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2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup provisional drivers’ standings – round 20 (incl. dropped scores)

1 Ben Winrow   GBR  Team Pyro   496 pts

2 Paul Rivett GBR  JHR Developments  437 pts

3 Phil Glew  GBR  Full Speed Racing    345 pts

4 Carl Bradley  GBR Coastal Racing  278 pts

5 Niki Lanik  AUT  Y4HR Miracle Drywash with SVE  262 pts

6 Mike Robinson GBR  Total Control Racing   241 pts

7 Alex MacDowall GBR  Total Control Racing    228 pts

8 Rob Boston  GBR  Double Six Racing    211 pts

9 Árón Smith  IRL  Mardi Gras Motorsport   205 pts

10 Lee Pattison  GBR Range Storage with Robertshaw Racing   202 pts

ELF RENAULT CLIO 2008 

RIVETT ENDS SEASON WITH DOUBLE WIN AT BRANDS HATCH 

JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett brought his ELF Renault Clio Cup season to a positive conclusion with a second lights-to-flag win at Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The double former champion, who finishes as vice-champion in 2008, won round 20 on Sunday, 21st September by more than four seconds. Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston clinched the first podium of his car racing career with a determined drive to second ahead of Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik. 

With 2008 Clio Cup champion Ben Winrow opting not to contest the final two rounds, the start of the race saw Rivett out-drag Lanik on the run to Paddock Hill Bend for the second day in succession to take the lead. Lanik then dropped to third at Clearways as Boston found a way past on the narrow 1.20-mile circuit having beaten Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew off the line. 

Just behind the leaders, Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson saw his race end in the gravel at Druids hairpin having been squeezed out wide as the pack approached the tight turn up to three cars wide. One corner later at Graham Hill Bend, JHR’s Max Hunter clipped the kerb and slid into Amery Motorsport’s Dave Newsham, who was turned around and out of the race on Cooper Straight bringing out the Safety Car. Hunter was later given a formal reprimand by the Clerk of the Course and a two-point licence endorsement. 

At the restart, Range Storage with Robertshaw Racing’s Lee Pattison took the outside line at Druids setting him up to pass TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway on the inside at Graham Hill Bend. The following lap saw JD Pierce with JHR’s Derek Pierce pass APO Sport’s Alex Osborne on the inside at Druids. 

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith and Hunter joined Osborne and Pierce in their close battle, the quartet running as one for more than half a lap before Smith retired with a broken throttle cable. As Rivett built a handy lead, Boston was already taking a defensive line through Paddock Hill as he fought off Lanik. 

Lap 10 saw a small slip from Boston as he ran onto the grass exiting Graham Hill Bend but kept his speed up to retain second through Surtees. Further down the order, Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood was making progress and gained another place when Pierce retired with a puncture. 

On lap 13 of what was now a 23-lap race after the Safety Car intervention, Glew joined the race for second and made a move on the inside of Lanik at Graham Hill Bend. Lanik ran wide to avoid contact and as Glew also slowed mid-corner, Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley pounced to take fourth. 

In midfield, Hunter and Wood were now chasing Osborne as the action continued throughout the order. Lap 14 saw the final retirement of the race as Mardi Gras’ Gavin Pyper was nudged into the gravel by Pattison and although he made it back to the pits, Pyper could not continue. 

As Boston and Lanik remained seemingly attached for second and third, Bradley Glew and TCR’s Alex MacDowall continued their battle for fourth. At the lower end of the top 10, Hunter passed Osborne for ninth before overtaking Pattison for eighth just three laps later. 

Lap 18 saw Glew regain fourth from Bradley but he ran wide at Paddock Hill allowing Bradley back through at Druids and MacDowall then passed Glew at Surtees. Meanwhile, Amery’s David Shepherd scored two surprise bonus championship points for the NGK fastest lap of the race at 53.577s (80.53mph) despite running in 15th place. 

On course to finish fourth in the championship, Bradley had five fourth-placed finishes to his name prior to the final round and was determined to score a maiden Clio Cup podium. However, the gap to Boston and Lanik proved too much to bridge in the final four laps leaving him to take another fourth place. 

The last decisive action saw disappointment for Hunter on his debut weekend in Clio Cup racing, a puncture after clipping a kerb dropping him to 12th as he crossed the line having been on course for eighth. At the head of the field, Rivett took a comfortable victory by 4.024s from a delighted Boston with Lanik in third. 

Commenting after the race, Paul Rivett said: “That’s a nice way to finish the season, with two lights to flag wins. We’ve had seven wins this season and although we didn’t quite win the title, congratulations to Ben for what he did. I have to thank my team, JHR Developments, which has done a great job for me all season.” 

Second-placed Rob Boston, who won his place on the grid through the Double Six Scholarship, said: “Mentally, that’s the hardest race I’ve ever done but it feels great to get my first podium. When my pit board said 16 laps to go, I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold on. Then it got down to six and I knew I had a chance. There’s no opportunity like the scholarship and I’m just happy for the Double Six team.” 

Third-placed Niki Lanik said: “I made a bit of an error to let Rob through on lap one because I didn’t see him coming in my mirrors. When he got past I had Glew on my bumper for the first of the race and he tried a pass that I saw coming and stayed wide to avoid contact. Two pole positions and two podiums from the last weekend is a great way to end the season. I’ll do lots of testing in the winter and come back fully ready to go for the title next year.” 

In the Entrants’ championship, JHR Developments retained its title by 49 points ahead of Total Control Racing, with Team Pyro in third. 

RIVETT WINS AS NEWSHAM SCORES PODIUM ON DEBUT 

JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett took victory at his home circuit in round 19 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Brands Hatch on Saturday, 20th September. He led home Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik who picked up a third podium finish of the season. Dave Newsham, making his debut in the championship with Amery Motorsport, finished third after a great drive in only his fourth outing in the car. 

Pole-sitter Lanik was passed in the drag race to Paddock Hill Bend as Rivett took the lead. Newsham retained third place ahead of Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston and Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew, contact between the pair resulting in each having slightly damaged steering for the 20-lap race. 

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper was the man to lose out in the early stages as he tried to pass Newsham round the outside at Druids hairpin but ran wide and fell to 13th. APO Sport’s Alex Osborne was an early retirement, spinning on cold tyres at Surtees as he battled to hold off Total Control Racing’s Alex MacDowall. 

Lap four saw MacDowall pass TCR team-mate Jonathan Ridley-Holloway at Paddock Hill Bend for eighth place. The third TCR car, in the hands of Mike Robinson, set the fastest lap to that point to close on Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley.

At the head of the field, Rivett and Lanik were evenly matched in the early laps. Rivett earned two bonus championship points by setting the NGK fastest lap of the race at 53.367s (80.85mph) to extend his lead to more than half a second. Just behind and now with a clear track ahead, MacDowall equalled Rivett’s time exactly to close on Robinson and also score two bonus points. 

Lanik hit back on the following lap in the lead battle, taking three-tenths of a second out of Rivett’s lead. As an interesting side note, during the 2007 season when double former Clio Cup champion Rivett wasn’t racing he acted as driver coach to Lanik and the pair were now going head to head around the 1.20-mile circuit. 

Newsham was still driving well in third place to keep Boston and Glew at bay, taking a defensive line when necessary and dropping back from the leading pair. Bradley, Robinson and MacDowall were now running as one in the race for sixth. Lap 11 saw Team Pyro’s Chris Rice pass Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood and on the following lap, Coastal’s Stephen Tyldsley passed Pyper for 13th. 

As Tyldsley gained another place on lap 16, Wood continued in the opposite direction as JHR’s newcomer Max Hunter made a great pass at Graham Hill Bend. At the front, Lanik was once again beginning to reel in Rivett having fallen away for a few laps as their yo-yo battle continued. 

Pyper gained a place back on the final lap by passing Range Storage with Robertshaw Racing’s Lee Pattison at Paddock Hill Bend. Also on the last lap, Wood suffered a major puncture that forced him to cautiously negotiate the final few corners and drop to 21st at the chequered flag. 

Leading across the line, Rivett scored his sixth win of the season by 0.510s from Lanik. Newsham was two seconds further back but held on for a brilliant third place ahead of Boston, Glew and Bradley. 

Commenting after the race, Paul Rivett said: “I managed to save my tyres in qualifying so I knew I was going to be strong in the race. My start was pretty good to get me ahead and after that it was a case of keeping an eye on the gap and making sure I didn’t make any mistakes. It’s great to win again and hopefully we can do the same again tomorrow to end the season on a real high.” 

Second-placed Niki Lanik said: “I think if I’d won the drag race to the first corner I’d have been able to win because my car felt good. The gap to Paul was pretty steady, only gaining or losing 10 yards at a time but never really getting close enough to pass. It’s good to be back on the podium and starting from pole again tomorrow gives me a chance to go one better.”

Third-placed Dave Newsham said: “I was a bit surprised to qualify where I did and to go on and finish on the podium is superb given how little time I’ve had. I was even able to mix up my racing line a bit to cover Rob’s moves and the tyres didn’t wear too badly. I’ll have more work to do tomorrow from 11th but this is a great result.”

MEMORABLE DAY FOR PATTISON AS HE TAKES FIRST CLIO WIN

Lee Pattison is celebrating a first series win after clinching victory in round 18 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup on Sunday, 31st August. The Range Storage with Robertshaw Racing driver took the lead on lap two and was never headed in difficult wet conditions. JHR Developments’ Steven Hunter was second, with Total Control Racing’s Stefan Hodgetts adding a third place to his round 17 win.

At the start of the race, JHR’s pole-sitter Paul Rivett held the inside line on the run to Copse as Hodgetts challenged round the outside. Pattison tucked in behind Rivett on the inside and the trio ran through Becketts and then Brooklands as one. Rivett suffered a loss of grip through Luffield, fighting to keep the car on track but dropping to seventh as Hodgetts inherited the lead ahead of Pattison. 

Hunter had moved from sixth on the grid to third ahead of Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston, TCR’s Alex MacDowall and Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik APO Sport’s Alex Osborne (Northampton) made a great start from 15th on the grid and passed the recovering Rivett to lie seventh at the start of lap two. 

As the rain lashed down and spray caused problems for all drivers, lap two saw Hodgetts become the second leader in as many laps to slide out of first place. He ran wide at Becketts to hand Pattison the lead and Hunter took second place. The top three edged clear of Boston, while Lanik took fifth from MacDowall at Copse but not without contact that earned a formal reprimand from the Clerk of the Course and a two-point licence endorsement.

Having reached 10th place from 16th on the grid, Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew lost the position to Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper and then ran into the gravel to drop back to 16th place. Down the order, TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway got out of shape exiting Brooklands before contact involving Team Pyro’s Jeff Smith and EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney put all three out of the race. 

