLE’S LEAD IS CUT Martin Byford won his first race since returning to the ELF Renault Clio Cup after a three-year absence in a fascinating wet race at Snetterton on Saturday, 13^th August. It was also the 50^th win of the 34-year-old’s career. Paul Rivett finished second with Robert Lawson gaining his first-ever podium in car racing in third. Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole’s damaged sump meant he failed to finish for the second race in succession and sees his series lead cut to 69 points. Having qualified comfortably on pole position, Byford suffered excess wheelspin at the start and Rivett was able to get in front before Riches corner. Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole was held up by Byford allowing JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle into third place, but the TCR man got back ahead on the second lap. Also making rapid progress were Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert , who climbed four places on the first lap, and JHR’s Steven Hunter , who had started from the back of the grid after a technical infringement in qualifying. Hunter passed four cars on the second lap and was running seventh after just six laps before retiring when he made unavoidable contact with Nick Adcock. As the rain became heavier, Rivett pulled away from Byford to open a 2.5s lead after four laps. Just behind, Onslow-Cole ran wide at Riches allowing Doyle and Lawson to pass and the Championship leader was forced into retirement at the end of the lap. Onslow-Cole’s problem coated the already slippery circuit in oil, making the track conditions treacherous. One of the worst affected areas was Coram Curve where Doyle and Team Pyro’s Mel Healey spun on successive laps but both showed great car control to continue in the race. At the same time, Lawson was beginning his charge through the pack to third place, lapping at least one second per lap faster than those ahead of him. On lap nine, Byford finally made his move on Rivett who had been struggling to find the best line on the oil-soaked track. Carrying better speed through Riches, the Z Speed Racing man was able to dive up the inside of his Boulevard Team Racing rival at Sear. In midfield, sixth-placed Mark Speller (Hereford), Martin Johnson (Alford, Lincs) and Nick Adcock were running in close formation until Adcock began to drop back and was eventually passed by Doyle. At the same time, Lawson closed right onto the rear bumper of Rivett, but the two-time former Champion used all his experience to keep the rookie driver behind him over the final laps. The battle between Rivett and Lawson allowed Byford to extend his lead to almost two seconds and the 34-year-old was able to complete a memorable comeback victory on his home circuit by 1.961s. Commenting on his first Clio Cup victory since 2002, when he finished fourth in the Championship, Byford said: “To sum the race up in a word, I’d say it was ‘fraught’. When the oil went down it made it very hard. I hadn’t made the best start but was able to settle into second and then wait for Paul to make a mistake. He was first to the oil every lap and I could see a couple of places where I was quicker. I went to the inside at Sear and he gave me room when he saw me coming through. It’s boosted my confidence for tomorrow’s race for sure.” Rivett was delighted to close the Championship gap on Onslow-Cole, saying: “I didn’t realise Tom had retired but I knew he wasn’t in the first four or five. I was on quite old wet tyres because I didn’t know how bad the rain would get and with another race to come it was important not to throw it at the scenery. I’d rather give up one place to score good points than go all out for a win and end up with nothing.” Lawson was ecstatic to earn his first podium appearance, adding: “It feels absolutely fantastic. In wet testing I was half a second quicker than the next best person so when it rained I knew I had a good chance of being strong. I didn’t qualify well and knew I had a lot to do but it all came together just right.” Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 13 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 351 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 282 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 247 pts 4 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 221 pts 5 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 213 pts 6 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 186 pts 7 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 180 pts 8 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 178 pts 9 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 173 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 156 pts RIVETT WINS AS WILLIAMS BECOMES YOUNGEST PODIUM FINISHER Paul Rivett took his fourth ELF Renault Clio Cup victory of the season with a commanding drive at Donington Park National on Sunday, 30^th July. The Boulevard Team Racing ace finished 3.292s ahead of Z Speed Racing’s Martin Byford who made a return to the podium in just his second race after a three-year absence from the series. Total Control Racing’s James Williams came third to become the youngest Clio Cup podium finisher aged 16 years and 197 days. Championship leader Tom Onslow-Cole failed to finish the race after being spun round on the opening lap by Steven Hunter to drop to 10^th place and then made contact with team-mate Mark Speller and Team Pyro’s Mark Hunt on lap three to force him into retirement. Onslow-Cole had made a poor start allowing both Nick Adcock and Hunter to pass him at Redgate corner. Rivett then ran wide to allow Speller into fourth place, while Adcock took the race lead. Hunter then forced his way into second place at Park Chicane before closing the gap to Adcock at the head of the field. On lap two, Rivett passed Hunter at Park Chicane for second place before taking the