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Clio Cup Great Britain

Category	One-make racing by Renault (Renault Clio Cup)
Country	United Kingdom
Inaugural season	1974
Classes	Main Class Masters Cup Rookie Cup
Drivers	7 (2024)
Teams	3 (2024)
Constructors	Renault
Tyre suppliers	Michelin
Drivers' champion	Nicky Taylor (2024)
Teams' champion	Graves Motorsport (2024)
Official website	Clio Cup GB
Current season

Clio Cup Great Britain is an entry-level one-make touring car racing motorsport category, and the current name in the long history of Renault one-make cups in the UK. It currently attracts drivers from across the United Kingdom to compete along with several drivers for European countries. The current 2024 Champion is Nicky Taylor. The championship has been run to various regulations over the years, and can trace its history back to 1974. Several former drivers have become successful in other Touring car racing formulae, including Andy Priaulx, who went on to become multiple World Touring Car Championship champion and Jason Plato who is multiple British Touring Car Championship champion. The championship formerly ran on the support package of the British Touring Car Championship. The series was most recently promoted by the British Automobile Racing Club, which was also the promoter from 1974 to 2011. Prior to this, SRO promoted the series in 2012.

The UK Clio Cup folded after the 2019 season after being axed as a British Touring Car Championship support series in favour of the Mini Challenge. Clio Cup Great Britain was revived in 2024, now organised by MotorSport Vision as an independent championship.

History

Renault have a long history of One-make racing in the UK and the series can trace its root back as far as 1974, when drivers competed in Renault 5 TL's. The championship continued with various other models of the Renault 5 including the Renault 5 TS between 1978?–1979? and the Renault 5 GT Turbo between 1987?–1990. When the Renault 5 was replaced with the Mark I Renault Clio, the championship switched too, using the Mark I between 1991 and 1995. The Renault Sport Spider roadster was used between 1996 and 1999 before returning to the Clio, this time utilizing the newer Renault Sport versions. In 2000 and 2001, the series used the Clio Renaultsport 172, followed by the Clio Renaultsport 182 between 2002 and 2006. Between 2007 and 2009, the Clio Renaultsport 197 was used. This was replaced partway through the 2009 season with the latest Clio Renaultsport 200, which is currently used. However, from the 2014 season, the new Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo race car will be used for the British championship.

Historically, the championship has been run using the tires from the French manufacturer Michelin. However, from 2013, tires for the championship will be supplied be Dunlop who also supply tires to other championships on the TOCA package, including the British Touring Car Championship

The series' past champion winners includes Andy Priaulx, Jason Plato and Tom Onslow-Cole. Other than that, past drivers of the series that were notable outside of racing were Andrew Ridgeley of the pop group Wham! in 1985 and it introduced actor Rowan Atkinson to motorsport, which he raced seldom between 1984 and 1990. One of his races was documented for his one-off show, Driven Man. The car has since re-emerged for a reunion race in 2004, which he aimed to compete in, but had to be substituted by Perry McCarthy, due to illness. Atkinson bought the car following the race and was auctioned off in a Bonhams auction in 2005.

Championship format

The championship currently has 16 races held at eight double header rounds at circuits across England. The series supports the British Touring Car Championship at eight of its ten rounds. In 2012, Brands Hatch held two rounds of the championship, whilst Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Rockingham and Sliverstone each held one round. In the past, the series has also formed part of the support package for the British rounds of the World Series by Renault.

On a race weekend, the drivers have a 30-minute qualifying session, with the fastest times setting the grid for race one and their second fastest times setting the race 2 grid. Races are held over a minimum of 30 miles.

Current points system

Points are awarded to the top 20 drivers in each race as well as the driver(s) setting the fastest lap using the following system:

Champions

Season	Champion	Renault Model	Winter Series Champion
1974	Neil McGrath	Renault 5 TL	Not Held
1975	Neil McGrath
1976	Neil McGrath
1977	Not Held
1978	Neil McGrath	Renault 5 TS
1979	Jim Edwards Sr.
1980	Rob Hall
1981	Not Held
1982
1983
1984
1985	Rob Hall	Renault 5 GT Turbo
1986
1987	Barrie Wiliams
1988
1989
1990	Jim Edwards Jr.
1991	Steve Waudby	Renault Clio Mk.I
1992	Matt Johnson
1993	Alastair Lyall
1994	John Bintcliffe
1995	Lee Brookes
1996	Jason Plato	Renault Sport Spider
1997	Bryce Wilson
1998	Dan Eaves
1999	Andy Priaulx
2000	Jim Edwards Jr.	Clio Renaultsport 172
2001	Daniel Buxton
2002	Paul Rivett	Clio Renaultsport 182	Tom Ferrier
2003	Jonathan Fildes		Paul Rivett
2004	Paul Rivett		Jonathan Adam
2005	Jonathan Adam		Matt Allison
2006	Tom Onslow-Cole		Niki Lanik
2007	Martin Byford	Clio Renaultsport 197	Niki Lanik
2008	Ben Winrow		Árón Smith
2009	Phil Glew		Daniel Lloyd
		Clio Renaultsport 200
2010	Dave Newsham		Not Held
2011	Paul Rivett
2012	Jack Goff
2013	Josh Files
2014	Mike Bushell	Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC
2015	Ashley Sutton
2016	Ant Whorton-Eales
2017	Mike Bushell
2018	Paul Rivett
2019	Jack Young
2020	Not Held
2021
2022
2023
2024	Nicky Taylor	Renault Clio Esprit Alpine

• ^‡ — In 2009, for the first half of the season, drivers used the Clio Renaultsport 197. For the second half, drivers used the Clio Renaultsport 200.

Other UK Championships

When the British Automobile Racing Club returned as Clio Cup UK series promoter in December 2012, they set out their plans for the national championship for the next two years. With the announcement that the current Clio Renaultsport 200 race car will be replaced from 2014 season, Renault UK and the BARC announced a new entry level series to be known as the Michelin Clio Cup Series with Protyre. This championship, which will begin in 2013, is aimed at amateur and track day drivers and will use the current Clio Renaultsport 200 as well as the previous generation Clio Renaultsport 197. A four-round, double header calendar was also announced for 2013, visiting four of the UK's top racing circuits. From 2017 onwards, there will be a junior edition of the Renault Clio Cup for young drivers aged 14–17.

See also

• Other Renault Clio Cup championships
• World Series by Renault
• Renault Sport

References

1. ^ "British Automobile Racing Club takes helm of Renault UK Clio Cup". Renault Sport UK. Renault Sport. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
2. Lickorish, Stephen (15 September 2019). "Clio Cup to continue in UK after all as Renault Sport steps in". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
3. "Mini Challenge to join TOCA package from 2020". Retrieved 2019-10-19.
4. Clio Cup curtain-raiser thrills Brands Hatch crowds automotoportal.com (April 3, 2007)
5. The Drivers : Andrew Ridgeley historicracing.com
6. ^ "2012 Airasia Renault UK Clio Cup Championship Regulations" (PDF). British Automobile Racing Club. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
7. ^ BRDC Archive Biography: Neil McGrath Archived 2007-12-02 at the Wayback Machine brdc.co.uk
8. "New entry-level Clio Cup Series launched by Renault & BARC". Renault Sport UK. Renault Sport. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
9. "Renault Clio Cup Junior". Renault Sport. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10.

External links

• Renault Sport Clio Cup UK

• Renault Clio Cup
• Auto racing series in the United Kingdom
• One-make series