Outstanding first Renault UK Clio Cup win for Paul Streather in Rd1 Result marks maiden victory in BTCC support series for FinesseStreather departs Brands Hatch a superb second in championship
Finesse Motorsport made a perfect start to the 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup season at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Saturday, 2nd April, with Paul Streather delivering a truly outstanding victory in round one of the campaign – only his third ever race in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship support category.
Producing a remarkable drive, under immense pressure and with increasingly intense drizzle adding another variable into the mix during the second half of the 23-lap Safety Car affected contest, the 26-year-old starred to collect his first ever race win in the blue riband Clio Cup.
In the live televised second round on Sunday, 3rd April, Streather added a competitive fourth place to his weekend’s tally to conclude the opening event of 2016 second in the driver standings. Against the might of the multi-car teams, meanwhile, Finesse is a superb fourth in the Entrants’ Trophy.
“I’m really, really happy”, reflected Streather, “To come here and win at the first event, carrying on from Brands at the end of last year where we came second, was tremendous. I think this has proved to a lot of people in the paddock we’re not here to mess around, we’re here to get on with the job.
“Finesse has done a brilliant job prepping the car and doing everything they could to make the car as quick as it is. To win the race on Saturday, seeing how close it was between the whole field in qualifying, is a great feeling. Finishing fourth in race two, well, I couldn’t have asked for more. The tyres were going off really bad towards the end of the second race, so I just did the best I could.”
After an impressively consistent day on Friday, 1st April, during pre-event practice, where he was fourth and fifth respectively in the two sessions, Streather underlined his clear front-running ability in the opening qualifying session of the season on Saturday morning with a terrific performance.
Securing third on the grid for race one, lapping a mere 0.1 seconds shy of pole position and only a scant seven thousandths of a second off the front row, on second fastest lap times the Finesse racer bagged sixth on the grid for Sunday’s televised contest.
Post-session, though, Streather was elevated onto the front row of the grid for the first contest when pole qualifier Ant Whorton-Eales was excluded due to technical infringements. Determined to seize the initiative immediately when the race began, Streather made a good start and brilliantly took the lead around the outside into the daunting Paddock Hill Bend.
Due to several cars coming to grief on the opening lap, the Safety Car was deployed in time for the start of lap three and the action didn’t resume until lap nine. Prior to the resumption, light rain began to fall and so track conditions became a factor – but Streather increased his advantage.
Leading by just over a second into lap 11, as the rain got progressively worse he started to fall into the clutches of the chasing pack but he soaked up the pressure superbly. Although only a couple of tenths of a second clear during the final five laps, Streather held on to record a famous win.
Beginning round two on Sunday from fourth on the grid, due to penalties for a couple of rivals, the Michael Smith Switchgear and AVW Fabrications-backed racer made a good launch and held onto fourth into Paddock Hill before going around the outside to gain third with an excellent move.
Running close behind multiple champion Paul Rivett, the Finesse racer thought about a possible move at Clark Curve on lap three but decided against it when the door started to close. On lap five, he was edged back to fourth by former champion Mike Bushell and the order then looked pretty well set until the start of lap 18 when contact between Bushell and Rivett delayed the former.
Offering a glimmer of an opportunity to Streather, there wasn’t enough of a clear-cut chance to try and pass so he remained fourth to the flag on lap 19, finishing just a second shy of the podium but with a best lap a match for race winner Lee Pattison – Streather’s step brother-in-law.
For Finesse Motorsport, which is hoping to expand to a two-car entry sooner rather than later, team principal Neil Giddings says the weekend as a whole, and in particular the round one victory, is clear confirmation the squad has the pace to be a contender season-long.
“It’s unbelievable to win the first race of the season, we’re made up”, said Giddings, “I said to Paul after the win, for race two he just needed to go out and enjoy it and if he could bring it home in fourth, that would be a great result for us. We’ve got the pace to be up the front, we’ve proved it, so hopefully we can keep this up for the rest of the season and be real contenders.”
Donington Park National Circuit in Leicestershire, Streather’s home track, will host rounds three and four of the Renault UK Clio Cup season two weeks from now on 16th/17th April.
2016 Renault UK Clio Cup Driver Standings (after Rd2):2nd Paul Streather, 54pts
2016 Renault UK Clio Cup Entrants’ Trophy Standings (after Rd2):4th Finesse Motorsport, 54pts
