Northern Ireland’s Andrew Herron is looking forward to kick-starting his SEAT Cupra Championship campaign at Donington Park National Circuit next weekend, 3rd/4th May, with a maiden category podium squarely in his sights.

 

One of the Brian Herron Contracts-backed racer’s favourite circuits, the Leicestershire venue will host the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2008 championship and Andrew is hungry to translate his undoubted race pace into big results.

 

Having endured a luckless start to his debut season in the prestigious saloon car series, the 19-year-old from Dromore in Co. Down has set himself a goal of two top five results during the Donington Park weekend to improve his position in the driver standings. That said, Andrew’s chief aim is to secure a debut SEAT podium.

 

He commented: “I’m really looking forward to Donington, it’s one of my favourite tracks. I enjoyed driving there in the Clio Cup last year and our last test at the track in the SEAT was good so I’m feeling confident.

 

“Obviously I want podiums next weekend but two top five finishes is what I really need to get my points score up and to really get our season moving in the right direction. We’ve had no luck at all during the first two events this year but our race pace has been good so hopefully next weekend will see things start to turn around for us.”

 

While the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Winter Cup Vice-Champion has shown impressive pace in race conditions, it’s qualifying which has been his Achilles Heel so far in 2008.

 

Starting the first four races of the championship lower down the order than he would have liked, the JHR Developments driver knows a place on the first couple of rows of the grid at Donington will be a key requirement for his planned podium push.

 

“Qualifying is where we need to improve, I need to qualify on the front two rows and then I’ve no doubt we’ll be challenging at the front”, he added, “During the recent test we had at Thruxton, my lap-by-lap race pace was quicker than Robert (Lawson), (Jonathan) Adam and (Martin) Byford so I know in race conditions I can be as quick as anyone.”

 

Official testing ahead of rounds five and six of the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship will take place a week today, Thursday, 1st May, at Donington Park National Circuit. Qualifying for the fifth round of the season is timetabled to begin at 09.05 on Saturday, 3rd May, with the round six session following at 14.05.

 

Both of the weekend’s races will follow on Sunday, 4th May, with round five scheduled to start at 11.55 and round six concluding the day’s proceedings at 17.50.

 

In the meantime, rounds one and two – which took place at Brands Hatch in Kent – are scheduled to be featured on the first episode of the new season of ITV4’s Motorsport UK magazine programme next Tuesday, 29th April, at 17.00.