Team Pyro’s Josh Files endured a difficult conclusion to rounds 13 & 14 of the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup at Northamptonshire’s Silverstone Circuit this weekend (Sunday, 7th October), as the young hot shot exited with a sixth and tenth respectively in the double-header.
The driver, backed as part of Direct Debit’s Big Break Campaign initially got off the line well in round 13 as the pack of aspiring racing drivers charged into Copse for the first time.
Locked in a battle at Copse, Files fought frantically to defend a charge from Westbourne Motorsport’s Ant Whorton-Eales and Scuderia Vittoria’s Stefan Hodgetts, which lost the Norwich based driver ground over the opening stages of the first lap.
Files soon fought his way back from seventh position and found himself situated behind Team Pyro team-mate Jack Goff in sixth position, before the championship leader spun at Becketts, promoting Files back into fifth position.
Pushing hard, Files soon came hot-on-the-heels of Total Control Racing’s James Dixon, but unable to find a way past the 2011 title contender, Files lost time to Team Pyro team-mate Adam Bonham who was close behind.
As the race reached its climax, Bonham took advantage of Files as he struggled to pass Dixon on the final lap at Luffield, leaving the 2011 Rookie of the Year to settle for sixth at the chequered flag.
As round 14 got underway, Files made another good start from fifth position on the grid before losing the rear of the car on cold tyres at Becketts, collecting Total Control Racing's Nic Hamilton in the process. This damaged the rear of the championship front-runners car.
Left with it all to do in 13th position, Files worked his way back up to tenth, setting the lap record for the circuit with a lap time of 1 minute 05.114 seconds, but was unable to progress any further in the race.
“The weekend started really well for us, we were fastest in FP1 and had a good run in FP2 also,” explained Files. “I think that qualifying went well, unfortunately a few people took some questionable lines on their fastest laps, but to still be in the mix on such a competitive circuit layout was satisfying.”
“Race one was quite chaotic, unfortunately I lost some ground at Copse after getting off the line well which slowed my momentum and dropped me to sixth. After avoiding Goff’s Spin in front, I pushed Dixon hard in fourth but then that slowed me up, allowing Bonham to beat me over the line on the final lap.”
“The last race of the weekend was disappointing for me, after losing the rear of the car going into Becketts, my car was left quite badly damaged at the rear. I pushed on and got back to tenth, earning the lap record but it’s a shame that I wasn’t at the front with that pace.”
“I’m just looking ahead to Brands now; I proved that I was quick there last year so I’ll be aiming to get back onto the podium where I believe that I belong.”
The AirAsia Renault Clio Cup will get underway at Kent’s Brands Hatch Circuit for the final two rounds of the ultra-competitive one-make championship in two weeks time.
For all information regarding Josh Files and his racing activity in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup please view his Facebook page, or alternatively follow @JoshFiles on Twitter.