Running in sixth place at his home circuit, Osborne ran wide at Brooklands and through the gravel on lap five to rejoin in 21st place. In the lead battle, Hunter set the NGK fastest lap of the race at 1min 12.872s (80.96mph) to close the gap on Pattison to one second. Pattison almost lost the lead at Becketts as he slid wide, managing to hold the inside line into Brooklands to retain the place before edging away on lap seven. 

Rivett’s early promise continued to fade as his JHR team-mate Matt Allison took sixth place on lap seven. The race for 10th saw Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley and Team Pyro with Dewsport’s Alex Dew joined by Phil Glew after his second charge through the field of the race. 

As Glew tried to pass Dew on lap nine, contact between the pair damaged Glew’s left front wheel to force him into retirement. Four laps later, Bradley was on the receiving end of a tap from Dew at Becketts that dropped Bradley to 17th and earned Dew a formal reprimand and two-point licence endorsement.

 With just four of the 18 laps remaining, Pattison’s lead was down to just half a second as Hunter and Hodgetts tried to use their greater Clio Cup experience to unsettle the 34-year-old. Hodgetts then tried to take second place with a late-braking manoeuvre at Brooklands but Hunter kept the place as Hodgetts lost grip through Luffield. At Becketts on the following lap, Hodgetts strayed onto the grass as he locked the brakes fighting for second once more and was forced to settle for third. 

The action behind left Pattison in the clear to take a deserved first Clio Cup win having shown great pace all weekend. Hunter crossed the line one second adrift, with Hodgetts now three seconds further back. Boston had his best result of the season in fourth with Lanik and Allison completing the top six. 

Commenting after the race, Lee Pattison said: “It’s been a good switch of team this weekend, mainly because it allowed me access to data from previous seasons that I didn’t have as a privateer team. Robertshaw Racing has given me a brilliant car and it was up to me to make the most of it. I ran a bit wide on the last corner of the last lap because I was still trying to find new lines, but I’m really happy with this win.” 

Second-placed Steven Hunter said: “It was an entertaining race and it’s great to be on the podium. Although Stefan was close I didn’t feel under any pressure because I couldn’t see anything in my mirrors through the spray! Lee was flying, especially through the Complex, and I was never able to get a good run at him on the straights.” 

Third-placed Stefan Hodgetts said: “I was biding my time for the first half of the race and then tried to pick up the pace later on. I made a good move on Steven but just couldn’t hold it – I think if I had it would have been a great last couple of laps going for the win. I’m happy with another podium and TCR has done a great job once again.” 

The win moves Pattison up into ninth place in the drivers’ standings. The 2008 Clio Cup champion Ben Winrow elected not to start the race having already scored enough points to secure the title.

HODGETTS MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW AT SILVERSTONE 

Stefan Hodgetts clinched his second ELF Renault Clio Cup victory in succession with a lights to flag win at Silverstone National circuit in round 17 on Saturday, 30th August. The Total Control Racing man beat JHR Developments’ pole-sitter Paul Rivett off the line and held off almost continuous pressure for 18 laps to take the chequered flag. 

Team Pyro’s Newly-crowned champion Ben Winrow, in what will be his final race as he looks towards raising funds to enter the British Touring Car Championship in 2009, pipped Range Storage with Robertshaw Racing’s Lee Pattison for third on the final lap. 

Hodgetts wasted no time in asserting himself on the race by pulling a car length clear off the line to lead Rivett into Copse corner for the first time. Rivett tried to regain the lead at Becketts but Hodgetts forced the double former champion wide as they joined the National Straight. 

Winrow slotted into third ahead of Pattison followed by TCR’s Alex MacDowall and Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik , who had got ahead of Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper, TCR’s Mike Robinson and APO Sport’s Alex Osborne completed the top 10.

 Further down the order, Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd and Team Pyro’s Jeff Smith came together forcing Shepherd into retirement and condemning Smith to spend the race adrift of the field in last place. Meanwhile, Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew was caught up in two separate incidents, the second with JHR’s Mark Hazell and EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney, which ended the race of the driver lying third in the overall standings. 

Lap two saw Pattison pass Winrow for third place with an opportunistic move at Brooklands. Pattison, aiming for a first podium in Clio Cup racing, set the fastest lap to that point on lap three before Winrow responded with a new lap record for the latest Clio Cup race car of 1min 06.274s (89.02mph). 

As the top four paired off, the closest battle on track saw Robinson pass Boston for seventh on lap five after overcoming Pyper on the second tour. TCR’s 12th placed Jonathan Ridley-Holloway was coming under pressure from Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley, succumbing on lap seven before losing two more spots to Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith and Full Speed’s Chaz Small as he ran wide at Becketts.

Lap 12 saw Rivett make another bid for the lead round the outside at Becketts but once again Hodgetts defended as Rivett clipped the kerb and dropped back towards Pattison and Winrow. They were joined by MacDowall as it became a four-way battle for second place and then five-way for first as the pacy Rivett brought the train of cars up to Hodgetts’ bumper. 

Two laps later, Winrow made a rare error to run wide at Copse allowing MacDowall and Lanik past, although he re-passed Lanik at Brooklands. By lap 16, the new champion was back in fourth after a neat move at Luffield and once again chasing Pattison for third, while Lanik slipped behind Robinson and Boston. In midfield, a tap in the rear by Árón Smith on Osborne saw the latter drop two places to 13th on lap 13, eventually finishing 14th having been as high as 10th on lap one. 

Lap 16 saw Bradley pass Pyper for ninth, a good result having qualified a below-par 16th. The closing laps saw Winrow inexorably reel in Pattison, who was struggling with damaged steering after an earlier skirmish between the pair. In heart-breaking fashion for Pattison, the inevitable happened at Becketts on the final lap as Winrow took the final podium place to put a seal on the championship victory in familiar style. 

Despite having the slower car of the pair and suffering from illness, Hodgetts held off Rivett for the victory with MacDowall and Robinson rounding out the top six. Commenting after the race, Stefan Hodgetts said: “There’s nothing too technical about starts, I just went for it and came out ahead. I had to defend quite hard and at one point I tried to back Paul up into the chasing pack to try to make him defend rather than come at me. We struggled a bit for pace so there’s work to do but I’m obviously delighted to get the win.”

Third-placed Winrow, who plans to not contest the final two rounds at Brands Hatch, said: “It’s great to end the season on the podium although bizarrely, this is my worst finishing position of the year. The fact that is the case is quite incredible and it’s been a fantastic campaign overall thanks to Pyro. In the race, Lee was very quick in the first six laps but I could see him struggling in the second half. I made an error that gave me more work to do passing Niki and Alex but I was glad to snatch third on the last lap.”

WINROW ON TITLE BRINK AS HODGETTS TAKES COMEBACK VICTORY

Stefan Hodgetts took victory in round 16 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Oulton Park on Sunday, 27th July, in a race broadcast live on ITV4. The 26-year-old, who was Clio Cup vice-champion in 2007, took victory for Total Control Racing ahead of Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow. Mike Robinson made it a great day for TCR by picking up his second podium of the season in third. 

With 136 points left to race for over four rounds, Winrow, who has led the championship since the opening weekend and is yet to finish outside the top two on the road, is now 142 points ahead of nearest challenger Paul Rivett after he finished 10th. However, with each driver dropping their two worst scores, the actual lead is 113 points, although the title is now a formality for the 23-year-old at his home circuit of Silverstone. 

The start of the race saw Winrow hold the inside line alongside Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper to lead through Old Hall, with Hodgetts right on their tail in third. EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney climbed two places from sixth ahead of TCR duo Alex MacDowall and Robinson. 

Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd made up three places on lap one to lie 11th, while Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston gained four spots to be 12th. Having had a maiden podium in round 15, Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood dropped from 13th on the grid to 16th. 

In the lead battle, Pyper ran wide at Druids at the end of lap one and although able to rejoin the circuit he retired on lap two. The second tour also saw heavy contact between Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew and Shepherd as they tried to avoid the spinning Gaffney, who had run wide on the exit of Old Hall corner and bounced back onto the circuit. All three retired, along with Full Speed’s Chaz Small and the Safety Car was brought out for two laps to clear the debris, the race extended from 12 to 14 laps. 

At the resumption on lap five, Rivett immediately took 10th place from Pyro’s Chris Rice with a late-braking move at Old Hall. Hodgetts managed to stay with Winrow as the race restarted and took the lead at Island Hairpin with a neat manoeuvre up the inside of the series leader. MacDowall was now third ahead of Robinson and Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley, with Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik completing the top six.

Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith ran wide through the chicane and clouted the tyre stack to drop back to eighth, the track marshals doing a fine job to clear the circuit before the field came round on lap six. APO Sport’s Alex Osborne (Northampton) took seventh place and joined the leaders with a two-second gap back to Smith. 

Hodgetts took a defensive line into Old Hall on lap seven as Winrow tried to regain the lead, while Valtra with FSR’s Peter Felix passed P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison for 16th at the same corner, only to lose the place later in the lap. Wood picked up two places in as many laps by passing TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway for 12th on lap eight and then Rice on the following lap. 

The ninth lap saw Winrow set the NGK fastest lap of the race at 1min 36.668s (82.89mph) as he continued to exert maximum pressure on Hodgetts, who refused to buckle and used his experience of winning five Clio Cup races last season to full effect. Meanwhile, Pattison passed Team Pyro with Dewsport’s Alex Dew for 15th. 

Running in a strong third place, MacDowall almost lost his podium spot when he locked his brakes at the hairpin, just fending off Robinson on the run to the chicane. Down the order, Felix passed Dew at Cascades before Wood continued his momentum by overtaking Rivett for 10th. 

Under pressure from Robinson, MacDowall ran wide at Cascades to kick up the dirt on lap 12 before finally running out of luck, and track, at Druids on lap 13. Running wide on the exit, the teenager spun across the track and into retirement against the barrier, moving Robinson to third ahead of Bradley, Lanik and Osborne. 

With Hodgetts maintaining a comfortable distance to Winrow, the battle for the final podium place was to be decided on the final lap. Bradley, who has six fourth-place finishes this season, made a lunge in an attempt to secure a first podium but succeeded only in running wide at the hairpin. This allowed Lanik to pull alongside and the Austrian driver completed the pass at the chicane. 

At the head of the field, Hodgetts took the chequered flag with just 0.581s to spare ahead of Winrow, Robinson taking a deserved third place a further four seconds behind. 

Commenting after the race, Stefan Hodgetts said: “Obviously it’s great to win the race and it was really competitive with Ben. It was easier that he was going for the championship because I knew he wouldn’t take any risks but it was close all the way and great to race against him. The team prepared a great car for me and I’m delighted to go out there and win for them.” 

