Poringland racer Josh Files will lead Renault Clio Cup Championship heading to Snetterton
Poringland's Josh Files has taken his Team Pyro wheels to the leadership of this season's Renault Clio Cup. - Credit: Archant
Josh Files will travel to his home race at Snetterton in August after claiming his first Renault Clio Cup victory, which along with a second podium position in the latest round has seen the Poringland driver take the series lead.
Poringland's Josh Files had a cracking time of it at Knockhill. - Credit: Archant
'Achieving this win is a massive monkey off my back and I want to do it more often,' said an ecstatic Files. 'A bit of doubt was starting to creep in but I never gave up because I know I'm quick and I absolutely love it here at Croft. I'm chuffed.
'I made a great start the first time around and pulled away, but then the red flag came out. My second start wasn't as good and Jordan Stilp had a run at me and we made contact. That bent my steering, so I was surprised to pull out such a gap over Stefan Hodgetts.'
Files was on pole for race two but was squeezed off the track by a fast-starting Hodgetts away from the line. However the local racer gathered it up and emerge from the first corner still in third.
Files then hounded second placed James Colburn and finally set him up for a spectacularly pass through the ultra-high speed Jim Clark Esses and Barcroft corners before chasing after the leader, but was soon punted wide at Tower Bend by an over-exuberant Colburn to fall back to fourth.
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However Files paid Colburn back at the final corner with a crafty manoeuvre to snatch third in sight of the flag to give him the series lead heading to his home circuit.
'It was a robust race, to say the least,' added Files. '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.'
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That is in stark contrast to Carl Breeze, who was knocked out of the final Ginetta GT Supercup race after being attacked from behind – maybe endinf his hopes of retaining his series title.
The King's Lynn racer had to limit the damage as rival Tom Ingram found a better set-up for the Croft venue than Breeze's TCR team.
Breeze became embroiled in a dispute for second in the final event with Ingram's JHR Development team-mate Rob Boston's second-lap clash leaving the local racer with broken rear suspension and over a 100-point deficit to Ingram.
In the opening race a flapping bonnet hindered Breeze, who had to settle for third.
