Saloon car racer Andrew Herron saw his bid for a top six finish during the final race of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup season thwarted on the very last lap at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on Sunday, 14th October, a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise outstanding debut season.After racing to a popular maiden category podium during the 11th round of the campaign on Saturday, the 19-year-old from Dromore in Co. Down had high hopes for another big haul of points today. But as an innocent party in a collision on the run up Woodham Hill on the final tour, Andrew saw a near-certain top six slip through his fingers.Only the second non-finish of his debut season in cars, the Northern Ireland ace has shown tremendous pace and superb skill throughout 2007 and is fully committed to a return to the British Touring Car Championship-supporting ELF Renault Clio Cup next year where he aims to be a consistent front-runner and genuine title challenger.Qualifying ninth for round 12, but effectively starting from eighth position due to Ben Winrow being unable to take his slot on the grid following a major collision in Saturday’s race, Andrew made a good getaway to run alongside the vastly experienced Ed Pead through Allard for the first time.Fighting his way through to sixth place at the complex, the Brian Herron Contracts supported racer was then forced out of the top 10 on the run through Goodwood, Church and up Woodham Hill to the Club Chicane.With a car stranded at Allard, the Safety Car had to be deployed on lap two and then at the re-start on lap four, an accident involving Jonathan Fildes enabled Andrew to move back into 10th place and he then scythed his way past Philip House into ninth spot.Posting his fastest tour of the race at that point on lap five, Andrew was lapping quicker than experienced team-mate and former double-champion Paul Rivett and he set an even better time on lap six. At the same point, the JHR Developments ace moved into the top eight following contact at the chicane between Pead and Niki Lanik.After a short Safety Car period to assist the removal of a car stranded at Noble, the race got underway again on lap 13 and another tangle - this time between Pead, Aron Smith and Jim Edwards Jnr - resulted in Andrew gaining two positions into sixth place.Smith overtook Andrew at Allard into the final lap but then disaster was to follow when the saloon car rookie was forced into retirement on the run up Woodham Hill, literally, a few hundred yards from the chequered flag. An accident involving Pead and Philip House saw the latter smash into Andrew’s car completely unawares.Bitterly disappointing for the talented Northern Irishman, he can at least reflect on a weekend which brought him a maiden podium finish during the penultimate race of the season in what is widely regarded as one of the toughest national championships.

Andrew said: “It’s been a great season, I’ve performed better than any other driver in their first year and I’ve impressed a few people along the way so hopefully next year we’ll be back out in Clios and at the front challenging for race wins. I don’t see why I can’t if I can keep improving the way I am at the moment.“I’m really looking forward to being back in Clios next year, the aim now is to get my head down and test during the winter before coming out strong next year. I think my first season has gone very well. I’m a bit disappointed with the last race this weekend but if I look back at my results from the year, it’s not been bad at all and to be on the podium on Saturday was fantastic.”Climbing from 11th in the championship standings to eighth position on Saturday, Andrew has now had to settle for ninth place overall, losing out on a top eight finish by just two points. However, he does retain the distinction of being the best performing car racing rookie in this season’s ELF Renault Clio Cup.Provisional 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Final Driver Standings1st Martin Byford, 284pts; 2nd Stefan Hodgetts, 236pts; 9th Andrew Herron, 117pts