Second-placed Ben Winrow said: “It’s been a great weekend, even though Stefan got the better of me today. It wasn’t important to win the race though and with Paul in 10th I’ve effectively won the championship today, even though it won’t be official until Silverstone. 

“The season has gone brilliantly and I’ve been pushed all the way by Paul and then quick guys doing one-off races like Jonathan Adam at World Series and Stefan here. They’ve mixed it up a bit but I’ve been able to pull it out of the bag each time and it’s a great feeling.” 

Third-placed Mike Robinson, who adds to his Donington Park podium, said: “It’s nice to be back up here. I didn’t think it was going to happen as the end of the race got nearer but Alex just made a small error and that was it. I hadn’t been qualifying well recently but got it together this weekend and managed to bring it home in third.”

NINTH WIN FOR WINROW AS WOOD SCORES FIRST PODIUM

ELF Renault Clio Cup championship leader Ben Winrow celebrated his ninth win of the season with victory in round 15 at Oulton Park on Saturday, 26th July. Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood had a fantastic race to second place and a maiden podium in Clio Cup, while JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett climbed from ninth on the grid to finish third in an action-packed race held in sweltering conditions. 

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper started the race from Michelin pole position for the first time this season but lost out on the run to the first corner to Total Control Racing’s Stefan Hodgetts, making his first appearance of the season after finishing as vice-champion last year. Pyper then lost out to Team Pyro’s Winrow to cross the line in third at the end of lap one.

Pyro’s Chris Rice had his best qualifying of the season to start fifth, but lost out to Wood on the opening lap. Further down the order, Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew gained three places to 13th, while Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson picked up four places to lie 19th. Contact between Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith and Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd at Cascades left the latter in the gravel and the Safety Car was brought out to enable recovery. 

At the restart on lap four, Rivett immediately passed EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney for seventh, while Pyper and TCR’s Alex MacDowall both passed Hodgetts as he took to the grass. Rivett, along with the rest of the field, rose two more spots on lap five when Hodgetts nudged MacDowall into Pyper at the hairpin. Both MacDowall and Pyper retired, while Hodgetts was later issued with a three-point penalty by the Clerk of the Course. 

The shuffling at the front ended with Winrow in a clear three-second lead ahead of Wood. Hodgetts was narrowly ahead of Rice but struggling with a damaged car, while Rivett and Gaffney completed the top six. Glew, lying third overall in the drivers’ standings, had reached ninth place behind Coastal Racing’s local driver Carl Bradley and TCR’s Mike Robinson.

Lap seven saw Gaffney drop down the order from sixth and then retire on the following lap, his car overheating after collecting grass in the radiator from other cars’ excursions. The race for third continued to be the best battle on the track, with Rice pressuring Hodgetts but then having to defend from the charging Rivett at the hairpin. 

Wood continued his fine weekend with the NGK fastest lap of the race on lap eight of 1min 36.417s (83.11mph) to score two bonus championship points. This saw him close the gap slightly on Winrow, but remain 2.9s adrift of the race leader. On the following lap, Rivett finally passed Rice for fourth, before contact between Hodgetts and Rice gifted third place to the double former champion. Rice was forced to retire, while Hodgetts plunged to 12th place. 

Bradley, Glew and Robinson had all caught the race for third and together with Rivett, all set their personal best laps on the 11th tour of the 2.23-mile Cheshire circuit. Hodgetts, meanwhile, was defending from Pyro’s Jeff Smith, while the race for ninth was between drivers who started on the ninth row of the grid, JHR’s Steven Hunter coming under pressure from Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston.

Hodgetts succumbed to Jeff Smith on the penultimate lap as Rivett continued to head the train of four drivers racing for third place. Winrow began the final lap with a five-second lead over Wood, who had driven superbly to maintain a comfortable gap over the chasing pack and assure himself of a first Clio Cup podium. 

The last lap saw Full Speed Racing’s Chaz Small pass Boston for 10th place, while his team-mate Peter Felix in the Valtra with FSR car also gained a position to finish 13th ahead of Hodgetts. Winrow brought his car home 5.577s ahead of Wood, with Rivett using his experience to hold off the challengers in third.

Commenting on the race, Ben Winrow said: “That was fantastic, exactly the way we want races to go. I got a good start to get past Gavin on the first lap and to be honest, I’d have been happy to follow Stefan home but then he went wide and gifted me the place. It was to and fro behind me but I just had to keep my head down and build the gap.”

Second-placed Lea Wood said: “This is a great result and I’m really happy for the team because they put in all the hard work. I had a big crash at Rockingham but the new car has been working well so I knew I could get a result like this. I won at Oulton Park twice last season so it’s a track I feel comfortable at and that’s the way it worked out.”

Third-placed Paul Rivett said: “From ninth on the grid I thought third was a possibility but probably not much higher. I got past Gaffney on the restart, which was quite hard because of staying close enough across the line. A couple of people came off ahead of me and third is a great result given where I started.”

SEASON’S SECOND DOUBLE FOR DOMINANT WINROW 

Ben Winrow completed a double victory at Snetterton by winning round 14 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup. It is the second time the championship leader has won both races at a single event and gives him a commanding 87-point lead with just six races left. EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney had his best result of the season in second with JHR Developments’ Steven Hunter in third, his third podium from six race starts. 

The race began in familiar fashion with Winrow leading away from his 13th pole position of the season, although Robertshaw Racing’s Matt Allison was right on his rear bumper. However, Allison was adjudged to have made a false start and incurred a Drive Through Penalty that dropped him to 18th when he served it on lap three. 

Gaffney inherited second position ahead of Hunter, followed by Total Control Racing’s Alex MacDowall and Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew who had got past TCR’s Fulvio Mussi off the line. Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston gained four places on the opening lap to lie eighth, a tap with JHR’s Paul Rivett relegating the double former champion to 11th and leaving both with slightly damaged steering. 

Rivett regained one place at the Esses on the following lap, TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway and Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper following him past P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison. Further down the order, APO Sport’s Alex Osborne and Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley passed Team Pyro’s Chris Rice across the finish line, Rice then retiring at the Esses after contact with Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood, who received a two-point penalty for his part in the incident. 

With Hunter keeping the pressure on Gaffney, when Allison served his Drive Through it left Winrow with a 2.2s lead at the end of lap three. Mussi had a look up the inside at the Esses in an attempt to pass Glew, while Tyldsley passed Osborne for 16th at the same chicane. Boston, TCR’s Mike Robinson and Rivett ran almost three-wide down the 120mph Revett Straight, Boston maintaining seventh at the head of the trio. 

Allison was attempting to make up his lost ground but contact with JHR’s Derek Pierce at Russell Chicane saw him fall back to 22nd. On lap six, Rivett’s already damaged steering finally gave out as he rode the kerbs at the Esses, leaving him stranded in the middle of the track and necessitating the Safety Car to enable recovery of his stricken car. 

Racing resumed on lap 10 and Hunter redoubled his efforts to take second place from Gaffney, but the 18-year-old held firm and also kept Winrow within reach. Pattison overtook Pyper to break into the top 10, while Osborne’s car, damaged in an accident in round 13, began to cause problems and he dropped out of the midfield tussle. 

With the field bunched after the Safety Car, Allison was able to pick up places regularly and set the fastest lap to that point on lap 12 as he ran in 16th place. Gaffney also posted his personal best lap time to edge away from Hunter, who was now defending from MacDowall as the race for podium places intensified. 

On lap 14, Glew entered the lead battle by passing MacDowall at the Bomb Hole and then defended into Russell chicane as MacDowall tried to fight back. Allison’s charge continued as he passed Solutions Racing with Dewsport’s Alex Dew and Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley to take 13th place. He then posted the NGK fastest lap of the race and a new lap record of 1min 17.975s (90.12mph) as he finished in 12th place. 

On the last lap, Winrow almost lost concentration and ran wide through Riches to kick up the dust on the outside of the track. Behind him in second, Gaffney did the same thing allowing Hunter to close right up but Gaffney was determined to cling on to the position and held on by two-tenths of a second as they crossed the line. 

For Winrow it was an eighth victory and with Rivett not finishing he now has breathing space at the top of the drivers’ standings having never finished outside the top two on the road. Commenting on the race, a jubilant Winrow said: “What a great end to a great weekend. I was quickest in testing, got two pole positions and two wins. I had fastest lap yesterday but not today – that’s the only disappointment! As ever the team did a fantastic job and put in as much effort as they always do for me.” 

Second-placed Gaffney, celebrating his first podium since round five, said: “I was gutted not to get a podium yesterday and come fourth but this has made up for it. The car’s been mega all weekend and the boys at Robertshaw have done a really good job. It was a really tough race because Steven was right on me the whole time but I tried to keep my concentration and it’s paid off.” 

Third-placed Steven Hunter said: “I hadn’t planned to race this weekend but Mark Hazell couldn’t make it so I stepped in and really enjoyed it again. I tried to make up places early on in the race but with the Safety Car coming out the real race was at the end not the beginning so I struggled a bit and couldn’t quite get to the front. Great fun as ever though and I’m happy to be on the podium.” 

RAIN SHOWER CAN’T STOP WINROW AT SNETTERTON 

ELF Renault Clio Cup championship leader Ben Winrow recorded his seventh win of the season in round 13 at Snetterton on Saturday, 12th July. The Team Pyro ace made light of mid-race rainfall to lead home Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew by just 0.363s. At his home venue, series returnee Matt Allison was just behind the leaders in third for Robertshaw Racing. 

From pole position, Winrow immediately came under threat from the fast-starting Steven Hunter of JHR Developments. The pole-sitter held his lead and was soon being chased by EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney as he came up from third on the grid with Glew tucked in behind. In midfield, a slide by Pyro’s Jeff Smith saw him collect Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson, both retiring from the race. 

As the top three edged clear, Glew made a bid for second place and took the position on lap three. In eighth place, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper led a train of three cars including TCR’s Fulvio Mussi on his return to the championship and Pyper’s team-mate Árón Smith. Behind Smith, TCR’s Alex MacDowall also led a three-car group as the Clio Cup drivers served up thrilling action throughout the field. 

Having dropped to seventh on lap two after starting second, Allison began his comeback by setting the fastest lap to that point on lap three and passing Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston. Pyper and Mussi swapped places twice in as many laps, while APO Sport’s Alex Osborne passed MacDowall as the midfield battle began to warm up. At the head of the field, Glew was beginning to close the gap on Winrow to just over one second. 

Lap six saw Allison pass Hunter for fourth place before a brief rain shower caused several drivers to slide off the track at the Esses, where oil had been dropped by the preceding race. As the leader, Winrow was the first to suffer but managed to keep control, while Glew slewed even further onto the grass before recovering in third behind Gaffney. Just outside the top 10, Osborne and MacDowall both slid and collided as they rejoined the circuit, causing both to retire. 

