Clio Cup front-runner concludes Donington weekend second in points Streather delivers searing pace with podium and fastest lap in Rd4 New signing Rowbottom bags consistent points to leap into top eight

Renault UK Clio Cup title contender Paul Streather kept his championship challenge on the right track during the second event of the season at Donington Park on Sunday, 17th April, with his second podium of the season – plus bonus points for fastest lap – in round four of the campaign.

Backing up seventh position in round three with a very competitive top four finish in the second encounter, post-race the Finesse Motorsport racer was awarded third when original round four victor Ant Whorton-Eales was excluded from the results for technical infringements.

Streather, therefore, departed his ‘home’ venue with his top two position in the title standings intact. Additionally, his fastest lap pace in the televised second race left no doubt as to his very real championship chasing ability.

For the second race meeting of the Clio Cup season, Streather was joined at Wisbech-based Finesse by Daniel Rowbottom who has agreed a deal to run his Team EcoMotive branded Clio as part of the FML entry for the remainder of the 2016 season. Racing to eighth in round three, Rowbottom added an improved seventh place in the second contest which then became sixth in the amended result.

“It’s been a good weekend overall – it’s all about staying consistent and taking big points which is what Paul did”, said team principal Neil Giddings, “Fastest lap in race two was great, it proved our pace again and showed Brands Hatch wasn’t a flash in the pan.

“It was good working with Daniel for the first time and it’s great to be up to two cars, he’s a great addition to the team and everyone gelled really well. He raced strongly and had some good pace, he’ll definitely be up there fighting for the podium before long.”

Fastest in the first of two test sessions at Donington on Thursday, 14th April, Hinckley-based Streather went on to secure fifth on the grid for round three in qualifying on Saturday, 16th April, and an improved fourth for the race two starting order – the latter just 0.1 seconds shy of pole.

Finesse newcomer Rowbottom was just over a couple of tenths of a second shy of Streather but, such was the competitiveness of the session, it translated to 13th on the grid for race one. For the second contest, he secured an improved slot on the fifth row of the grid in 10th position.

Within half a lap, round three on Sunday morning was red flagged after several incidents – the trigger for the stoppage being the stricken car of Dan Zelos which flipped onto its roof in the Old Hairpin gravel. Streather was fourth prior to the red flags with Rowbottom up into the top 10.

At the second time of asking, the race got underway with Streather lining-up in fifth again and Rowbottom 12th due to a car further up the order unable to take the re-start. Unfortunately, Streather didn’t get the cleanest of starts and slipped down to seventh by the time they reached Redgate and was then put wide at McLeans further around the opening tour.

Into lap two, the Finesse driver held ninth just ahead of Rowbottom who, in contrast, made a great launch at the start. Running nose-to-tail, on lap two Rowbottom moved ahead and then nosed past Luke Kidsley into lap four but had the less favourable outside line into Redgate. As a result, Streather was able to leapfrog both and so moved up into eighth with Rowbottom ninth ahead of Kidsley.

Into lap seven Streather was able to edge alongside Senna Proctor to try and take seventh but then, at the Old Hairpin, Proctor ran wide into the gravel and his Clio flipped over which led to another stoppage and then the chequered flag. Streather, therefore, took seventh place and Rowbottom finished just behind in eighth – both having delivered pace a match for the podium.

In round four, televised live on ITV4, Streather was edged back to fifth into Redgate and then sixth mid-lap but recovered strongly and made his way back into the top five during the first half of the race, before taking fourth from George Jackson around the outside at Redgate on lap seven.

Setting fastest lap on the ninth tour, he bettered that the next time around with a time of 1m17.871 seconds (91.49mph) and closed up behind Charles Ladell in the fight for the podium. Swarming all over his rival with two laps to go, Streather got alongside Ladell on lap 13 at McLeans but being on the outside line he wasn’t able to make a pass stick.

Trying again on the last lap, the same was true once more. Even though nosing ahead on the outside line out of Coppice, Ladell was able to hold the inside for the Esses and Streather tucked back into fourth to finish just 0.1 seconds shy of the podium – before being moved up into third when officials excluded winner Whorton-Eales.

Speaking after race two, Streather commented: “Race one didn’t go to plan, I got a brilliant start the first time, up to fourth, but at the re-start I was really bad and dropped down the order – after that it was tough getting past some of the drivers who did quite a bit of weaving.

“Race two was better, I fell back again being on the outside for turn one but after that I knew what I had to do and picked them off one by one. When I saw [Charles] Ladell right in front of me I thought, well, it’d be rude not to have a go! He closed the door, though, so we had to take fourth but the points are good for the championship. Massive thanks as ever to my sponsors and the team.”

Rowbottom held ninth on lap one and although edged back to 10th place at Redgate on the third tour, he battled back strongly and by lap six he was into the top eight. Catching the group ahead, with former champion Mike Bushell in his sights, Rowbottom pressed on and after taking seventh when George Jackson pitted, he closed to within 0.6 seconds of Bushell at the flag on lap 14.

There is now a three week break in the Clio Cup calendar ahead of the annual visit to the fastest track on the schedule, Thruxton, over the weekend 7th/8th May. Joining Streather and new team-mate Rowbottom will be British GT regular Jake Giddings in a third Finesse run Clio Cup car.

Provisional 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup Driver Standings (after Rd4):2nd Paul Streather, 97pts; 8th Daniel Rowbottom, 48pts

Provisional 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup Entrants’ Trophy Standings (after Rd4):4th Finesse Motorsport, 127pts