Paul Streather continued his impressive start to the 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup season with another podium finish at Donington Park last weekend.
Streather starred at the Brands Hatch season finale two weeks prior with the opening victory of the season in only his third ever Clio Cup race, and he carried that momentum into the trip to Leicestershire in his Finesse Motorsport Clio.
Securing a pair of top five grid starts in qualifying, the reigning Michelin Clio Cup Series vice-champion fought back to a seventh place finish in the opening race after losing ground in the early stages.
His standout performance would come in race two though as he found himself in the battle for the final podium position throughout, setting the fastest lap of the race on his way to fourth – which became third post-race when the on-the-road victor was excluded.
Those results ensure Streather retains his second place standing in the championship ahead of the visit to Thruxton early next month (07/08 May), where the Finesse team will be expanding to three cars with new recruit Daniel Rowbottom and series returnee Jake Giddings.
“Race one didn’t go to plan, I got a brilliant start the first time, up to fourth, but at the re-start I was really bad and dropped down the order,” said Streather.
“After that it was tough getting past some of the drivers who did quite a bit of weaving. Race two was better, I fell back again being on the outside for turn one but after that I knew what I had to do and picked them off one by one.
“When I saw [Charles] Ladell right in front of me I thought, well, it’d be rude not to have a go! He closed the door, though, so we had to take fourth but the points are good for the championship. Massive thanks as ever to my sponsors and the team.”