One of the beneficiaries was JHR’s Paul Rivett, who moved up to eighth behind Árón Smith by keeping a smooth line through the chicane. The Safety Car was brought out to recover two stricken cars, while Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley also retired on the seventh lap. His team-mate, Carl Bradley, found himself in 10th having started an unfamiliar 22nd on the grid. 

The restart came on lap 12 and Glew immediately passed Gaffney for second as Rivett lost two places to P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison and Bradley. After initially dropping back, Pyper picked up the pace to make it six for the lead with Pattison heading the chasing pack in a race extended to 19 laps due to the Safety Car. 

Lap 14 saw Gaffney edged out of the podium places by Allison at the Bomb Hole and although he tried to hit back, the teenager couldn’t re-pass the former race-winner. Hunter took advantage to close the gap, forcing Gaffney to defend his fourth place. Meanwhile, Glew had closed the gap on Winrow with the gap at less than half a second starting the final tour of the 1.95-mile circuit. 

With the top five running nose-to-tail there was no margin for error and all five drivers lapped within two-tenths of a second of each other, negating any chance of overtaking. Winrow set the fastest lap of the race, a new lap record, at 1min 18.213s (89.84mph) on the final lap to secure the victory, with Glew just holding off Allison through Russell Chicane for the last time. 

Now with a 55-point lead in the drivers’ standings, Winrow commented: “It was a very up and down race with cement dust on the track covering the oil and then the rain coming that caught most people out. I was never able to get a big lead but Phil and Robert swapping places helped me keep the lead so it’s turned out perfectly.” 

Second-placed Phil Glew said: “Having been third for the last four races it’s great to move up one place and hopefully I’ll go one better in tomorrow’s race. I had a massive moment at the Esses but managed to catch it and get back past Robert and I’m really happy with second.” 

Third-placed Matt Allison said: “I was a bit wary of the start because it was my first in the new car and I was right to be because I didn’t make a good one and was about sixth by the first corner. I’m a bit disappointed because I felt I had the pace in the car to win but I did well to come back through and hopefully I can improve the start tomorrow.”

WINROW REBUILDS LEAD WITH SILVERSTONE VICTORY

Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow took his sixth victory of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup season at Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on Sunday, 8th June. A crowd of 70,000 came to the UK round of World Series by Renault, with the national-level saloon-car championship providing a second thrilling support race at the home of the British Grand Prix. 

Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Adam  completed a great one-off outing in the series where he was champion in 2005 with second place, while Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew made it four consecutive third place finishes. Winrow’s main championship rival Paul Rivett was fifth, extending Winrow’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 62 points. 

The start of the 12-lap race saw Glew immediately blast past Adam from third on the grid and challenge Winrow for the lead through Copse. Adam then took a tight line on the exit of Abbey chicane to regain second, while JHR Developments’ Rivett looked to join the battle by moving to the outside of Glew at Priory before settling into fourth. 

Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik (Ashurst Wood) enjoyed a great opening lap, the Austrian passing TCR’s Alex MacDowall for fifth having started eighth on the grid. EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney passed APO Sport’s Alex Osborne for eighth on lap one before losing the place back to the local driver on the following tour. 

As the tussle for second place continued, Winrow took full advantage to build a 2.2s lead by the end of lap two. However, an incident in midfield that saw Full Speed’s Chris Panayiotou and Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley both retire at Abbey, brought out the Safety Car to negate his lead. 

At the restart on lap six, the top five broke away slightly ahead of TCR’s Mike Robinson who was coming under pressure from team-mate MacDowall as he looked to make up for a poor opening to the race. Rivett was swarming all over the back of Glew’s car in the race for third early in the lap, before coming under pressure himself from Lanik. Just behind, JHR’s Richard Cannon was hoping to repeat his fine round 11 result by passing Coastal’s Carl Bradley for 11th. 

At the head of the field, Winrow set about immediately re-establishing his lead and posted the NGK fastest lap of the race at 2min 10.181s (88.33mph) to leave Adam trailing. MacDowall ran wide at Copse in his efforts to pass Robinson, but he completed the move later in the lap. Just behind, the race for eighth saw Osborne and Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper run side by side through Club and a touch slightly at Abbey to allow Gaffney to briefly pass Pyper before he re-took the place. 

On lap 10, Osborne and Pyper came together again but this time the contact was firmer forcing Osborne into a slide at Abbey. As Bradley took evasive action he ran into the tyre wall to bring out the Safety Car for a second time. The resulting running order saw Pyper in eighth ahead of Gaffney, Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston, P9 Race Shop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison and the unfortunate Osborne in 12th. 

Under Safety Car conditions, Pyro’s Chris Law hit Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson from behind on the exit of Abbey chicane to force both into retirement in the pit lane. The removal of Bradley’s car took two laps, by which time the race had almost reached its 30-minute maximum time. As the Safety Car pulled into the pit lane it left time for one final lap and a last chance to make up places. 

Winrow opened a gap after expertly slowing the field through the final corner, while Adam was clear in second place. The main action came in the race for third with Rivett determined to make the podium and Glew equally focussed on holding him off. On the run through the final corners, Lanik also joined the scrap but saw his race end in the gravel at the exit of Brooklands, while Rivett lost fourth place to MacDowall. Pyper passed Robinson for sixth, while JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce took 14th from Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith. 

Commenting after the race, Winrow said: “I’ve had two good races with Jonathan today and I’m very pleased to have got the better of him this time because he’s a great driver. My car felt like it was working perfectly thanks to the work the team has done and I was comfortable with pulling away from the pack despite the two restarts. It’s as important to win here as much as any meeting but the size of the crowd does make it more special.” 

Second-placed Jonathan Adam said: “It’s been an excellent weekend with a win and a second place and I’ve really enjoyed it. Ben never made a mistake through the whole race and did a great job. Once again I have to thank TCR for producing a great car and it’s been great to race in front of a big crowd like this.” 

Third-placed Phil Glew said: “Paul was all over me early on and we had another good race where he pushed me on all the time. I nearly lost out when I got a tap on the last lap but I’m really pleased to be up on the podium again and it makes it even sweeter to beat a driver of his quality.”

ADAM RETURNS TO CLIO CUP RACING WITH DRAMATIC WIN 

Former ELF Renault Clio Cup champion Jonathan Adam made a sensational return to the championship to win round 11 at Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Racing in support of World Series by Renault, the 2005 champion took victory ahead of current championship leader and local driver Ben Winrow with Phil Glew in third. 

Team Pyro’s Winrow started from pole position alongside Total Control Racing’s Adam, making a one-off appearance in the saloon-car series. Winrow led away off the line but Adam set the fastest lap of the race on lap two at 2min 09.868s (88.54mph) to keep the pressure on. JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett came past TCR’s Alex MacDowall at the start to take third, with Full Speed Racing’s Glew lying fifth in the early stages. 

APO Sport’s Alex Osborne, having qualified well in ninth at his home circuit, dropped to 13th on the opening lap as the midfield runners shuffled at Abbey. JHR’s Richard Cannon was in a solid sixth place ahead of a great duel for seventh between TCR’s Mike Robinson and Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik. 

On lap three, Adam made the decisive move for the lead at Stowe having picked up a tow down the long Hangar Straight. He gradually increased his lead in the following six laps but only by fractions of a second as Winrow remained in touch. In the race for 12th place, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s David Dickenson  led a train of four cars including his team-mate Árón Smith as the 30-car field all found someone to race with on the 3.194-mile circuit. 

Lap four saw Osborne passed by TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway and Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood, with P9 Race Shop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison also in the group. Among the leaders, MacDowall slid wide at Club chicane allowing Glew through into fourth place. 

On the next lap, Ridley-Holloway had the slightest twitch exiting Brooklands but due to the closeness of the racing it was enough to cost him three places as Wood, Osborne and Pattison all came through. Meanwhile, Glew set his personal best lap to that point to close on Rivett before gaining a further 0.8s in the first sector of lap six. 

Lap six saw the only retirements of the race, Amery Motorsport’s Jonathan Shepherd as a result of contact with JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce and Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston with an electrical problem. 

Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley joined the main midfield battle on lap seven as he passed Pattison and Osborne who had slowed themselves up as they raced each other. At the head of the field, Winrow set his personal best lap to that point and then went quicker still on laps eight and nine to close the gap on Adam to under half a second. 

Team Pyro’s Chris Rice was the next driver to gain two places with one move, coming past Ridley-Holloway and Pattison on lap eight. In the race for podium places, lap eight saw the decisive move by Glew on Rivett, forcing his way through at Vale as Rivett was forced to leave room and avoid contact. 

After a race-long battle, Austrian driver Lanik finally found a way past Robinson for seventh and soon passed Cannon at Copse for sixth after getting a great run out of Woodcote. With tyre wear becoming an issue, Rivett continued to defend fourth place from a resurgent MacDowall as Winrow lined up a final attempt to take the lead. 

On the final lap, Winrow tried to get a run at Adam coming onto Hangar Straight but went off line and lost momentum. This allowed the Scot to ease home to take a stunning victory on his first competitive outing in the new Clio Cup race car. Winrow finished one second behind with Glew a further six seconds adrift, while Rivett pipped MacDowall by just 0.108s. 

Commenting on the race, a delighted Jonathan Adam said: “It’s always good to race at World Series by Renault because the crowds are great and it’s such a massive event. TCR always produces a good car and to get three cars home in the top eight when it’s so competitive is proof of that. I’m grateful to them for giving me the chance to race this weekend and hopefully I’ve shown what I can do.” 

Second-placed Winrow said: “It was a great race with Jonathan and in a way I’m not too disappointed to lose to him because he’s not racing for the overall championship. We know each other from racing together in Clio Cup in the past so it was a very fair race. I wasn’t too happy with the car on Friday in testing but it’s back on track now and it’s a good result.” 

Third-placed Glew said: “I had a good battle with Paul and I thought I was quicker than him as the race went on. I went for the move and Paul gave me room and was very fair. It’s great to be on the podium and I must thank all my sponsors for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to race.”

RIVETT COMPLETES CROFT DOUBLE IN ROUND TEN 

JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett ensured he took maximum points away from Croft circuit with a second victory of the weekend in round 10 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup. The double former champion led home Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow and Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew in a repeat of the round nine result. 

Rivett set the fastest lap in each race to score a total of four bonus championship points, cutting Winrow’s lead in the drivers’ standings to 42 points at the halfway stage of the 20-race season. 

A difficult day that saw torrential rain disrupt the running order of the British Touring Car Championship meeting of which Clio Cup is a support race meant round 10 took place at 17.30 rather than the scheduled 15.45. By the time the race started a dry racing line was established for the 12-lap race. 