lead on lap three with a bold move on Adcock. Hunter also managed to pass the 41-year-old, now in his fourth season of Clio Cup racing, but as the pair went into Redgate corner, Adcock braked too late to avoid hitting the JHR Racing Developments team owner forcing them both into retirement. On the same lap, Speller, Onslow-Cole and Hunt came together, with all three dropping down the order allowing Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert to climb to second place, with Byford in third and Williams in fourth. Byford, in only his second Clio Cup race since 2002, got past the Ulsterman on lap five to claim second place. JHR’s Michael Doyle made rapid progress to fifth place behind James Williams with the pair pressing Colbert for the final podium spot, while Philip House attempted to stay with the pace. Team Pyro’s Mel Healey finished in a comfortable seventh place ahead of JHR’s Steve Wood ), while Robertshaw Racing’s Alan Taylor just managed to hold off the charging Drive 4 Life with SVE car of Niki Lanik (in ninth place. On lap nine of 14, Doyle managed to get the better of Williams as the pair entered Craner Curves but the Scot then ran wide allowing the 16-year-old back through. Meanwhile, Lanik was able to pass both Speller and Hunt to move up to 10^th place having dropped to the rear of the field following a minor spin. With Rivett and Byford comfortable at the front of the field, with Byford setting the Fastest Lap of 1min 19.479s (88.65mph), the battle was on for the final podium spot with Colbert hanging on ahead of Williams. But on the penultimate lap, the 28-year-old slid wide and onto the marbles at Coppice corner allowing both Williams and Doyle to pass. Williams then kept a cool head on his young shoulders to bring the car home in third place and become the youngest driver to stand on the Clio Cup podium. Rivett’s victory cuts Onslow-Cole’s Championship lead to 99 points and the two-time former Champion has renewed hope going into the second half of the season. Rivett said: “Hopefully this can be a turning point in the Championship and in Clio Cup you never know what can happen. It’s been very hard for me lately but today I was able to get away as everyone else seemed to come together. We’re only just past halfway in the Championship and even though Tom’s got a big lead, I’ve not given up yet.” Byford was delighted to return to the podium on his return to Clio Cup, saying: “I set myself a target of top four in qualifying and a podium finish. I didn’t quite get in the top four on Saturday but today’s podium makes up for it. The Fastest Lap is a sweetener really because it proves I’ve got the pace to challenge for race wins later in the season.” For Williams, his third place finish was the result of some hard work over the last few rounds. He also won the Armor All Driver of the Day award, adding: “I had a really positive result in the first round at Brands Hatch but it’s not gone so well since and I’ve had a bit of bad luck. It was a close battle with Michael and Stephen today but clean as well and once he got on the marbles I got through and kept it going until the end.” After the race, the Clerk of the Course gave Nick Adcock a three-point endorsement on his licence and deducted three Championship points. Steven Hunter received two penalty points and had two Championship points deducted. Rounds 13 and 14 take place at Snetterton circuit in Norfolk on 12^th/13^th August. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 12 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 351 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 252 pts 3 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 225 pts 4 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 212 pts 5 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 211 pts 6 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 168 pts 7 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 164 pts 8 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 153 pts 9 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 148 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 147 pts ONSLOW-COLE COMPLETES PERFECT WEEKEND AT CROFT Tom Onslow-Cole won two races in a weekend for the first time this season as he dominated round 10 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Croft on Sunday, 16^th July. After winning round nine on Saturday, the Total Control Racing man eased past team-mate Nick Adcock in the early stages and was never seriously threatened as he extended his already commanding Championship lead. Adcock, who struggled while leading due to being the first man to encounter oil on the circuit from the damaged JHR Racing Developments car of Michael Doyle, held on to finish second with Mark Speller completing a TCR one, two, three for the second race in succession. JHR Racing’s Steven Hunter made up for his round nine retirement with a fighting fourth place, while Boulevard Team Racing’s Paul Rivett held off the challenge of Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Robert Lawson for the full 12 laps to clinch fifth. With the track already slippery due to the sweltering heat, damage to Doyle’s sump after hitting the kerb hard at the first corner, Clervaux, only served to make driving conditions even more hazardous. Race leader, Nick Adcock, suffered most, with Onslow-Cole able to choose a quicker racing line through the Esses and pass his team-mate at Sunny. Local racer Alan Taylor made a fantastic start to climb to eighth place from 14^th on the grid but lost two places, to another home favourite, Philip House, and TCR’s James Williams after sliding on the treacherous surface. After an initial early break by the front four drivers, Rivett and Lawson began to close the gap to make it a six-way battle at the head of the field with less than five seconds covering the bunch. Lawson, racing in front of his home fans, made several attempts to pass the two-time former Champion, pulling right alongside at the Hairpin on lap six, but Rivett used his greater experience to hold the 29-year-old, in only his first season of racing, at bay. Just behind, Rivett’s team-mate Martin Johnson had his mirrors full of the distinctive yellow and black-liveried Clio of Philip House for the opening half of the race before the PH Motorsport with JHR driver was able to pass for seventh place. Johnson stayed glued to the rear bumper of House for the remainder of the race but was unable to find a way through. At the head of the field, Onslow-Cole set the fastest lap of the race twice in succession to open a 3.7s lead. Although Adcock briefly reduced the deficit, Onslow-Cole put in a lap of 1min 33.836s (81.60mph) to pull away once again and claim the two bonus points. