After what feels like an eternity since last September’s final rounds of the 2014 Michelin Clio Cup Race Series and Road Series, the new season gets underway in style this weekend, 11th/12th April, at Rockingham in Northamptonshire with the category’s first ever triple-header race meeting.
With many of the front-runners from both championships returning to action this season, in addition to the arrival of some very promising newcomers, excitement is building as the first three rounds of the campaign edge nearer
Westbourne Motorsport’s Luke Herbert (Chichester) is the highest placed 2014 driver back on the grid in the Michelin Clio Cup Race Series, and the multiple race winner and podium finisher will most certainly begin the new season as one of the real favourites. He is joined by rapid Race Series driver Sam Randon (Ashbourne), a double podium finisher last season on his way to seventh in the points.
As well as its presence in the headline class, the West Sussex squad is back in the Road Series it won so dominantly in 2014. At Rockingham this weekend the team runs its title-winning race-converted Clio Renaultsport 197 for Sarah Franklin (Kettering) who was third in the championship last year.
Race Series privateer Paul Streather (Hinckley) was an absolute revelation during his maiden season of Clio Cup racing last year and he, along with his close-knit team of friends and family, returns to challenge the established professional teams. Taking three podiums in 2014 en-route to fourth in the standings, Streather’s performances underlined the level playing field on which the series is built.
Finesse Motorsport fields the biggest entry in the Race Series with four cars, the returning Pete Bennett (Norwich) joined by race winner Andy Jordan (Bridgnorth) and rookie Adam Hatfield (Cranworth) – the latter embarking on his first full campaign after a one-off appearance in 2014.
The fourth FML-fettled entry will run under the ‘RacingforHeroes Academy’ banner. Youngster Ben Davis (Abingdon), who made a stunning debut in the Race Series at Snetterton last year, has been selected by the RacingforHeroes charitable organisation – which supports former Renault UK Clio Cup racer Josh Cook in touring cars this year – to be part of its new Academy programme.
Another multi-car challenge comes from fellow category front-runners 20Ten Racing, with VW Racing Cup podium finisher Tom Barley (Crayford) making the full-time switch to Clio Cup action after successfully dipping a toe in the water last year. He is joined by Race Series regular and podium finisher Brett Lidsey (Dartford), who was eighth in the championship in 2014.
Like Westbourne, 20Ten will also run in the Road Series with a car for Lidsey’s younger brother, racing newcomer Tyler Lidsey (Dartford), and the team is also running the CGHimports.com Clio of last season’s Vice-Champion Nic Harrison (Burton-on-Trent).
Returning to the Road Series, class race winners Luke Pinder (Shipley) and Jake Honour (Devizes) have teamed-up at Jade Developments and are very likely to feature at the front of the grid this weekend. The new team-mates each had more than their share of misfortune last year, Honour ending the campaign in fifth and Pinder sixth.
Paint Perfect Motorsport’s John Creasey (Lincoln), who took a series of podiums on his way to fourth in the standings last year, is another welcome returnee to the Road Series and is aiming to expand the team’s entry as the season progresses.
Last, but most certainly not least, is championship newcomer Matt Fincham (Aylesbury) who arrives in the Road Series for the first time with his Go Racing Motorsport squad. As a champion in the 750 Motor Club’s Clio 182 Series in 2013, Fincham is stepping-up to the Road Series where the team aims to expand its operations with former British Touring Car Championship engineer John Shields.
High-profile racing returnee Matt Allison (Norwich), meanwhile, won’t now begin his season in the Race Series until the next event at Thruxton in June following an unfortunate accident in pre-season testing which caused heavy damage to his recently acquired third generation racing Clio.
Qualifying for rounds one and two of the Michelin Clio Cup Race Series and Road Series will get underway at 09.25 on Saturday, 11th April, with the round three session following at 11.40. The opening race of the weekend will begin at 15.25. On Sunday, 12th April, round two is timetabled to start at 10.55 with round three following at 14.35.
Along with headline sponsors Michelin and Protyre, the Clio Cup Series is additionally supported by Ferodo and Safety Devices with further support for the Road Series from Monster Sport Europe.