Pole-sitter Winrow held off the challenge of Rivett at the first corner as the pair ran side by side for much of the opening lap. Glew slotted into third with Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik holding fourth ahead of APO Sport’s Alex Osborne. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper was sixth ahead of Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley. 

Further down the grid, contact between Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson and Amery Motorsport’s Jonathan Shepherd saw both cars retire before reaching Clervaux for the first time, while a second incident saw P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison and Team Pyro’s Neil Waterworth retire on lap one. Amery’s David Shepherd pitted at the end of the lap after running over debris at Hawthorn, before a spin at the chicane on lap two ended his race. 

Winrow was exerting full effort in the early stages in an attempt to drive away from the field as he had done previously in the course of recording five wins this season. A huge slide at the Complex on lap two saw him concede some of his lead over Rivett, while Lanik chased Glew hard for the final podium spot. 

Lap three saw Pyper pass Osborne after he had a slow exit from Tower Bend and Osborne then came under pressure from Bradley at the Hairpin at the end of the lap before Bradley was passed by Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith (Rathfarnham) as the Clio Cup drivers served up their usual course of thrill-a-minute racing. 

On the run through Hawthorn on lap four, Bradley began to slide after running side by side with Smith before collecting the unfortunate Rob Boston of Double Six Racing who was knocked out of ninth place on his home circuit. Further down the order, JHR Developments’ Steven Hunter, who started from the back of the grid after an electrical problem in qualifying, reached 16th place by lap four that became 13th place by lap six. 

At the head of the field, Winrow continued to lead Rivett but was unable to open a significant advantage. As Glew and Lanik battled for third it allowed Pyper to close the gap in fifth, helped by setting the fastest lap of the race to that point on lap five. Lap six saw Rivett set a new lap record of 1min 33.008s (82.24mph) as he continued to pile pressure onto race leader Winrow. 

The pressure told at the start of lap seven as Winrow clipped the kerb at Clervaux too hard, turning him sideways into a slide he did to recover. The loss of momentum allowed Rivett to sail through into the lead and consistent lap times from the 29-year-old saw him through to the chequered flag with little fuss. 

After his earlier charge, Pyper began to drop away from third and fourth-placed Glew and Lanik, who remained seemingly joined together throughout the race with the Austrian unable to manufacture an overtaking opportunity. Lap eight saw Smith and Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway pass Osborne, while ninth-placed Nick Adcock began to pull away from JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce and Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood. 

On lap 10, Lanik came closer than ever to passing Glew for third place after getting a good run out of Tower Bend but Glew held his line into Jim Clark Esses to maintain the position. Their battle benefited Pyper who once again closed up to make it a three-way tussle for the final podium place. 

The 12th and final lap saw Rivett extend his lead slightly to 1.5s over Winrow as Glew remained less than a car’s length ahead of Lanik. Confusion surrounded the end of the race as the chequered flag was not deployed at the end of the 12th lap. Rivett, believing the race was over, slowed to celebrate as he crossed the line and although the field continued racing for a further lap, the result was declared as it stood at the end of lap 12. 

Just 0.308s separated Glew from Lanik in the race for third with Pyper also within one second of the podium, while a similar margin covered Smith and the fast-finishing Ridley-Holloway in sixth and seventh. Osborne took eighth after an eventful race ahead of Adcock with Pierce completing the top 10. 

Commenting on the race, Paul Rivett said: “Ben got away a bit early on but I knew he was getting near the limit from the way the back of his car was moving around. It was a case of waiting for the mistake that eventually came and gifted me the win. This weekend was exactly what I needed from a championship point of view and hopefully I can do the same next week.” 

Second-placed Ben Winrow said: “I’m a bit disappointed with myself for the slip but these things happen and it’s still a reasonable weekend with two second places. We did a lot of hard work in the early part of the season to build an advantage in the standings so there’s no real harm done.” 

Third-placed Phil Glew said: “This has been a much better weekend for me with two podiums and I’m really pleased for my team and my sponsors who enable me to do this. It was a great race with Niki all the way through and I was trying everything to shake him off but he just kept on at me so it was a relief to get across the line in the end.”

RIVETT RETURNS TO TOP STEP AT CROFT 

Double former champion Paul Rivett got his 2008 title hopes back on track with victory in round nine of the ELF Renault Clio Cup at Croft circuit on Saturday, 31st May. The 2002 and 2004 champion, racing for JHR Developments, led home Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew in a season’s best second place with Team Pyro’s championship leader Ben Winrow in third. 

After the race, a protest by Winrow regarding an overtaking move by Glew on the first lap was upheld by the Clerk of the Course. The Clerk imposed a time penalty to reverse the finishing positions, placing Winrow second and Glew third. 

Earlier in the day, an appeal to the Stewards of the Meeting saw Winrow given a 30-second penalty for a false start in round eight at Thruxton, reducing his lead in the drivers’ standings to 54 points at the start of the race. Rivett’s win and Winrow’s second place brings the margin down to 48 prior to round 10 on Sunday, 1st June. 

At the start of round nine, Rivett made a clean getaway from pole position to lead Winrow into the first corner. Team Pyro’s Neil Waterworth, replacing Jeff Smith for one event, moved from seventh to fourth but was given a drive through penalty for a false start. Further down the order, JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce had the best start, gaining four places to lie 12th. 

The 28-car field navigated the first corner Clervaux and then Hawthorn, but a three-car incident involving Full Speed’s Peter Felix, JHR’s Mark Hazell and Mardi Gras Motorsport’s David Dickenson saw the Safety Car deployed. At the end of the lap, Glew passed Winrow for second at the Hairpin making contact with the rear of Winrow’s car. Winrow was inadvertently tapped by Bradley with the result being damaged steering for the championship leader. 

The race restarted on lap four with Rivett immediately opening a half-second gap over Glew with Winrow a similar distance behind in third, coping with damaged steering. In midfield, P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison gained two places on lap five by passing Pyro’s Chris Law and Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway. 

Behind the leading trio, before fourth-placed Waterworth served his drive through penalty, Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley was defending vigorously from Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Austrian driver Niki Lanik. Just behind, APO Sport’s Alex Osborne was engaged in a similar tussle with Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston. 

In the race for 11th place, Ridley-Holloway tapped Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith at the Hairpin, the Irish driver taking to the grass and losing his front bumper. Despite losing aerodynamic efficiency, Smith fought well to finish in a battling 11th place. JHR’s Steven Hunter, attempting to come through from the back of the grid after an electrical problem in qualifying, locked his brakes into the Hairpin to lose ground as he went for 17th place. 

On lap seven of the extended 14-lap race, Rivett increased his lead over Glew to one second having already posted the NGK fastest lap of the race on lap five at 1min 33.489s (81.82mph). Lanik continued to press Bradley, particularly closing up under brakes at Tower Bend, but great defence from Bradley prevented him finding a way past. Just behind, Law had a great run at Smith through Barcroft but was unable to pass and lost out to Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood (Hereford), who also passed Ridley-Holloway. 

As Lanik and Bradley continued the fight for fourth, with Waterworth back in 18th after serving his penalty, Osborne and Boston closed to make it a four-way battle. Boston got alongside Osborne on the run to Clervaux, but ran slightly wide out of the chicane and took to the grass. Losing momentum allowed Mardi Gras’ Gavin Pyper to pass for seventh with Boston rejoining in eighth. 

On lap 11, Smith came into the Hairpin in 11th place at the head of an incredible train of 11 cars as the Clio Cup drivers once again provided thrilling entertainment throughout the race. On the penultimate lap, Pyper passed Osborne at Tower for sixth place but both were slow out of the corner allowing Boston to pass Pyper through Jim Clark Esses for the second time in the race. Osborne, Pyper and TCR’s Nick Adcock came out of the Hairpin as one to start the final lap before Adcock took eighth place behind Osborne. 

On the slowing down lap, Pyper made contact with the rear of Adcock’s car, an. incident that led to his exclusion from the classification. This carries a four-point licence endorsement, a penalty also applied to his championship score. The four points is doubled to eight as it is his second offence of the season. 

Behind the finishing order of Rivett, Glew and Winrow, Bradley held off Lanik to the flag for fourth place, while Pattison completed the top 10 behind Pyper. In the overall standings, Pierce drops out of the top 10 after his fire extinguisher went off in the car forcing him to retire on lap four, while Full Speed’s Glenn Bell had a fuel pump issue that caused him to stop on lap seven. 

While drivers swapped places behind, Rivett drove a flawless race to take victory by 1.452s. Commenting on his lights-to-flag win, Rivett said: “It was a perfect race from my point of view, I can’t remember having a ‘moment’ or making even a slight error anywhere. After the restart, I opened a gap to Phil and then eased off to manage the distance but never felt under threat.” 

Second-placed Winrow said: “I feel everyone finished in their rightful place in the end. It’s a bit disconcerting when the steering wheel doesn’t point straight and it’s a shame we couldn’t take the fight back to the front two. Third on the road wasn’t where I wanted to be but given the damage, which is my first of the season, it was great to stay in the podium places and hopefully I can lead from the front tomorrow.” 

Third-placed Glew said: “At the end of the race I was delighted to be back on the podium because it’s been a long time coming since Brands Hatch. The team did a great job with the set-up and I managed to qualify well, which really helps in the race. I don’t think I caused the main damage to Ben’s car because I was trying to avoid him but that’s the decision that’s been made. I start third on the grid again tomorrow so that’s another chance for a podium finish.” 

Round 10 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place on Sunday, 1st June, scheduled to start at 15.45.

THRUXTON SEES WINROW’S FOURTH STRAIGHT WIN 

Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow took his fourth successive, sixth in total, victory in round eight of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup. The 22-year-old finished almost five seconds ahead of JHR Developments’ duo Paul Rivett and Steven Hunter at Thruxton on Sunday, 18th May in a race broadcast live on ITV4. However, the result of round eight remains provisional pending further judicial review, including a protest concerning the legality of Winrow’s start. 

Winrow led into the first corner from Hunter, the JHR Team Principal making a surprise one-off racing appearance at the Hampshire venue, before Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew passed Hunter for second at the Complex. Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Austrian driver Niki Lanik then relegated Hunter to fourth at Village, while Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson and JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce both saw their races end on lap one. 

Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith, starting from the back of the grid after an infringement in qualifying, wasted little time repairing some of the damage by surging to 17th at the end of the opening lap, as Rivett gained three places to fifth. In the midfield shake-up caused by Robinson’s spin at Allard, APO Sport’s Alex Osborne climbed five places to 11th, but TCR’s Nick Adcock lost out on lap two to plunge to 24th. 