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert who was second in the drivers’ standings going into round 10, was forced to drive a recovery race after being caught in Doyle’s first lap incident and finished 10^th, less than half a second behind Williams. For Onslow-Cole, it was a 10^th podium finish in 10 races to give him a commanding 122-point lead over Adcock, with 32 points available for a win. Onslow-Cole said: “It’s the best meeting yet but it was really tough today with the oil on the circuit from the chicane right through Sunny. Luckily I was able to watch Nick and find a faster line. It’s been a fantastic year so far and the Championship is looking really good if I can keep going.” Once again Adcock had to settle for second place as his search for a maiden Clio Cup win continues. He said: “It was my first pole in Clio Cup racing and I thought I could get my first win with the pace I had. Once the oil went down I didn’t know how the car would react and I was a pioneer finding out where it was. Tom got past and immediately opened a gap and that’s where it stayed throughout.” Speller was delighted to claim his second podium finish in as many days, adding: “It’s nice to be up here again and now my job is to try to catch the two in front of me. It’s a shame it’s taken half a season to find the pace in the car but hopefully I’ll be able to keep it up. The team’s got the car working brilliantly and I have to give them credit for this result.” Rounds 11 and 12 take place on the Donington Park National circuit on Saturday, 29^th July and Sunday 30^th July respectively. Drivers’ Championship standings after round 10 - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 317 pts 2 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 195 pts 3 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 192 pts 4 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 188 pts 5 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 187 pts 6 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 153 pts 7 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 150 pts 8 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 148 pts 9 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 126 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 106 pts ONSLOW-COLE CONTINUES PODIUM RECORD AT KNOCKHILL pic: 11/56 Motorsport Tom Onslow-Cole maintained his run of finishing on the podium in every race in this season’s ELF Renault Clio Cup with a victory and a second place in rounds seven and eight at Knockhill on Sunday, 18^th June. The round seven winner’s 62-point haul from the Renault Race Day increases his lead over round eight winner Paul Rivett by 28 points to 79. Saturday’s qualifying saw the top nine drivers separated by less than one second, but a deterioration in conditions led to two typically incident-packed races. In round seven, JHR Racing Developments’ Steven Hunter made the best start from the front row to lead Total Control Racing’s Onslow-Cole into turn one. A coming together at the first corner saw Robert Lawson unluckily forced into retirement while Mark Speller dropped down the order to finish 13^th. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert (Northampton) took full advantage to seize the lead from seventh on the grid, while Rivett did well to control his car on the grass and recover to pass Nick Adcock at Clark bend, only to spin at Taylor’s Hairpin and fall to 12^th place after contact with Adcock, which saw the 41-year-old deducted two Championship points. With the Safety Car deployed, Rivett moved through the field to regain his place in fourth and although he went on to finish the race, his decision to overtake under Safety Car conditions led to his exclusion from the race classification and the deduction of two Championship points, the Boulevard Team Racing ace later acknowledging a misunderstanding of the relevant regulation. Colbert made a brilliant restart to lead Onslow-Cole by almost two seconds. Behind them, Hunter, Ray MacDowall and home favourite Michael Doyle were having a terrific battle with less than one second between the trio, MacDowall winning out to take fifth place on his return to Clio Cup racing. After 10 of the 15 laps had passed, Onslow-Cole had worn down Colbert’s advantage to just 0.422s having freed himself from the challenge of his TCR team-mate Adcock. However, Colbert’s lead was restored to more than three seconds when Rivett and Onslow-Cole made contact at Taylor’s Hairpin on the following lap. But in a thrilling finish, Onslow-Cole chased down Colbert (right, pic :11/56 Motorsport) once again as the Ulsterman sought his first-ever Clio Cup victory. On the final lap, Colbert, who turned 28 three days before the race meeting, ran wide at the final hairpin allowing Onslow-Cole thorough to claim his fourth win of the season. In round eight, Rivett was able to pass Onslow-Cole at the first corner as the TCR man looked to protect his overall Championship advantage, settling for second place. Rivett opened a large gap as the