At Official Snetterton Test
Full Speed Racing’s Phil Glew (Alford) set the fastest time during official ELF Renault Clio Cup testing at Snetterton on Thursday, 3rd July. The 25-year-old is currently third in the drivers’ standings and is confident of challenging the top two drivers during rounds 13 and 14 at the Norfolk venue after setting a best time of 1min 18.358s (89.67mph).
Two 50-minute sessions in the morning were followed by two 45-minute sessions after lunch, with occasional rain showers not affecting the overall lap times in each session. The majority of leading drivers set their best times in session three, with Glew edging out Y4HR Miracle Drywash Stancombe Vehicle Engineering’s Niki Lanik (Ashurst Wood), Total Control Racing’s Fulvio Mussi (Colchester) and Team Pyro’s championship leader Ben Winrow (Earls Barton). The gaps between the quartet were 0.012s, 0.017s and 0.030s, as the Clio Cup field lived up to its reputation for incredibly close competition.
Mussi, filling the TCR seat vacated by Nick Adcock for the test, set his personal best time to head session four at 1min 18.374s (89.66mph). JHR Developments’ Steven Hunter (Dronfield) set the fifth-fastest overall time in session four just 0.052s behind Mussi. Another former Clio Cup driver making his first appearance of the season was sixth-fastest Matt Allison (Norwich), who has registered to complete the season with Robertshaw Racing.
Seventh on combined times was Mardi Gras Motorsport’s Gavin Pyper (Fleckney) with a lap of 1min 18.481 (89.53mph). TCR’s Mike Robinson (Effingham) was eighth overall and led session two with a time of 1min 18.513s (89.50mph), while ninth and 10th quickest were TCR’s Alex MacDowall (Carlisle) and APO Sport’s Alex Osborne (Northampton), separated by the narrowest possible margin with respective lap times of 1min 18.545s and 1min 18.546s.
Session one was the slowest of the day as teams and drivers eased their way back into competitive action after a three-week break since World Series by Renault, Mardi Gras’ Gavin Pyper heading the first set of times at 1min 18.834s (89.13mph).
Other unregistered drivers to take part in the test were Stephen Colbert with Full Speed Racing for which he acts as driver coach, Nigel Rice with Team Pyro, which runs his son Chris, and BTCC driver and former Clio Cup race-winner Michael Doyle and newcomer Darren Wilson with Amery Motorsport.
Commenting on his pace-setting day, Phil Glew said: “I’m really happy with the way the test has gone and it sets me up well for the races here next weekend. I’m only around 40 points off second place in the championship and if I can continue this pace into the races here at Snetterton there’s a chance of closing that gap so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Rounds 13 and 14 take place on 12th/13th July when the ELF Renault Clio Cup returns to its regular slot as support to the British Touring Car Championship.
For all the latest ELF Renault Clio Cup Championship news visit the official Renault Sport UK website www.renaultsport.co.uk built by racecar