Rivett soon found a way past his Team Manager at Club chicane, Hunter not defending too strongly as his team member with the best title chance came past. Out in front, Winrow was setting a strong early pace as Smith gained another place in midfield passing P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison for 15th. The Irishman would eventually finish 14th, one place ahead of team-mate Gavin Pyper who suffered the same penalty in qualifying. Contact between Pyro’s Chris Rice and Amery Motorsport’s Jonathan Shepherd ended the former’s race on lap three, with Shepherd finishing 24th. 

Lap four saw Clio Cup racing at its best on the fastest circuit in the UK. The trio of Glew, Lanik and Rivett came through the 120mph Village bend side by side, with Hunter and TCR’s Alex MacDowall also looking to pick up the slipstream. As the thousands in attendance and those watching on television held their breath it was Rivett who used the experience of a double former Clio Cup champion to pass two cars and emerge in second place through Church corner, although all drivers showed tremendous skill and respect. 

Glew lost out in that five-way tussle for second place and on the following lap lost three more places to ninth as Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley came through at the Complex, although there was contact that would earn Bradley a formal reprimand from the Clerk of the Course and a two-point penalty. Glew almost immediately passed EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney but had looked on course for better than an eighth place finish. 

In the second half of the race, Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley led a great scrap for ninth place involving Gaffney, Osborne, Full Speed’s Glenn Bell and Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson. By this stage, on lap nine, Winrow’s lead over Rivett was more than four seconds. Meanwhile, Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd was on course for his second seventh place finish of the weekend, comfortably his best performance of the season. 

An error from Lanik on lap nine that saw him run wide at the Complex allowed both Hunter and MacDowall to pass through Segrave, but two laps later Lanik was able to redeem himself with an almost identical pass on MacDowall at the same corner, although MacDowall does score two bonus points for setting the NGK fastest lap of 1min 24.221s (100.70mph). The final lap saw Tyldsley and Glew swap places twice in the race for eighth, Glew overcoming handling problems following the contact from Bradley to cling on to the place. 

As the chequered flag waved, Rivett and Hunter who crossed the line in formation but Winrow came home 4.768s ahead of the JHR pair. Commenting on the race, the Team Pyro ace said: “Races are never easy because you always have to concentrate fully on every lap, especially here where it is so fast. My goal is always to open a gap early on with some fast laps and I was able to do that this afternoon. It helps when there is a battle behind and it’s great to be on the top step of the podium.” 

Second-placed Rivett, commenting on his incredible double pass at the fastest part of the circuit, said: “Phil and Niki just slowed a little, maybe only a couple of miles per hour, but that’s the sort of small mistake I’m waiting for. Momentum is crucial and I was able to get past and defend into the chicane easily. You can’t think about the risks or crashing and everyone involved drove brilliantly. Second is a good result for me after two non-finishes at Donington Park and we’ll see where it takes us.” 

Third-placed Hunter, appearing on the podium on the day of his son’s second birthday, said: “It’s exceeded my expectations massively to be on the podium in both races because I’ve never raced the car before. It’s a nice present for my son and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend. I always said it was a one-off to fill in for Mark Hazell and that’s the way it still stands now.”

Rounds nine and 10 of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup take place on 31st May/1st June at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit. Carl Bradley, Jonathan Shepherd and Chris Rice all received formal reprimands and a two-point licence endorsement, which is also deducted from their championship points total.

WINROW GETS POLE RECORD AND WIN AT THRUXTON 

Ben Winrow continued his early season domination of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup with a lights-to-flag win in round seven at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit on Saturday, 17th May. The Team Pyro ace started from pole and held off a brief threat on lap one before easing to victory by three seconds. Steven Hunter, the JHR Developments Team Principle making a guest appearance, finished in a fantastic second place ahead of Total Control Racing’s Alex MacDowall who scored a maiden Clio Cup podium. 

In the earlier qualifying session, Winrow secured his seventh and eighth pole position of the season, breaking the record of seven held by 2005 champion Jonathan Adam. At the start of the race, Winrow ran side by side through the Complex with JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce but managed to keep his nose in front heading into Noble. 

Hunter saw his front row start negated by a poor getaway as Pierce and Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew came past him. MacDowall gained one place to fifth as Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik dropped back, while JHR’s Paul Rivett gained two places to 11th. 

In midfield, a spin by EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney caused several drivers to take avoiding action, Pyro duo Chris Rice and Jeff Smith and Full Speed’s Glenn Bell forced into retirement. Solutions Racing with Dewsport’s Alex Dew recovered back to the pits and attempted to continue but could not fix the fault completely. 

With Bell’s car stranded at the Complex the Safety Car was brought out for three laps. At the restart on lap five, Glew was forced to defend his third place from Hunter as Rivett nipped past TCR’s Mike Robinson into eighth. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith, like his team-mate Gavin Pyper starting from the back row of the grid after being excluded from qualifying for leaving the pit lane during the qualifying session thus breaching parc fermé regulations, made up three places at the restart to lie 16th. 

Lap six saw Scotsman Pierce, following his excellent podium finish in round five a fortnight ago, throw away another potential podium with a spin at the Complex as he defended from Glew, who inherited second. Glew then set the fastest lap to that point on lap seven, which, with Winrow slowing to pass back-marker Gaffney, halved the leader’s advantage. 

As the race entered its second half, Rivett began to control the race for sixth ahead of Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd and TCR duo Mike Robinson and Jonathan Ridley-Holloway. Contact on lap nine at Club chicane between JHR’s Richard Cannon and P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison saw both cars damaged but able to continue, although Pattison would retire at Club chicane on the penultimate lap. The incident allowed Smith to gain two further places to 13th having passed Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood. 

With five laps of the extended 15-lap race remaining, Winrow began to re-establish his lead over Glew who in turn edged away from Hunter. The experienced Hunter, winner on his last racing visit to Thruxton in 2006, reversed the margin on lap 11 and was in position to challenge for second on the run to Club chicane on lap 12. Glew ran slightly wide leaving a gap for Hunter to go for and he forced his way ahead as Glew, having lost momentum, then lost places to MacDowall and Lanik. 

The battling ahead allowed double former Clio Cup champion Rivett to close the gap, despite struggling with a brand new car after his Donington Park accident. Lap 13 saw Glew re-pass Lanik as Rivett more than halved what had been a 4.4s deficit. While Winrow began the final lap with a three-second lead he would hold to the flag, Lanik was unable to hold off the charging Rivett who completed the pass even before he got to the usual overtaking zone at Club. 

In the frantic scramble for the line over the high kerbs at Club, Ridley-Holloway just lost out to team-mate Robinson after their race-long duel as another TCR driver, Nick Adcock was held off by a mere 0.3s by APO Sport’s Alex Osborne with Smith a similar margin behind the pair. 

Commenting on his third win and seventh podium in succession, Ben Winrow said: “Once again my thanks go to my team who continue to give me an excellent car to drive. In the middle section of the race the guys behind started to work together and I made a slight error that allowed them to catch up. I had to refocus and keep my head because I knew my tyres would hold up well having saved them in qualifying. It’s great to win again and hopefully I can do the same tomorrow.” 

Second-placed Steven Hunter said: “I absolutely loved being out racing in Clio Cup again. I made a shocking start but after that it went really well and it wasn’t too hard to get back into the rhythm of racing. Phil made a small mistake but it was enough to get through. There was a touch but he said he ran wide and it was his mistake. The light rain at the back of the circuit was playing on my mind a bit but I just tried to concentrate on the job in hand.” 

Third-placed Alex MacDowall, commenting on his maiden Clio Cup podium adding to his 2007 Clio Winter Cup podium, said: “I managed to keep my position at the start and as most people tried to drive around the outside I went to the inside and found some space. It was an enjoyable race and after going past Niki into Goodwood, I got past Phil when Steven got through. I feel as though this result has been coming so I’m glad it’s finally arrived.”

WINROW CONTINUES PODIUM RUN WITH ROUND SIX WIN

Ben Winrow scored his fourth win from six races in round six of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park on Sunday, 4^th May. The Team Pyro racer, who also has two second place finishes to his name, finished almost 3.5s clear of Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson, making his first appearance on the Clio Cup podium. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper made up for a disappointing non-finish in round five with a fine third place.

After a dead-heat in qualifying put Winrow and J&D Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce (West Kilbride) on the front row, the lead duo and Pyper made a clean start to break clear of TCR’s Alex MacDowall  in the early stages. Two incidents, at Old Hairpin and Goddards’ chicane, saw Mark Hazell and Jonathan Ridley-Holloway retire from the race.

Lying in second place, Pierce locked his brakes on lap two at Redgate as he came under pressure from Pyper. Just behind, Gaffney, who celebrated his first Clio Cup podium on Saturday, had to defend from the determined Lee Pattison  in his P9 Race Shop/Range Storage car, while Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson passed Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Austrian driver Niki Lanik.

As Winrow’s lead reached 2.2s on lap three, the Safety Car was deployed to recover the stricken car of Ridley-Holloway. Pierce suffered an engine-related problem that ended his race on the back straight, while Valtra with FSR’s Peter Felix clipped the rear of Jonathan Shepherd (Sandbach), earning him a three-point endorsement on his racing licence.

At the restart on lap six, Winrow edged away from Pyper as MacDowall ran wide in third place. Gaffney was immediately on the pace setting the fastest lap to that point of the race, while Pyro’s Chris Law spun after a tap from Coastal Racing’s Stephen Tyldsley  that allowed TCR’s Ray MacDowall to close up.

In the chasing pack behind the impressive Winrow, Robinson and Coastal’s Carl Bradley  were racing hard for fourth place, while Alex MacDowall passed Pyper on lap nine for second to head a train of nine cars running nose-to-tail. Pyper lost a further place to Robinson at Redgate, while Full Speed Racing’s Glenn Bell failed in a similar passing move on EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney. At the end of the lap, Ray MacDowall and Tyldsley both pitted after an incident at Redgate that saw Tyldsley penalised three points by the Clerk of the Course.

Having risen to second place, MacDowall’s time at the head of that group was short-lived as he out-braked himself at Goddards’ chicane on lap 12, gifting the place to Robinson with Pyper following through in third. In midfield, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith made the most of a clear track to catch ninth-placed Pattison and pass him through the Craner Curves before also slipping past MacDowall at McLeans.

On the following lap it was Full Speed’s Phil Glew who misjudged the chicane, allowing Gaffney up into fifth. Glew then had a close finish with team-mate Bell, but was just able to hold on in sixth with the Irishman taking seventh. The penultimate lap saw Pyper set the THB Clowes fastest lap of the race at 1min 19.641s (88.47mph) to close on Robinson but it was not enough to steal second place.

