Team Pyro’s Josh Files secured a podium finish in Round 10 of the 2013 Renault UK Clio Cup at Croft Circuit on Sunday (23 June) to lead the points table as the championship heads into its lengthy mid-summer break.
After securing his maiden win in the UK-based Clio Cup at the North Yorkshire venue on Saturday (22 June), Files was keen to narrow the gap further to Paul Rivett in the championship standings with another solid finish on Sunday.
From pole position, the Bacs Payments Schemes Ltd-backed racer was muscled off the track by a fast-starting Stefan Hodgetts away from the line. However, he was relieved to gather it together and emerge from the first corner in a respectable third place.
The top three pulled out a gap in the early stages of the 12-lap race and an audacious overtake on James Colburn through the ultra-high speed Jim Clark Esses and Barcroft corners gave Files second place.
The Norwich-based racer immediately latched on to race leader Hodgetts. He had the door firmly shut on him when he got the overlap into the tight final hairpin and was then punted wide at Tower Bend by an over-exuberant Colburn to fall back to fourth.
The top four were nose-to-tail thereafter, Hodgetts and his Scuderia Vittoria team-mate Ant Whorton-Eales locking out the top two positions and Colburn holding the final podium place ahead of Files.
Ever the opportunist, a determined Files managed to snatch third place from an unsuspecting Colburn just before the leading quartet received the chequered flag to bring the first half of the 2013 season to a spectacular end.
“It was a robust race, to say the least,” said Files. “It was difficult throughout and Stefan (Hodgetts) played hard. There were quite a few scuffles and I managed to re-take the position I lost to James (Colburn) on the first lap, but I just couldn’t get past for the lead.
“Gaps appeared but Stefan defended them. I was then tapped at Tower and fell back down to fourth, but I’m delighted to have picked up places again to finish on the podium and take the lead in the championship. It has been a great weekend; we came to take points out of Paul Rivett in the standings and we leave in the lead. Happy days!”
A stellar weekend for Files at Croft Circuit has promoted the Bacs-supported driver to the head of the UK Clio Cup standings on 235 points, with multiple title winner Rivett trailing him on 232 at the halfway stage of the 2013 season.
The Renault UK Clio Cup now takes a six-week hiatus before heading to Files’ home circuit of Snetterton near Thetford, Norfolk on 3-4 August.
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.