AFTER OULTON DISAPPOINTMENTPromising ELF Renault Clio Cup rookie Andrew Herron concluded the fifth round of the season at Oulton Park Island Circuit today, Sunday, 24th June, feeling short-changed after seeing his weekend’s action reduced to a total of just eight racing laps due to the intervention of the Safety Car in both of his outings.Starting his qualification heat on Saturday afternoon in 11th position, having been unable to make the most of the earlier 15-minute qualifying period after sustaining damage to a track-rod on his Clio, the Northern Ireland racer made a good getaway to climb into ninth place ahead of Andrew Bentley and Alex MacDowall.Although slipping back behind the latter into 10th position at Knickerbrook Chicane, the JHR Developments ace was unable to mount a fresh challenge on the next lap due to the appearance of the Safety Car which remained on circuit until the start of lap four.At the re-start, the 19-year-old progressed into the top eight and a lap later he was seventh after passing MacDowall at Old Hall corner. Although losing the place at the chicane, the Brian Herron Contracts-supported star produced a carbon-copy of his earlier Old Hall manoeuvre to seize the advantage once again into the last lap.Unfortunately, MacDowall’s robust attentions at the chicane resulted in Andrew’s relegation to eighth place once more which meant the Co. Down racer would start Sunday’s points-scoring feature race from 16th on the grid.With rain having been prevalent for the majority of the day, a decision was taken to utilise a full wet set-up on Andrew’s car but it proved to be the wrong gamble as the circuit progressively dried following the cessation of the wet weather.Compromising Andrew’s potential for the race, he also didn’t make the best of starts but before he could do anything about getting on terms with the cars ahead the Safety Car emerged once more following an excursion at the hairpin for Alan Taylor.Remaining on circuit for five laps, and with timetable congestion necessitating an earlier finish to the Clio Cup race than scheduled, the re-start came on lap seven in a race limited to just nine laps and Andrew eventually took the chequered flag in 19th place.Very disappointed with his weekend’s results, the Dromore resident does, however, still have the distinction of being one of only nine drivers in Clio Cup this year to not only finish every race, but to also score in every championship round.Reflecting on the weekend’s action, Andrew commented: “We had the pace in our qualification race and should have finished higher than eighth really. For the main race we had a full wet set-up on the car and it was the wrong decision to make in the end as the track started to dry. I did the best I could but it was hard to come home in the points.“On the last lap, I tried to follow (Dan) Eagling down the inside of (Barry) Benham but coming out of the hairpin, Benham brake-tested me which allowed two other cars to get a run on me up Hill Top and into Knickerbrook.”Andrew added: “It’s been quite a poor weekend really, only seven or eight laps of actual racing when you take into account all of the Safety Car periods we had. But that just makes me even more determined to have a really good weekend at Donington next time out – I’m really looking forward to it and I know the team is as well.”At the halfway point in his first ever season of car racing action, Andrew is currently 16th overall in the ELF Renault Clio Cup standings, 12 points shy of the top 10. Round six will take place three weeks from now on 14th/15th July at Donington Park National Circuit in Leicestershire. Pre-event testing is scheduled for Thursday, 12th July.Provisional 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Driver Standings (after Rd5)1st Stefan Hodgetts, 132pts; 2nd Martin Byford, 122pts; 16th Andrew Herron, 36pts