ROUNDS 9 & 10 – ELF Renault Clio Cup
Croft, North Yorkshire May 31st/1st June 2008

CALAMITY AT CROFT FOR TEAM GLADMAN DUO

Croft in North Yorkshire played host to rounds nine and ten of the ELF Renault Clio Cup series and turned out to be a nightmare for the Team Gladman father and son duo – Jon and David Shepherd.

Fridays test session went well for both drivers, with Jonathan gaining pace steadily throughout and David being instantly on the pace and running in the top six on worn rubber. So with confidence high, running-up to Saturdays qualifying session, the Amery Motorsport mechanics set about final preparations for what was going to be a warm sunny and more importantly, dry tyre session.

What a difference a day makes! David struggled throughout qualifying with armfuls of understeer, which he and the team could only put down to the warm temperatures, not evident on Friday, giving the car too much grip on the rear. Jonathan suffered the same fate, qualifying in 26th for both races and David 19th and 23rd respectively.

David (alias Dreaded Dave) said afterwards, “I’m so naffed off, I was flying yesterday and today it feels like a completely different car, we will need to make some set-up changes for the races and hope that helps”.

Late Saturday afternoon saw all 28 Clio’s assemble for race one and with Croft famous for its first lap mayhem, both Team Gladman drivers were hoping that fortune would swing their way and help them gain a few places early in the race.

As the lights went out both drivers made good starts, gaining a couple of places each on the opening lap. Unfortunately for Jonathan, he spun dramatically on debris from another car as he exited the chicane onto the straight heading down to ‘Tower’, completing a double 360 degree spin, much to the appreciation of the spectators and marshals watching, leaving him trailing at the back for the rest of the race.

David meanwhile worked his way up to 15th place and was closing on the group ahead, until entering the high speed ‘Sunny’ corners, his accelerator stuck, forcing him to throw the car onto the infield grass to avoid a major accident. With his foot flat to the floor he managed to hold the car and rejoin still in 15th place, but now had a group of Clio’s climbing all over his back bumper and the added concern of the sticking throttle for his next corner.

Fortunately the throttle was ok, however his new problem was car number 1, driven by the experienced and fast Stephen Hunter, who had already tapped David twice into ‘Sunny’, nearly sending him off again. As both drivers piled into the complex, David ran slightly wide leaving a gap for Hunter, but as the chicane narrowed both cars touched, forcing David off into the barriers, ending his race and breaking the suspension on both front corners along with a considerable amount of bodywork.

So with race one proving a disaster and a great deal of repairs to carry out before Sundays race two, it was just as well that the whole team could at least relax later that day as they all headed off to celebrate Amery Motorsports, crew member Mark’s birthday, with a slap-up meal.

Sunday morning, both drivers woke up to a wet, soggy Croft circuit and as the rain got worse the first of the three Touring Car races was red-flagged, as the large pools of standing water made the racing impossible. So Jonathan and David waited patiently for the Clerk of the Course to decide on whether it was safe to resume racing.

The rain finally stopped mid-afternoon and a relieved paddock started final preparations for the now delayed, but dry start to the Clio race. With David’s car now fully repaired, both drivers lined-up near the rear of the grid and hoped for a better race than the previous day.

As the lights went out, disaster struck as car number 88 struck Jonathans Clio, launching it sideways and with 27 other Clio’s on the track, given the luck so far, you’ve guessed it, the car Jonathan was forced into, was his son David’s. Jonathan managed to limp into the pit lane with terminal damage, while David continued only to have to pit, a lap later with a bent steering arm.

With only a week to go to the ‘World Series by Renault’ at Silverstone, the Amery Motorsport team will be busy repairing both cars, whilst the drivers try to forget Croft and focus on better fortunes to come at the ‘Home of British Motorsport’.

You can watch the ELF Renault Clio Cup live on ITV Four and further coverage on Motorsport UK, check programme listings for times.

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