BTCC STAR SUTTON JOINS IN PRAISE OF NEW RENAULT UK CLIO CUP JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND CAR

November 4, 2016 by Renault Sport

British Touring Car Championship sensation Ashley Sutton says he is a huge fan of the new Renault UK Clio Cup Junior race car after trying it for the first time.

The car is identical to that used in the senior Renault UK Clio Cup that features at the BTCC's high-profile events except for a simple modification to the ECU that limits it to five gears and 100mph and a switch to road tyres, Michelin's high performance Pilot Sport 3.

It proved an immediate hit among almost 30 young drivers at a 'sampler day' session last weekend and will go on to be used in the first Renault UK Clio Cup Junior championship in 2017. The championship is aimed at drivers aged between 14 and 17…

Meanwhile Sutton, one of the stand-out names in 2016's BTCC after winning 2015's Renault UK Clio Cup title, has also now tested the car. He believes it can transform the UK's junior racing scene.

'It's just brilliant,' enthused Sutton. 'It is so much fun to drive and the championship is going to teach young drivers an awful lot about race craft too.

'On the technical side I found the car to be very consistent and it really inspires confidence in the driver – you can push it to the limit and a bit more but never feel totally out of your comfort zone or scared and that's so important for a junior driver.

'The way the car sits on the limiter (in fifth gear at 100mph) is very nice as well – not harsh which is what I expected. It just sits there all nice and smooth. Another thing that stood out for me at the sampler day was how quickly all the drivers whatever their background were able to get on with the car.

'Phil Glew (2009 UK Clio Cup Champion and Renault Sport development driver) and I were chatting after I'd had a run and we could not stop talking about how good it is! It's a fantastic little car.'

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Sutton believes the UK Clio Cup Junior championship can become the number one starting point for junior-aged drivers with serious ambitions of careers in touring cars.

He said: 'The UK Clio Cup 'scene' is the place to be before graduating to the BTCC. If you get into a slide you deal with it; it comes naturally. Then there's the race craft. I had it all season – in fact right from race one with Ant Whorton-Eales – and because of that then dealing with situations on track in the BTCC again hasn't been a problem. To start being able to do that at such an early age will be very impressive.

'Definitely a young driver in UK Clio Cup Junior will look to the senior UK Clio Cup to see what they do and what do the seniors do? They look to the BTCC to see how they do it. This championship gives you that follow-on which the others don't necessarily have.'

The inaugural Renault UK Clio Cup Junior championship will take place over six race weekends (two races per event) in 2017. Renault Sport UK anticipates that a small privateer entry could contest the full season for as little as £30,000.

Teams and drivers looking to part of the grid should contact Renault Sport UK Motorsport Championship Manager Will Fewkes will.fewkes-extern@renault.co.uk