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A total of 45 orders have been placed for New Clio Cup, the pure racer that will be introduced to contest the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup. The uptake for the 2.0-litre 205bhp car is the most since the Renault 5 GT Turbo in 1978 and reinforces the interest shown in the car since its launch in July. Renault UK has now placed orders with Renault Sport Technologies in Dieppe with delivery expected next month. Orders can still be placed for the latest evolution of Renault’s renowned saloon-car racer, but delivery cannot be guaranteed in time to join the first grid of 2007.
Teams and drivers who competed in the 2006 ELF Renault Clio Cup combine for 20 orders. Reigning Entrant’s champion Total Control Racing has ordered four cars, as has vice-champion Entrant JHR Racing Developments. Multiple race winner Martin Byford’s Z Speed Racing has ordered one car, as has Stancombe Vehicle Engineering, Double Six Racing and Aggregate Industries, which entered Robert Lawson in this year’s Championship. Drivers Philip House and Alan Taylor have also placed orders.
Race winner Mark Speller has set up Fullspeed Racing and placed orders for two cars, joining together with Carrera Motorsport, which had placed a deposit at the car’s launch. Mark Hunt’s Team Pyro has also ordered two cars after a successful season with Hunt and Mel Healey racing for the team. Regular frontrunner Mardi Gras Motorsport has placed orders for two cars. Meanwhile, the inaugural Clio Cup champion in the Clio Renaultsport 182 era, 2000 winner Jim Edwards Jnr, is considering a return to the series in a car ordered by Renault dealer SMC.
Multiple orders have been placed by British Touring Car racer Mike Jordan’s Team Eurotech, which has two cars lined up, one of them with team sponsor Bayliss & Harding, Forster Motorsport (3), Jonathan Shepherd (2) and Momo UK (2), which has indicated one of its cars will be for trackday use.
The remaining deposits are from teams and drivers who would make their debut in Clio Cup racing if they register for the 2007 Championship. They are Carl Bradley, Charles Walker, Chris Panayiotou, CMS Motorsport, Finlay Crocker, Gareth Nixon, James Olden, Cleland Motorsport, John Gaffney, Joss Ronchetti, Laurance Laybourne, Lee Stanley, Roger Orgee, Steve Oates and Steve Collison.
Commenting on this initial flood of orders, Renault UK’s Motorsport Manager Tim Jackson said: “This is fantastic news and a tribute to the excellent work of Renault Sport’s designers and engineers who have produced such an appealing car. Clio Cup racing attracts fans around the country with close, competitive racing and we hope to see many of those who have placed orders joining the series in 2007.”
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