Ashley Sutton has expressed his shock and delight after being crowned the 2015 Renault UK Clio Cup champion in a dramatic season finale at Brands Hatch.
Sutton headed into the weekend fifteen points adrift of his Team Pyro stablemate Ash Hand, but a double victory across the weekend for Sutton and troubles for Hand in race two have crowned him champion.
The success makes Sutton the first ‘Rookie’ champion in the Clio Cup since Jonathan Fildes in 2003, with the Team BMR-backed driver finishing the campaign with six wins and eight other podium finishes.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, and I don’t think it will for a while!” Sutton told TCF after the podium celebrations.
“It was a very long shot coming into the weekend, there was fifteen points between us, but I knew that if I came here and won both races that I would give myself the best chance possible and it was enough!
“The season has been fantastic, even if it has been a little up and down. I can’t thank Team Pyro and Team BMR enough, they’ve both been fantastic throughout the season and without them, and my main sponsors Global Force and Select Fire, I wouldn’t be here enjoying this moment.”
*A full interview with 2015 Renault UK Clio Cup champion Ashley Sutton will be on site in the coming weeks*