Elf Renault Clio Cup front runners Total Control Racing have announced their first two drivers for the 2010 season, as the team look to win back the driver and entrant titles.
Effingham based Mike Robinson and Leeds racer Sam Tordoff will return to the West Midlands squad for 2010, Mike, who is heading into his third season in the ultra competitive series, while Tordoff is entering his second season.
27 year old Robinson has been a consistent top 6 in the Championship racer during his previous two seasons in the Championship and has the experience of the Championship and the undoubted pace to challenge for the title, and claim regular podium finishes and wins. Before he joined the Clio Cup, Mike had a successful career in the Caterham Roadsport competition, which delivered race wins in 2006 and 2007.
20 year old Tordoff caused a stir in his maiden season of car racing, by taking his maiden podium and victory at Snetterton, and in the process beating Phil Glew, Alex MacDowall and Andrew Herron. Sam backed up his maiden podiums at Snetterton with another podium finish at Rockingham. The winter series saw Sam take a win and another podium as he lost out on the title by one point to TCR team mate Daniel Lloyd.
The team principle of TCR, Lee Brookes, commented on his team's first signings for the forthcoming season: “It's great for us to be able to continue working with Mike and Sam this year. The continuity this will give us is going to be fantastic and there's no doubting they can both be challengers for the 2010 title.
“Sam had an excellent debut season last year, thoroughly deserving his race wins and podiums, and although Mike had a lot of bad luck he still managed to score consistently well to end the year in the championship top six. We're confident both drivers will do a fantastic job this year, we really want to win back the driver and team titles.”
2009 saw TCR end the main Clio season with the Championship runner up, Alex MacDowall, who claimed 4 race victories and another 8 podiums, and now looking to join the BTCC grid. The team also claimed the 2009 winter series crown with Daniel Lloyd and the success of both Tordoff and Robinson meant that the team had a typically strong campaign, with the strong results and the silverware count.
The team still have two vacant seats within its Clio squad, one of the most successful squads within the Championship, and alongside their multi car Ginetta G50 squad, which won the teams championship at the first attempt.
