Reigning Michelin Clio Cup Series champion Luke Herbert has announced that he will be taking a year out of racing this season to focus on getting the budget together to compete in 2017.
Herbert enjoyed a hugely successful campaign in the Clio Series last year, taking double victories on the Rockingham, Thruxton and Oulton Park weekends, plus four other podium finishes en-route to the title.
The 26 year old was also the dominant force during the inaugural running of the series in 2013, winning five of the six races he competed in, but the trial nature of the series meant no champion was officially crowned.
Herbert also made his Renault UK Clio Cup debut at Rockingham that season, having been set for a KX Akademy-backed seat in the series for the full season before budget issues forced him to relinquish his position.
The 2012 Ma5da MX5 Cup champion confirmed his 2016 sabbatical on his Facebook page, saying: “So as some of you have probably guessed by now, I have made the decision not to race this season.
“We ended the 2015 season in the best possible way winning the championship, but I had to start thinking about what I really wanted so the decision was made to save and buy our first home this year, and then focus on getting the money together for next season.
“We are now looking at different options for 2017, but we know the TOCA package is where we want to be! All I can say really is thank you to Westbourne Motorsport, my parents and my girlfriend, and lastly my sponsors. Let’s see what 2017 brings!”
