ON
TRACK WITH RICK PEARSON No. 19
in a Continuing Series By Rick Pearson
Hello and welcome to the third of my columns for 2001. This week I will review the second half of my 2000 season.
Round seven of the Clio Cup took us to Croft and happier with the set-up of the Clio, I put it fourth on the grid at a circuit I'd never seen before. I even held Pole for part of the session but was just pipped at the death. I also managed to get the Clio off the line in decent fashion, which I had failed to do regularly since the first round at Brands Hatch.
After tucking into second place at the first corner, I attempted to go around Danny Buxton on the run down to the backstretch to take the lead. Unfortunately the third placed man, David Gibson had other ideas and managed to lose control under braking, taking all three of us off and leaving me hobbling in a Clio with heavily deranged rear suspension.
So through no fault of my own, I had no points to show from the two long treks North, and any hopes of the title were now gone as my team-mate, Jim Edwards Jnr stretched his lead over the pursuing pack. Things could only improve and a breakthrough in my confidence after driving the deranged Clio at Croft to within a few tenths of my best meant that I arrived at Snetterton believing in the car and myself.
Snetterton was a landmark for the team as myself and Jim Jr locked out the front row of the grid for the first time all season. We were to repeat this feat twice more in the remaining four rounds; I took Pole at Snetterton and Brands Hatch while Jim took the honour during the final round at Silverstone. Snetterton also saw me lead a race for the first time and if the pitwall marshals hadn't advised the team that there was an extra lap left, I believe that I would have taken the victory.As it was, I settled for second place despite three big challenges for the lead on that last lap, believing I had one more tour in which to try it all again.
Fortune deserted me though at Donington Park. After qualifying a pleasing fourth and again holding Pole for part of the session, a trip through the gravel and a second wild ride across the grass avoiding accidents left me in fourteenth with a lot to do. I fought back to fifth before being bundled unceremoniously into the gravel trap at the old hairpin by the same assailant who had spoilt my race at Knockhill.
Next was Brands Hatch, and regular readers of my column will know what happened there! To suffice, I qualified on Pole then lost and regained the lead twice before taking my maiden victory. Since this was on what I consider to be my home track and was in front of family and friends, it was a big day!
Another trip through the Redstone advertising hoardings at Oulton courtesy of some judicious tapping on the rear corner of the car, saw me home a lowly ninth, but my teammate, Jim Jr claimed sixth place which was all he needed to secure the Championship with one round still remaining. He'd driven a great season, quick when he needed to be and steady when discretion and the points table decreed.
The Mark Fish team had put together a great season for us both and we were to celebrate by locking out the front row of the grid once again for the final round at Silverstone. However a poor start there left me in the thick of the action and it was a slightly bent Clio that finally finished fifth in the race and fifth in the Championship.
All in all it was a vintage year, both for the team, who claimed the Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup Team Trophy alongside Jim's drivers trophy, and for myself. Renault put together a quality Championship with reliable cars that were very rewarding to drive. Almost certainly the proximity of the Clio 172 racer to a touring car will stand Jim in good stead as he steps up for 2001 and undoubtedly, as a representative of our series he will do us proud! For myself, I hope to find the funding to come back and challenge for the title in the Clio 172 whilst taking in a few rounds of the European series in the V6 mid-engine version of the same car. Roll-on April!