Saloon car racer Andrew Herron saw his bid for a top six finish during the
final race of  the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup season thwarted on the very last lap
at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire today, Sunday, 14th October, a disappointing
conclusion to an otherwise outstanding debut season.
After racing to a popular maiden category podium during the 11th round of
the campaign on Saturday, the 19-year-old from Dromore in Co. Down had high
hopes for another big haul of points today. But as an innocent party in a
collision on the run up Woodham Hill on the final tour, Andrew saw a
near-certain top six slip through his fingers.
Only the second non-finish of his debut season in cars, the Northern
Ireland ace has shown tremendous pace and superb skill throughout 2007 and is
fully committed to a return to the British Touring Car Championship-supporting
ELF Renault Clio Cup next year where he aims to be a consistent front-runner and
genuine title challenger.
Qualifying ninth for round 12, but effectively starting from eighth
position due to Ben Winrow being unable to take his slot on the grid following a
major collision in Saturday’s race, Andrew made a good getaway to run alongside
the vastly experienced Ed Pead through Allard for the first time.
Fighting his way through to sixth place at the complex, the Brian Herron
Contracts supported racer was then forced out of the top 10 on the run through
Goodwood, Church and up Woodham Hill to the Club Chicane.
With a car stranded at Allard, the Safety Car had to be deployed on lap two
and then at the re-start on lap four, an accident involving Jonathan Fildes
enabled Andrew to move back into 10th place and he then scythed his way past
Philip House into ninth spot.
Posting his fastest tour of the race at that point on lap five, Andrew was
lapping  quicker than experienced team-mate and former double-champion Paul
Rivett and he set an even better time on lap six. At the same point, the JHR
Developments ace moved into the top eight following contact at the chicane
between Pead and Niki Lanik.
After a short Safety Car period to assist the removal of a car stranded at
Noble, the race got underway again on lap 13 and another tangle - this time
between Pead, Aron Smith and Jim Edwards Jnr - resulted in Andrew gaining
two positions into sixth place.
Smith overtook Andrew at Allard into the final lap but then disaster was to
follow when the saloon car rookie was forced into retirement on the run up
Woodham Hill, literally, a few hundred yards from the chequered flag. An
accident involving Pead and Philip House saw the latter smash into Andrew’s car
completely unawares.
Bitterly disappointing for the talented Northern Irishman, he can at least
reflect on a weekend which brought him a maiden podium finish during the
penultimate race of the season in what is widely regarded as one of the toughest
national championships.
Andrew said: “It’s been a great season, I’ve performed better than any
other driver in their first year and I’ve impressed a few people along the way
so hopefully next year we’ll be back out in Clios and at the front challenging
for race wins. I don’t see why I can’t if I can keep improving the way I am at
the moment.
“I’m really looking forward to being back in Clios next year, the aim now
is to get my head down and test during the winter before coming out strong next
year. I think my first season has gone very well. I’m a bit disappointed with
the last race this weekend but if I look back at my results from the year, it’s
not been bad at all and to be on the podium on Saturday was fantastic.”
Climbing from 11th in the championship standings to eighth position on
Saturday, Andrew has now had to settle for ninth place overall, losing out on a
top eight finish by just two points. However, he does retain the distinction of
being the best performing car racing rookie in this season’s ELF Renault Clio
Cup.
Provisional 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup Final Driver
Standings
1st Martin Byford, 284pts; 2nd Stefan Hodgetts, 236pts;
9th Andrew Herron, 117pts
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