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Exciting saloon car rookie Andrew Herron heads into the biggest race
meeting of his career next weekend, the World Series by Renault-supporting 10th
round of the ELF Renault Clio Cup on 8th/9th September at Donington Park Grand
Prix Circuit, confident of a strong showing as he bids to consolidate his top 10
placing in the driver standings.
As his maiden season of car racing action begins to draw to a close, next
weekend’s action marking the penultimate round of the 2007 championship, the
19-year-old from Northern Ireland has made a big impact during his first year of
competition and is looking forward to his first ever outing on the
Leicestershire venue’s famous Grand Prix layout.
With an expected attendance of over 100,000 spectators for next weekend’s
event, the race will undoubtedly be the biggest of the Dromore-based racer’s
short career and hopes are high the 10th round of the campaign could indeed
offer a great opportunity for Andrew to achieve his first ever Clio Cup podium
result.
During the sixth race meeting of the season at Donington’s National Circuit
in mid-July, Andrew produced a stunning qualifying performance in his Heat to
post the third fastest time, even though he had a gearbox problem at the time
which cost him pole position.
 An opening lap incident forced him to drop a long way down the order and
although having to start the feature race from a lowly 27th on the grid,
the Co. Down sensation produced a scintillating rise through the field in tricky
wet conditions to eventually finish an outstanding ninth.
Having completed all but one race this year, his only non-finish coming
during the feature race at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit last time out, Andrew has
enjoyed a highly consistent first season of saloon car racing which has belied
his lack of experience.
“Things like the first lap at Brands Hatch are always going to happen”,
said Andrew, “I’ve finished every other race this year so I’m confident we’ll
get back to that kind of form at Donington next weekend.
“I’ve forgotten all about Brands now actually, I’m just concentrating on
Donington and confident we should be strong as we were fast there on the
National Circuit in July. I qualified third in my heat even though we had a
gearbox problem and then had good pace in the race so if all goes well it could
be a successful event for us.”
The JHR Developments ace, who aims to eventually progress into the realms
of touring cars or GT racing, is currently 10th overall in the driver standings,
tied on points with Dan Eagling and former VW Cup Champion Philip House, but is
hoping the Donington round will allow him to open-up a gap over his close
rivals.
Andrew added: “I’m really looking forward to the event, it’s a world-famous
circuit and if we can be in the top five or six in the feature race at such a
big race meeting I’ll be happy. I want to have a good run in front of such a big
crowd and although you never know what’s going to happen, if all goes well I
know we’ll be right there near the front.”
Andrew’s first experience of the Grand Prix configuration will come less
than a week from now on Wednesday, 5th September, during official pre-event
testing. The weekend itself for the JHR ace will get underway with Group 2
qualifying at 10.20 on Saturday, 8th September, with his qualification race
expected to begin at 18.30.
The points-scoring feature race, round 10 of the ELF Renault Clio Cup
season, will then take place at 11.30 on Sunday, 9th September, and will be
contested over 12 laps of the Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit.
Provisional 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Driver Standings (after
Rd9)
1st Martin Byford, 201pts; 2nd Stefan Hodgetts, 182pts;
=10th Andrew Herron, Dan Eagling & Philip House,
81pts
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