FASTEST CIRCUIT ON CLIO CUP CALENDAR NEXT FOR FINESSE WITH EXPANDED THREE-CAR ATTACK
Race-winning Renault UK Clio Cup team Finesse Motorsport is preparing for one of the biggest challenges of the season next weekend, 7th/8th May, when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship package visits Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire – the fastest track on the calendar.
Fielding an expanded three-car entry for the third race meeting of the Clio Cup campaign, the squad is determined to continue its podium-finishing form in rounds five and six where Paul Streather and Daniel Rowbottom will be joined by British GT regular Jake Giddings.
Streather heads to Thruxton, which is one of his least favourite tracks, second in the championship having doubled his season’s podium tally last time out at Donington Park, as well as setting fastest lap in round four. The round one race winner, who is contesting his maiden season in the BTCC feeder series, knows qualifying at Thruxton will be the key to a strong weekend.
“I’ll certainly be trying my hardest next weekend”, said Streather, “I’ve only raced once at Thruxton before, and a lot of the others have a huge amount of experience there, but I’m sure we’ll be able to race well. It’s qualifying where we need to get it right, the tow is worth a huge amount so I’m happy I’ve got Dan and Jake to work with and hopefully we can help each other get a good grid position.”
Rowbottom, who linked-up with Finesse ahead of the Donington event with his Team EcoMotive Clio, is eighth in the championship and the Kidderminster driver has a season-best result of sixth so far, achieved in round four. Like Streather, this is Rowbottom’s first season in the series but also his first full campaign at any level since racing in the SEAT Cupra Championship back in 2008.
“Donington was disappointing really but I’m going all out to try and get two podiums next weekend”, he commented, “I’m not here to do anything other than try and win, that’s my whole mind-set for Thruxton, but the only way to challenge like that is to do well in qualifying. It won’t necessarily be the fastest driver who gets pole, it’ll be the one who gets the best tow.”
British GT driver Giddings, son of Finesse team owner Neil Giddings, will switch back to one-make competition for the Thruxton weekend in a bid to assist the championship challenges of Streather and Rowbottom – with particular focus on qualifying where the all-important ‘tow’ around Thruxton can be the difference between the front of the grid and the middle of the pack.
Ordinarily racing an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4, which he will actually pilot in the latest round of the British GT season at Rockingham this weekend, the Wisbech driver has enjoyed two test outings in one of the latest fourth generation Clios so far this year – at Rockingham during the pre-season Media Day and also at Thruxton earlier this month in the official pre-event test.
“It’s going to be great racing in the Clios again”, commented Giddings Jnr, “The whole point of me being out there is to help Paul and Dan, hopefully we’ll be able to work together well in qualifying and get all three Finesse cars up on the first few rows. I’m looking forward to it, it’s always good racing at Thruxton.”
With no pre-event practice before the race weekend, the Clio Cup contenders will go directly into qualifying at Thruxton at 14.20 on Saturday, 7th May. Both races will be contested on Sunday, 8th May, with round five beginning at 10.45 and round six getting underway at 15.15 – the latter will be screened live on ITV4 and streamed online HERE
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
