Elf Renault Clio Cup rookie Andrew Herron continued his stellar start to 2007, his first ever season of car racing, at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire today, Sunday, 6th May, with his third consecutive points-scoring finish of the campaign.The 18-year-old sensation, from Dromore in Northern Ireland, did actually look on course for a potential top 10 result during today’s third round of the season but the race was brought to an early conclusion following an incident at the chicane just a couple of laps from home.With backmarker David Shepherd colliding with the barriers on the exit to the chicane at the end of his 13th lap, the Clerk of the Course decided to red flag the race on the grounds of safety meaning the result would be declared as per the order on lap 12.Andrew was credited with 13th position but the count-back didn’t work in his favour as, prior to the stoppage, he had managed to gain a couple of extra positions at the chicane into the penultimate lap of what was expected to be a 16-lap encounter due to an earlier Safety Car period.Nonetheless, the Brian Herron Contracts Ltd-backed JHR Developments driver was pleased to come through from 17th on the grid in the weekend’s points-scoring feature race, the result meaning he adds a further eight points to his season’s tally to remain inside the championship top 12.Worthy of note was Andrew’s race pace, his fastest lap of 1m 25.779 seconds just two 10ths of a second shy of the best managed by experienced saloon car campaigner, and eventual race winner, Stefan Hodgetts.“Finishing in 13th place from 17th on the grid isn’t too bad but I know I need to improve my qualifying to make less work for myself in the races”, commented the Northern Ireland star, “I’m happy with my race pace though, today we were just a couple of 10ths of a second off Hodgetts’ best which is good.“There was a first corner incident involving Barry Benham and Andrew Bentley which I managed to escape unscathed and then I got my head down and started to make up a few places into the top 15.“After the Safety Car it seemed as though everyone started to struggle for grip a bit but I managed to get into 13th place and then I overtook two or three cars at the chicane towards the end but the red flags meant I lost those positions on count-back”During his group qualifying on Saturday, Andrew ended the session with the eighth fastest time of 1m 25.178 seconds (99.56mph) but in the subsequent qualification race he lost a place to Benham on the opening lap. As he began to put Benham under pressure, looking for a way past on lap four, Andrew was forced wide at Goodwood Corner and after working wonders to recover his Clio onto the track – ploughing through a brace of advertising hoardings in the process – he rejoined several places further back but almost immediately recovered the lost ground.
The JHR ace eventually came home in ninth position, less than two seconds shy of Benham, to secure 17th position on the grid for the Sunday feature race.There is now a four-week break in the ELF Renault Clio Cup calendar until the fourth round of the season which will take place at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on 2nd/3rd June. Digital satellite and cable subscription channel Setanta Sports 2 will broadcast the entirety of the points-scoring fourth round of the season on Sunday, 3rd June, live.In the meantime, Andrew will return to the wheel of his Clio racer at Croft for a shared test day with the Formula Renault UK runners on Thursday, 17th May.Provisional 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Driver Standings (after Rd3)1st Martin Byford, 72pts; 2nd Stefan Hodgetts, 66pts; 3rd Robert Lawson, 65pts; 12th Andrew Herron, 29pts
