|
Andrew Bentley (Barnard Castle, Co Durham) is preparing to make his ELF Renault Clio Cup debut after winning the Double Six Racing Scholarship. The competition, organised by former Clio Cup racer Marc Nelson, saw over 200 entries whittled down to a final group of 10. They went head to head on Wednesday, 28th February at the Three Sisters circuit in Wigan with Bentley, who turned 25 just three days after the final, clinching the prize of a place on the 2007 Clio Cup grid.
He joins 43 drivers who have already registered for the one-make saloon-car series, which features Renault Sport UK’s largest grid since it joined the British Touring Car Championship support package. Bentley’s previous racing experience includes three races in the 2006 Formula Renault BARC Championship, which uses single-seater race cars. He also won the 2004 BRDC single-seater Championship.
Commenting on his victory, Bentley said: “I want to build a career as a racing driver and this prize is a fantastic way for me to move up the ladder. Moving to saloon-cars is a new challenge for me and I can’t wait to get into the new Clio Cup car. I start every championship looking to win races and the title but I am also realistic enough to know there are at least 10 or 15 drivers capable of putting the car at the front every week.”
Bentley entered the scholarship after seeing an advert at the 2006 London Motor Show. Two qualifying rounds tested competitors’ racing credentials with a random selection of cars challenging his ability to quickly adapt to new conditions. Bentley explained: “We were only given a handful of laps to acclimatise to the cars. It was a case of getting in the car and going quickly straight away so that was a tricky element of the competition.”
The best 24 drivers were selected to go forward to the semi-final at Three Sisters circuit where a kart race was followed by a BMX race and fitness exam, testing drivers’ all-round ability. Bentley qualified on pole position for the kart race, leading from lights to flag to secure a spot in the final. He said: “It has been about six years since I last sat in a kart and a lot of the people I was racing against had come straight from karting championships so I was pleasantly surprised to find I can still pedal a kart to a good level.”
In the final, all 10 drivers completed two sets of three laps in a road-going saloon-car as well as an interview by the panel of judges, which included Clio Cup Championship Manager Simon North. In wet conditions, Bentley was able to set a lap time more than one second faster than his closest rival and clinch his place in the Clio Cup.
Commenting on the experience, Bentley said: “I have looked at other scholarships in the past but the Double Six scholarship had a very good prize and I thought ‘If I don’t try, I’ll never know what would have happened’. The final was a very high-pressure situation and with the rain coming halfway through the day it became all-important to find where the grip was available on the track.
“My target now is to complete as much testing as possible before the first race and put in a good performance this season. I’m definitely not just here to make up the numbers and I want to make the best of this opportunity. I want to make racing cars my livelihood and I’ll do everything I can this year to help make that happen.”
The first ELF Renault Clio Cup race meeting is at Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Kent on 31st March/1st April.
|