round seven Armor All Driver of the Day, PH Motorsport’s Philip House, slotted into third place. Meanwhile, Hunter, Colbert, Speller and Adcock diced for fourth place throughout the race. The decisive moment in that battle came on lap 13 when Hunter ran wide at Clark bend and was passed by all three of his rivals, while the gap at the front of the race was narrowing to less than one second. But Rivett (leading Cole and House below, pic :11/56 Motorsport) was able to judge his run to the line to perfection to keep Onslow-Cole at bay to win by 0.682s. With Phil House comfortably in third place, Speller capitalised on a mistake by Colbert at Taylor’s Hairpin to bag fourth place, his best result of the season to date, to earn the Armor All Driver of the Day award. Commenting on another successful weekend, Onslow-Cole said: “Once again I’ve extended my Championship lead. The main thing I’ve tried to do is keep the big picture in mind and for me, that means winning the Championship. Paul is having to risk more to get the wins but I’m happy to pick up podiums because that will be enough for me to win the title now.” Round eight winner Rivett was philosophical about his round seven exclusion, commenting: “I thought I was allowed to re-take my place because I hadn’t fallen to the very back of the field but that’s only on the green flag lap not under the Safety Car, so I can’t argue with the decision. The second race was about as easy as they come and I was just pacing myself home at the end.” The Championship now takes a three week break before rounds nine and 10 at Croft circuit, North Yorkshire on 15^th/16^th July. Drivers’ Championship standings after Round Eight - provisional 1 Tom Onslow-Cole GBR Total Control Racing 249 pts 2 Paul Rivett GBR Boulevard Team Racing 168 pts(164)* 3 Steven Hunter GBR JHR Racing Developments 166 pts 4 Stephen Colbert GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 158 pts 5 Nick Adcock GBR Total Control Racing 139 pts 6 Philip House GBR PH Motorsport with JHR 118 pts 7 Robert Lawson GBR Mardi Gras Motorsport 110 pts 8 Michael Doyle GBR JHR Racing Developments 106 pts 9 Mark Speller GBR Total Control Racing 103 pts 10 James Williams GBR Total Control Racing 82 pts * Following juducial review, the penalty assessed to car 22 has been amended, with six points deducted for infringement of Championship regulation 3.8.7 and 3.8.13 and regulation E.5.1.8. Please find attached the updated drivers' standings, with Steven Hunter now second in the Championship. HUNTER STORMS TO FIRST CLIO CUP VICTORY Steven Hunter scored his maiden victory in the ELF Renault Clio Cup Championship by winning round six at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on Sunday, 4^th June. The 32-year-old passed pole-sitter Paul Rivett, who recovered from a poor start to finish second ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole. Hunter’s victory followed his second place finish in round five, lifting him to within four points of two-time former Champion Rivett in the driver’s standings. Also climbing a place in the standings is Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Stephen Colbert who finished fourth after a terrific wheel to wheel battle with team-mate Robert Lawson. After a poor start from pole position, Rivett passed JHR Racing Developments’ Michael Doyle at Club chicane. The young Scot then lost further places to Onslow-Cole and Colbert before clashing with Total Control Racing’s Mark Speller dropping the pair to the middle of the pack. Onslow-Cole immediately set the Fastest Lap of the race to close to within 0.2s of his nearest title challenger Rivett. Meanwhile, Lawson pulled off one of the most spectacular overtaking manoeuvres of the season so far to pass Colbert at Club chicane, running on two wheels through both turns of the final chicane. The battling behind allowed Hunter to open a five-second lead by the midway point of the 12-lap race. Further down the field, series newcomer Alan Taylor showed no signs of nerves around the high-speed circuit and was able to hold off the more experienced Mel Healey until the closing stages when a missed gear change cost the Robertshaw Racing driver two places. During the middle stint of the race, Onslow-Cole dropped away from the rear of Rivett’s car but found more speed in the latter stages to rejoin the fight for second place. Despite pulling alongside his rival at Club chicane on successive laps, Rivett used all his experience to hold off the Championship leader’s challenge. Rivett’s team-mate Martin Johnson, the most experienced driver in the Championship with more than 100 Clio Cup races to his name, was also defending well to hold onto seventh place from Doyle. However, the 18-year-old was able to overtake on the penultimate lap with Speller following him through to finish eighth. With Hunter cruising to victory, the race for second place kept the crowd on the edge of their seats until the final corner as Onslow-Cole made one final bid. The 19-year-old braked late into Club chicane and although he tapped Rivett in the middle of the corner, the Boulevard Team Racing man was able to cover the racing line to hold onto second by just 0.102s. After claiming his first Championship victory, Hunter commented: “In truth, I felt I had the car to win yesterday’s race so that made today even sweeter. With everyone else battling I was able to get away and it was just a case of keeping my concentration. It’s nice to make it a three-horse race for the Championship now and I just hope I’m backing the right horse!” After his race-long duel with Onslow-Cole, Rivett was delighted to hold onto second place, saying: “It was a good tussle with Tom and it was clean for the most part. A couple of times I felt he came down the inside with not much room to spare and there was contact but I was able to fend him off. It may only be one point I gained