Josh Files is in a bullish mood as the Renault UK Clio Cup heads to North Yorkshire’s Croft Circuit for Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2013 season (22-23 June), following a frustrating outing at Oulton Park a fortnight ago.
The Norwich-based racer has reignited his relationship with Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd, the people behind Direct Debit in the UK, for the remaining six rounds of the ultra-competitive one-make saloon car championship. The company, which backed Josh during his first two seasons in the Clio Cup, picks up sole sponsorship for the rest of the season, beginning with this weekend’s installment at Croft.
Set in beautiful countryside near Darlington, the 2.1-mile track is a challenge that only the most adaptable of drivers can master; fast flowing corners like the Jim Clark Esses and Barcroft are a seat of the pants ride, while the slow, technical complex at the end of the lap provides a contrasting challenge.
Files, aged 22, was somewhat underwhelmed by the top ten finishes he achieved at Oulton Park’s most recent round. However, he claims to be reinvigorated by his adoration of Croft and a new prestigious sponsorship deal with Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd and refuses to temper his expectations. In fact, he has the simple objective of breaking his race wins duck by ‘doing the double’ in the North East.
“Oulton Park is forgotten and I’m going to achieve two wins at Croft,” said a bullish Files. “Croft I love with all my heart; it’s an awesome circuit, but people seem to forget about it whenever they're ask what their favourite tracks are.
“It’s difficult to master because it combines technical sections with ‘balls out’ bits, so you have to be very adaptable. A lot of people are good at one or the other, so it’s quite a challenge. I expect Team Pyro to produce a car that’s good straight out of the blocks because, while a lot of teams didn’t bother testing there during the winter months, we managed to.”
Renault UK Clio Cup qualifying begins at 10.50 on Saturday 22 June, while Round 9 begins later that same day at 16.15. Round 10 of Britain’s premier one-make saloon car championship is scheduled for 15.50 on Sunday 23 June and can be viewed live and in high definition on ITV4 and ITV4HD.
For more information on Josh Files’ racing activities, please visit the official www.joshfiles.co.ukwebsite, 'like' his Facebook page or follow @JoshFiles on Twitter.
In addition, please visit www.bacs.co.uk for more information on the services provided by Bacs Payment Schemes Limited.