Team Pyro’s Josh Files secured his third podium in the 2012 AirAsia Renault Clio Cup, with a second place finish in round eight of Britain’s premier one-make saloon car championship.
 
The driver, backed as part of Direct Debits Big Break campaign, made a good start off the line to defend second position from three-time Clio Cup Champion, Paul Rivett, as the charging pack of Clio Cup racer’s entered Old Hall for the first time.
 
Files efforts to hunt down Scuderia Vittoria’s Stefan Hodgetts on the opening lap, soon came to a halt at the end of the first lap due to the deployment of the safety car.
 
Racing soon resumed on lap four of the race, but this would be short lived however, after contact between Team Pyro’s Kim Andersson and Westbourne Motorsport’s Will Davison, left Davison beached at the outside of the hairpin on lap five, leading to the deployment of the safety car for the second time in as many laps.
 
21 year-old Files, immediately piled the pressure on Hodgetts, as action resumed on lap eight of the race, consistently looking for an opportunity to pass the former British Touring Car contender.
 
Despite the best efforts of the 2011 Rookie of the Year, the pace possessed by the leading quartet of Hodgetts, Files, Goff and Rivett, would create little opportunity for progression due to the competitive nature of the championship, leaving Files to settle for second position at the chequered flag.
 
“I managed to get a better start than yesterday and was able to hold off Rivett as we went into Old Hall for the first time,” explained Files. “Before I got a real chance to set about Stefan the safety car was deployed on the second lap due to an incident involving Nick Hamilton.”
 
“At the restart I showed good pace but unfortunately so did Stefan, the leading quartet were all quick, so there was no real overtaking opportunity despite my efforts.”
 
“The championship still isn’t out of the question, but there is still a long way to go. I need to keep plugging away and keep the consistency flowing.”
 
Files now sits in fifth position in the championship standings, just 14 points adrift of Rivett in second, and 63 points adrift of championship leader Goff, as the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup resumes for rounds 9 &10 of the championship at Snetterton in nine weeks time.

(Image courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography)