•Team Pyro star proves unstoppable on Scottish soil•21-year-old makes it seven wins from 12 races•Warwickshire ace storms into championship lead

Ash Hand firmly stamped his authority on the 2015 Renault UK Clio Cup by extending his victory count to seven at Knockhill in Scotland – and unnervingly for his adversaries, the talented young Nuneaton ace promises that his ‘best is yet to come’.Following an eight-week mid-summer hiatus, the single-make British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) support series revved back into high-octane action north of the border. Whilst Hand had kept both his mental and physical reflexes sharp over the break – making a successful one-off karting return with a rostrum result in the blue riband Kartmasters showpiece and working closely alongside his mentor Andy Priaulx and psychologist Dr. Ben Chell at iZone Driver Performance – he was by his own admission ready to climb back inside the cockpit. Immediately, it was as if he had never been away. Around the sinuous 1.27-mile Fife rollercoaster – one of his favourite circuits on the calendar – the highly-rated Maple Park hotshot was untouchable. After lapping quickest in free practice, he carried his imperious form over into qualifying to annex a double pole position in the fiercely-contested field behind the wheel of his Sigma, The Manchester College and QTS-backed car. In the opening encounter later the same day, Hand initially traded fastest sectors and laps with his Team Pyro team-mate. Just before mid-distance, the 21-year-old Warwickshire star broke his pursuer’s resolve and thereafter eased away to triumph for the sixth time this season, posting a new lap record for good measure. Indeed, such was the Pyro pair’s supremacy that their closest rival was nearly ten full seconds further back at the chequered flag. The ITV4 live-televised outing the following day was almost a carbon copy, as Hand made good his escape and increasingly stretched his legs to complete his second double-top of the campaign and turn a five-point deficit into a 19-point championship lead. After assuming control in the chase for the coveted crown for the first time and with a formidable 70 per cent strike rate from his last ten starts, the Andy Priaulx Sports Management (APSM) protégé makes it clear that he has absolutely no intention of relinquishing his grasp.“It was nice to have a bit of a break,” Hand reflected. “I went on holiday and was able to recharge my batteries, and I had plenty of opportunity to think about how best to prepare for Knockhill, which I knew would be key. When you’re away from the track for that long, it’s vital to retain your focus. It’s often said that if you stand still in this sport you’ll go backwards, and if you want to win you need to work harder than everybody else.“By the time Knockhill came around, I was definitely ready to get back into the car. It’s a really undulating circuit – fast-and-flowing with the additional challenge of blind crests, which means you never have a moment to catch your breath. You need to establish the right balance between attacking the corners and keeping a smooth rhythm – it’s all about controlled aggression.“The work I did with Andy and Ben at iZone paid off straightaway as I was extremely calm all weekend, and after our form during practice and qualifying we knew we would be quick in the races. In the first one, it took me a few laps to break the tow to my team-mate behind. I could sense he was pushing pretty hard, so I turned the wick up slightly to try to pressurise him into a mistake and it worked a treat.“The fact that we both pulled so far away from the rest of the pack is testament to the superb job that Team Pyro have done. Mark Hunt and all the boys work tirelessly to give us cars that are perfectly prepped and on-point every time – and that shines through in the results.“It was a similar story the next day. I concentrated on preserving my tyres and looking after the car to begin with, and after edging away, I maintained a consistent level throughout – like in race one, I had extra pace in my pocket if I’d needed it. I was a little disappointed to miss out on fastest lap and a completely clean sweep, but that was only a very minor blot on an otherwise flawless weekend.“We dominated, just like we did at Thruxton and in a series as competitive as this, that’s a massive achievement. I really couldn’t have asked for very much more. We’re in the driving seat now, but we can’t afford to let up for even a split-second. We need to keep on winning races. I know I could start thinking about settling for podiums and ‘safe’ points finishes, but that’s not how I go racing. To win the championship, you have to prove you are consistently the best, and I genuinely believe our best is yet to come...”