Renault UK Clio Cup

Spires Relishes Clio Prize Test: “The Car Is Amazing”

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Anton Spires says his prize Renault UK Clio Cup test at Brands Hatch yesterday has fuelled his desire to one day compete in the BTCC support championship.

Spires got behind the wheel of a fourth-generation Clio racer for the first time around the Brands Grand Prix circuit during official Friday testing ahead of the final rounds of the 2014 Clio Cup season.

The prize test came after Spires won the ‘Roadcar’ class of the Michelin Clio Cup Series this year with Westbourne Motorsport in his first season in Clio racing.

Spires took to the track in wet conditions during the second session of the day, with ‘Racecar’ champion Mike Robinson having driven the Team Pyro-prepared Clio during the morning’s opening session.

Despite the steep learning curve, and a session featuring a number of red flags, Spires felt he was able to get to grips with the turbo-charged racer well and was pleased with his outing.

“It’s a massive step up from the roadclass car, which was fairly standard so easy to get used to. The Clio Cup car is a big step up in every way and the car is amazing, for me it feels like a proper race car,” Spires told TCF.

“It was a relatively smooth session, though it was plagued by red flags which meant I had to try and get quickly into my rhythm when the green flags came out.

“The brakes were the main thing for me to try and get used to. They are completely different to the ones in my car this season and around the Grand Prix circuit, in the wet, they are a massive factor to getting quick times.

“I struggled a little bit with them, but nevertheless I enjoyed myself hugely and towards the end of the session I was able to getting comfortable with it and improving my corner speeds and things like that.

“The test has definitely fuelled my hunger to fight for victories in whatever we race in next year, to help with our ambition to reach the Clio Cup in a couple of years time.”

*Keep an eye out on The Checkered Flag in the near future for a full interview with Spires on his successful 2014 Michelin Clio Cup Series campaign*

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Simon is an experienced journalist and PR officer, who has worked in the national motorsport paddocks for over a decade, primarily on the BTCC support package.
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