Out in front, Winrow was peerless and showed great consistency to complete 10 of the 11 racing laps within half a second of each other, the exception being his personal best on lap 15. Commenting on the race, Winrow said: “Being on pole I got a clean start and managed to edge in front of Derek going into Redgate, gaining a good few lengths before the Safety Car bunched us all up again. At the restart, I was able to put the pressure on again and after that it was just a case of keeping my head down and trying not to make any mistakes.”

Second-placed Robinson said: “I was gutted yesterday that I just missed the podium so to get up here today is fantastic. It’s taken a while to adapt from rear-wheel drive Caterham racing to the front-wheel drive Clio Cup car but I set a target of a top-five this weekend and did it in both races. It gives me confidence now that I can go on to get good results in the future.”

Third-placed Pyper said: “I had a reasonable start and was pushing Derek hard for second place before engine trouble forced him to retire. After the Safety Car went into the pits, Winrow and I began playing cat and mouse but I made a slight mistake at the Old Hairpin which cost me. Towards the end of the race I did try to make a move on Robinson for second and I reckon I was quicker than him but I just couldn’t quite catch him before the chequered flag.”

Rounds seven and eight of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup take place at Thruxton circuit on 17^th/18^th May.

WINROW WINS AGAIN AS ROBERTSHAW TAKES DOUBLE PODIUM

Ben Winrow extended his championship lead with victory in round five of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Donington Park on Saturday, 3^rd May. The Team Pyro racer qualified on ELF/Atol pole position and although he briefly lost the lead on lap one he recovered to take the win. Robertshaw Racing had probably its best day in Clio Cup racing as J&D Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce took second place and EPS UK with Robertshaw Racing’s Robert Gaffney was third, both men taking their maiden Clio Cup podiums.

As the red lights went out to start the race, Pierce made the better start from the outside of the front row to pass Winrow into Redgate corner. A slight mistake heading into McLeans gave Winrow enough room to re-pass for the lead, before JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett nipped by Pierce at Goddards chicane to end the lap in second.

The leaders were immediately picked up by the Safety Car, deployed after an incident that saw JHR’s Richard Cannon and Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik make contact, with Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd unfortunate to spin off while taking avoiding action. Cannon hit the concrete trackside barrier, making his participation in round six highly doubtful.

When racing resumed on lap six, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper immediately put pressure on fourth-placed Gaffney, allowing the top three of Winrow, Rivett and Pierce to break away. As Winrow edged away, the chasing pack began looking to pass with Pierce attacking Rivett before coming under pressure himself from Gaffney. 

The race for sixth place was equally close between Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley, Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson and P9 Race Shop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison. Meanwhile, Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew had surged from 17^th on the grid to 10^th to run behind team-mate Glenn Bell. 

On lap eight, Rivett out-braked himself into Goddards’ chicane suffering from a ‘spongy’ brake pedal. He rejoined the circuit still in fifth place but contact with Pyper saw Rivett drop to 10^th and Pyper forced to pull off the circuit in retirement. Just behind, Robinson passed Bradley for sixth, which became fourth following the contact in front.

 Lap 10 saw Team Pyro’s Chris Law drop to 11^th after going across the grass at Goddards. On the following lap, Solutions Racing with Dewsport’s Alex Dew passed TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway at Goddards. Mike Robinson, now with a clear track ahead, set the fastest lap to that point as he closed in on a podium position. 

Rivett, attempting to salvage a strong result after his earlier incident, was running just ahead of TCR’s Ray MacDowall and Law. At the head of the field, Winrow set the THB Clowes Fastest Lap at 1min 18.987s (89.20mph), a new lap record, also securing two bonus championship points. 

Lap 13 saw Rivett’s race end in damaging fashion when, on the run out of Coppice, Law made contact with the rear of his car spearing Rivett across the track and into the safety barrier. The incident saw Rivett’s car damaged beyond repair for the rest of the weekend, while Law was excluded from the classification by the Clerk of the Course.

As the race neared its conclusion after 17 laps, extended by three laps due to the Safety Car spell, Ray MacDowall and Law swapped places twice in the final laps as Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith defended 12^th place from Ridley-Holloway. The race for the final podium place kept spectators on the edge of their seat until the final lap, Gaffney just holding on by 0.288s having defended well in the closing stages. 

While there was action aplenty throughout the field, Winrow cruised to a third win of the season by a comfortable 1.864s ahead of Pierce with Gaffney a further 1.5s behind. 

Commenting on the race, Winrow said: “I bogged down a bit at the start and Derek got by me but I was able to get back in front quickly. Once the Safety Car went in I tried to build a gap to Paul and was quite pleased to see him go from my mirrors. Having said that, it’s easy to get complacent so I concentrated on keeping a good pace and keep up the results I’ve had so far this year because there’s a long way to go.” 

Second-placed Pierce said: “Testing on Thursday went really well and the car’s been spot-on all weekend. It was a silly mistake to leave Ben just enough room to get through but it’s still a great result for me and I can’t thank the team enough.” 

Third-placed Gaffney said: “I’ve switched teams this weekend and it’s been perfect for me. Without my sponsor EPS UK I wouldn’t be here and to get my first podium in Clio Cup is fantastic. When I saw Paul and Gavin make contact and drop back I knew I had to get my head down. Mike was catching me but I knew where to defend and hold him off.” 

Round six of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place on Sunday, 4^th May, scheduled to start at 13.30. It is due to be broadcast live on ITV4 as part of the channel’s coverage of the British Touring Car Championship meeting.

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RIVETT GRABS CHANCE TO WIN ROUND FOUR AT ROCKINGHAM

Paul Rivett left it late before passing Ben Winrow to clinch victory in round four of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Rockingham International circuit on Sunday, 13th April. Just three laps remained when the double former champion took advantage of the slightest of errors from Winrow, winner of rounds two and three. Rivett’s JHR Developments team-mate Richard Cannon scored his maiden career podium in third place. 

The start of the race, being shown live on ITV4 as part of the channel’s British Touring Car Championship coverage, was overshadowed by an accident involving a heavy impact with the perimeter concrete wall at Turn One. APO Sport’s Alex Osborne and Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Austrian driver Niki Lanik brushed wheels, turning them towards the inside of the circuit and into Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood (Hereford). He then speared across the circuit collecting Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston, both cars hitting the wall with great force. 

The Safety Car was needed in order to recover the cars of Lanik, Wood and Boston, while medics at trackside immediately tended to all three drivers who were given the all-clear. Osborne crawled as far as Deene Hairpin before retiring from the race. After viewing television footage and footage from the new on-board cameras installed in all cars by Renault Sport UK, the Clerk of the Course deemed the accident a racing incident. 

When racing resumed on lap seven, the race for the remaining 26 cars was now running to the maximum time of 25 minutes that would allow a total of 14 laps. Winrow led from Rivett with Cannon having passed Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley for third. Full Speed Racing’s Glenn Bell had made the best start among the front-runners rising from 12th on the grid to lie fifth. 

Bell’s team-mate Chris Panayiotou moved into 19th place by passing Team Pyro’s Jeff Smith, while Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd (Sandbach) would pass Total Control Racing’s Nick Adcock and Solutions Racing with Dewsport’s Alex Dew in successive laps. 

Fifth-placed Bell was now heading a train of cars as the leading pair opened a two-second gap to Cannon. In midfield, EPS UK with Solutions Racing’s Robert Gaffney was forced to the outside at Deene Hairpin, losing out to Coastal’s Stephen Tyldsley and Full Speed’s Phil Glew. 

Lap 11 saw the final retirement of the race when Mardi Gras’ David Dickenson clipped Pyro’s Clio Cup debutant Jeff Smith having braked too late for Deene Hairpin, ending his own race and leaving Smith to struggle on with damaged steering. 

The following lap saw the crucial move of the race when Rivett gathered momentum through Gracelands to enable him to challenge Winrow. After dummying to the inside at Tarzan hairpin, Rivett switched to the outside and although he ran wide, Winrow opted not to squeeze him out allowing the 2002 and 2004 Clio Cup champion into the lead. 

Cannon was now coming under increasing pressure for the final podium place from Bradley and Bell, while Tyldsley and Dew came under pressure at Deene from Glew and TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway respectively with Glew able to claim 10th place. 

As the race entered its final lap, Rivett’s rear bumper began to flap as the wear and tear of racing nose-to-tail with Winrow for the entire race became evident. The experienced Rivett refused to be distracted, taking the chequered flag 0.442s ahead of Winrow with Cannon holding off Bradley and Bell for third place. 

Commenting on his race win, Paul Rivett said: “I think it was an error by Ben braking too early for the corner but they’re the chances you have to take advantage of. Qualifying didn’t go too well but our race pace is not a problem. It’s early in the season but I can’t complain with the way things have started for me.” 

Second-placed Winrow said: “It was a risky move by Paul in some ways but I didn’t see the need to risk contact at this stage of the season. With me setting the fastest lap Paul only gets two points closer and there’s a long way to go in this championship.” 

Third-placed Cannon, celebrating his first-ever podium in only his second season of racing said: “It feels fantastic to get up onto the podium. I’ve been quick in testing here before the rain in qualifying worked against me a bit, but I started well in both races and that’s paid off this afternoon.” 

WINROW SCORES SECOND WIN AT ROCKINGHAM 

Ben Winrow won his second successive race with victory in round three of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup at Rockingham International circuit on Sunday, 13th April. The Team Pyro racer made a great start from Michelin pole position and set the NGK fastest lap on route to victory ahead of Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper and JHR Developments’ Paul Rivett 

The start of the race saw Winrow edge clear of Pyper as the Scot defended his second position. JHR’s Richard Cannon made a superb start to climb to fourth from 11th on the grid, while APO Sport’s Alex Osborne moved from 17th to 11th. JHR’s Mark Hazell retired after contact with Amery Motorsport’s Jonathan Shepherd, an incident that saw Hazell penalised by the Clerk of the Course. 

Action at Deene Hairpin on lap two saw Coastal Racing’s Carl Bradley pass P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison and the pair swapped places twice at Tarzan later in the lap. At the rear of the field, Pyro’s Jeff Smith ran wide at Gracelands, hitting the barrier with some force to bring out the Safety Car and eradicate Winrow and Pyper’s already considerable advantage over the rest of the field. 

As the cars formed a train behind the safety car, Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik was up from 27th on the grid to 18th, while Total Control Racing’s Mike Robinson had the reverse situation of falling from seventh on the grid to 19th. 

At the restart, Winrow expertly backed up the field enabling him to retain the lead ahead of Rivett and the two of them managed to rebuild their advantage. Lanik continued to gain ground by passing Valtra with FSR’s Peter Felix at Deene hairpin, before Felix returned the favour on the following lap. 

The battle for 10th place saw EPS UK with Solutions Racing’s Robert Gaffney, Mardi Gras’ Árón Smith, APO Sport’s Alex Osborne (Northampton) and Amery Motorsport’s David Shepherd arrive at Deene hairpin together, with Smith passing Gaffney and Shepherd losing out as he dropped to 17th during the course of the lap. 

The leading trio were now evenly spaced, while Smith was able to break free of the chasing Osborne and Gaffney and then pass JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce. On lap eight, David Shepherd dropped a further four places after contact with Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew, with Lanik caught up in the incident to also fall four places to 21st. 

On lap 10, Carl Bradley finally managed to pass Richard Cannon at Yentwood having been within a handful of car-lengths for much of the race. Cannon, suffering with a steering problem after tapping team-mate Rivett on the opening lap, soon came into range of Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston but was able to keep him at bay until the final lap when the Double Six scholarship winner clinched fifth place. 

With four laps remaining, the action throughout the field continued to thrill the thousands of spectators. TCR’s Mike Robinson, having regained two places after a poor first lap, out-braked himself into Deene hairpin allowing Felix and Lanik to pass. Lanik then passed Felix for the third time in the race to finish in 16th. On the last lap, Árón Smith passed TCR’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway for eighth place. 

At the head of the field, Pyper began to reel in Winrow’s lead by a few tenths of a second per lap, with Rivett following in third, but ran out of time before he was able to apply real pressure. Winrow’s final winning margin was 1.728s, with Rivett just over half a second behind. 

Commenting on his victory, Ben Winrow said: “My start was pretty good and I could see Gavin drop away slightly and that let me get a bit of a gap early on. Unfortunately the Safety Car took that away from me but I was soon able to get back up to speed and the car felt great, as it has all weekend.” 

Second-placed Gavin Pyper said: “I had to defend a bit at the start but nothing too dramatic. My pace was pretty similar to Ben’s so it was difficult to gain any ground but it’s great to be on the podium after the disappointment of not finishing the second race at Brands Hatch.” 

Third-placed Paul Rivett said: “It was a slightly lonely race for the most part and although I did start to catch the guys in front towards the end, unfortunately it’s not much good at the end! It’s a third straight podium though and that’s a great way to start with the championship in mind.” 

WINROW WINS TO TAKE JOINT CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD 

Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow (won round two of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup with a light-to-flag victory at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on Sunday, 30th March. Starting from pole position, the 22-year-old made a great start and held off round one winner Paul Rivett for the win. Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik completed the podium line-up. 

The race was broadcast live on ITV4 as part of the channel’s British Touring Car Championship coverage. A packed grid of 28 Clio Cup race cars thrilled the thousands in attendance and those watching live on television with an action-packed race that saw great duels throughout the whole field. 

Having secured pole position for both races and finished second in Saturday’s round one, Winrow was determined to end the weekend with a victory and made a blistering start to lead by almost one second at the end of lap one. JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce  made the best getaway among the front-runners to surge from eighth to fourth behind Lanik, while further down the order, Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood made up five places on lap one to lie 15th and overtook at regular intervals during the race to finish 12th. 

Winrow and Rivett were able to break away from Lanik who was being chased hard by Pierce, the Scot just unable to make the most of a slip by the Austrian in the early running. Lanik then pulled away to open a one-second advantage by lap seven that he was able to hold throughout. In front, Winrow had a similar gap to Rivett with each driver faster through opposite halves of the lap to maintain a steady gap. 

Lap six saw Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper pass team-mate Árón Smith for fifth place, the Irishman then losing out to Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew on the following lap. Smith had a handling problem as a result of earlier contact and now came under severe pressure from Total Control Racing’s Alex MacDowall as the quartet grouped together. 

In midfield, Lea Wood passed JHR Developments’ Richard Cannon after he ran wide out of Graham Hill Bend, while TCR’s Mike Robinson passed Team Valtra’s Peter Felix for 11th place. 

At the halfway stage of the 20-lap race, Winrow’s lead had been narrowed to six-tenths of a second with Lanik and Pierce holding station behind. Pyper slid wide at Graham Hill Bend allowing Glew to close up but not pass. At Druids Hairpin, Full Speed’s Glenn Bell clipped the rear of JHR racer Mark Hazell, Bell ending his race in the gravel trap. 

As the race entered its second half, Rivett closed the gap further to Winrow before the leader responded to build a cushion by lap 15. Further down the order, EPS UK with Solutions Racing’s Robert Gaffney passed APO Sport’s Alex Osborne for 20th place. 

The closest battle on track continued to be that of Smith vs MacDowall with the Irish 18-year-old driving superbly to repel the 17-year-old’s challenge, both youngsters showing excellent skills in a tussle that enthralled the crowd. MacDowall attempted to pass round the outside at Druids, while Smith locked his brakes at McLaren on successive laps but held on to the place. Finally MacDowall did manage to pass to collect 18 points for sixth place in addition to two bonus points for setting the THB Clowes fastest lap on lap six of 53.143s (81.19mph), which is a new lap record. 

On the penultimate lap, Glew once again challenged for Pyper’s fifth place but ran wide on the exit of Graham Hill Bend. As Glew attempted to rejoin the circuit there was contact between the two resulting in Pyper hitting the tyre barrier on Cooper Straight with some force. The Clerk of the Course deployed the red flag to end the race with the result taken from the end of lap 18. Winrow’s winning margin was 0.760s with Lanik almost five seconds further back in third place. 

Commenting on his race win, Ben Winrow said: “My plan was to go for it in the first few laps and really stamp my authority on the race. I’ve had the pace in the car all weekend, had two pole positions and knew I’d be able to keep consistent lap times if I broke free. It’s great to be leading the championship and I go to Rockingham full of confidence.” 

Second placed Paul Rivett said: “Ben was right on the limit on the first lap and I wondered if he’d gone too hard but fair play to him he drove a great race. I was slightly off his pace on a couple of corners so there’s some work to do but I’m definitely happy with two podiums on the first weekend.” 

Third placed Niki Lanik, celebrating his first podium in the summer championship after two Clio Winter Cup titles, said: “I’m really happy to get this podium and it’s great for me and my team. I’ve learned a lot in Clio Cup racing in the last two years, especially about being consistent. That was important today because Derek Pierce pressured me early on but I kept my concentration and got a good haul of points.”

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

Rounds three and four of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup take place at Rockingham Motor Speedway on 12^th/13^th April. 

RIVETT OVERCOMES TRICKY CONDITIONS TO WIN ROUND ONE 

Double former champion Paul Rivett won round one of the 2008 ELF Renault Clio Cup in difficult damp conditions at Brands Hatch Indy on Saturday, 29^th March. The JHR Developments racer, champion in 2002 and 2004, led home Team Pyro’s Ben Winrow and Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew in a rain-affected race that saw two Safety Car periods. 

With a dry line on track but light drizzle falling, the circuit became more slippery as the 20-lap race went on and drivers were punished by a complete loss of grip when off the racing line. The majority started on slick tyres, which were given no time to heat up when the Safety Car was deployed on lap two. 

The race start saw pole-sitter Winrow lead away from Rivett. Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Árón Smith moved to the outside as JD Pierce with Robertshaw Racing’s Derek Pierce and Glew covered the inside line but was unable to pass through Paddock Hill Bend. Rivett was able to hold the inside line on the run up to Druids Hairpin to take the lead. 

Further down the field, Mardi Gras’ David Dickensen made up eight places on the opening lap to lie eighth. Meanwhile, APO Sport’s Alex Osborne retired from the race after contact with another car, while P9 Raceshop/Range Storage’s Lee Pattison and Total Control Racing’s Jonathan Ridley-Holloway also failed to complete one lap. Team Pyro’s Chris Rice had retired on the Green Flag Lap with an engine-related problem. 

At the restart on lap six and with the race now extended to 23 laps, Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper in third place ran wide and was passed by Glew, Pierce, Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik  and Smith. Just behind, ninth-placed David Shepherd of Amery Motorsport hit the barrier at Paddock Hill Bend necessitating another Safety Car period. 

Team Pyro’s Chris Law took advantage of the full-course yellow flags to change to wet weather rear tyres. The race restarted on lap 12 and although Law was initially able to lap at least one-second faster than the leaders, he was somewhat stranded down in 18^th place having rejoined the circuit behind the main train of cars. 

When racing resumed, the top four cars were able to open a slight advantage over the group led by fifth-placed Árón Smith. On lap 15, Pyper passed his team-mate Dickensen with a brave move up the inside at Paddock Hill Bend. In midfield, Solutions Racing with Dewsport’s Alex Dew passed Double Six Racing’s Rob Boston, while Team Wood Racing’s Lea Wood overtook the sliding Chris Panayiotou of Full Speed Racing. 

On lap 16, fourth-placed Derek Pierce made a bid for the final podium spot. He drafted behind Glew along the start/finish straight, holding a tight line through Paddock to pass on the run up to Druids Hairpin. On the run down to Graham Hill Bend, Glew braked later as he attempted to re-pass giving Pierce a nudge that sent him into an unavoidable slide that the Scot did well to recover. His joy was short-lived as both he and Lanik spun at Surtees as conditions became ever more difficult, but Pierce did claim two points for setting the THB Clowes Fastest Lap. 

The action for third place allowed the front two of Rivett and Winrow, who were doing well to judge braking points in the changing conditions, to pull away. Winrow was never more than one second behind the leader and often closer, but equally was unable to risk an overtaking move given the damp circuit. 

As the race entered the final few laps, a spin for Panayiotou at Surtees resulted in a heavy impact with the barrier. With not enough time to recover the car and resume racing, the Clerk of the Course deployed the red flag to end the race with the result taken from the end of lap 17.

Commenting on his victory, Paul Rivett, who is starting a full season of Clio Cup racing after only being able to contest four races in 2007, said: “I think everyone who finished did well to keep the car on the circuit in those conditions. My experience definitely helped me judge where to brake but it was still very difficult to know how hard to push. It’s a great way to start the year and hopefully it’s the first of many wins!” 

Second-placed Ben Winrow said: “It was a tough afternoon because it looked like being dry conditions but the drizzle was pretty consistent. I didn’t envy Paul being the lead driver and I was happy to wait in second place in case of an error and collect a podium finish. It’s a good result to start the season and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.” 

Third-placed Phil Glew said: “What a great way to start my Clio Cup career! I think that’s the hardest race I’ve ever done in terms of the conditions and I feel as though I was on the pace. The morning qualifying session was my first time on new slick tyres so it was a case of ‘in at the deep end’. I’m delighted to be on the podium and hope I can add another good result in round two.” 

Round two is scheduled for 13.30 on Sunday, 30^th March and is scheduled to be shown live on ITV4’s coverage of the British Touring Car Championship raceday.