2012 Renault UK Clio Cup explained

The 2012 AirAsia^[1] Renault Clio Cup UK season is a multi-event, one make motor racing championship held across England. The championship features a mix of professional motor racing teams and privately funded drivers, competing in a Clio Renault Sport 200 that conform to the technical regulations for the championship. It forms part of the extensive program of support categories built up around the BTCC centrepiece.

This season is the 17th Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom season. The season commenced on 31 March at Brands Hatch – on the circuit's Indy configuration – and will conclude on 21 October at the same venue, utilising the Grand Prix circuit, after sixteen races to be held at eight meetings, all in support of the 2012 British Touring Car Championship.

Regulation changes

The only change from 2011 to the technical regulations will be a weight increase of 15kg (33lb) to a total minimum weight of 1165kg (2,568lb).^[2]

Teams and drivers

A 23-driver entry list was released by series organisers on 20 March 2012.^{[3] [4]}

Team Drivers Class Rounds Stancombe Vehicle Engineering 1 Adam Gould 1–3 22 Paul Rivett All Westbourne Motorsport 2 James Colburn All 10 Ant Whorton-Eales R All 17 Will Davison^[5] R All Scuderia Vittoria 3 James Dixon^[6] 1–3 5 Stefan Hodgetts 4–8 7 Vic Covey, Jr. All 8 Finlay Crocker M All 9 Ronnie Klos M All 41 Russell Lee Gordon 1–3 Total Control Racing 3 James Dixon 4–8 28 Nicolas Hamilton^[7] All 37 Rob Smith^[8] R All Team Pyro 4 Adam Bonham All 6 David Dickenson 7–8 33 Jack Goff^[9] All 88 Kim Andersson R 1–4 99 Josh Files All Handy Motorsport with Pyro 11 Simon Belcher M All Juta Racing 13 Tautvydas Barštys 1–6, 8 55 Ignas Gelžinis R All 20Ten Racing 20 Darren Wilson M 1–6 25 Graham Field M 7–8 66 Josh Cook R All MBR 21 Mike Bushell R All Silver Fox Racing 27 Mark Tilbury R 1, 5, 8 Finesse Motorsport^[10] 31 Aaron Williamson R 1–5 77 Jake Giddings R All Team HARD. 34 David Grady 5 20Ten/Team HARD. 50 Andy Wilmot 8

Icon Class M Masters Cup R Rookie Cup

Race calendar and results

The 2012 calendar supports the BTCC at all rounds, with no major changes from 2011.^[2]

Round		Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning team
1	R1	Brands Hatch (Indy), Kent	31 March	Josh Files	James Dixon	Jack Goff	Team Pyro
	R2		1 April	Josh Files	Adam Bonham	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
2	R3	Donington Park (National), Leicestershire	15 April	Paul Rivett	Adam Bonham	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
	R4			Paul Rivett	Kim Andersson	Jack Goff	Team Pyro
3	R5	Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire	28 April	Adam Bonham	Josh Files	James Colburn	Westbourne Motorsport
	R6		29 April	James Colburn	James Dixon	James Colburn	Westbourne Motorsport
4	R7	Oulton Park (Island), Cheshire	9 June	Stefan Hodgetts	Jack Goff	Stefan Hodgetts	Scuderia Vittoria
	R8		10 June	Stefan Hodgetts	Adam Bonham	Stefan Hodgetts	Scuderia Vittoria
5	R9	Snetterton (300) Circuit, Norfolk	11 August	Jack Goff	Stefan Hodgetts	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
	R10		12 August	Jack Goff	Paul Rivett	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
6	R11	Rockingham Motor Speedway, Northamptonshire	23 September	Jack Goff	Paul Rivett	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
	R12			Jack Goff	Paul Rivett	Paul Rivett	Stancombe Vehicle Engineering
7	R13	Silverstone (National), Northamptonshire	7 October	Paul Rivett	Adam Bonham	Josh Cook	20Ten Racing
	R14			Paul Rivett	Josh Files	Josh Cook	20Ten Racing
8	R15	Brands Hatch (GP), Kent	20 October	Josh Files	Stefan Hodgetts	Stefan Hodgetts	Scuderia Vittoria
	R16		21 October	Josh Files	Mike Bushell	Stefan Hodgetts	Scuderia Vittoria

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Pos Driver BHI DON THR OUL SNE ROC SIL BHGP Pts 1 Jack Goff 1 2 5 1 4 3 2 4 4 4 2 2 11 4 9 6 373 2 Paul Rivett Ret 1 1 3 5 2 Ret 3 1 1 1 1 7 2 Ret 8 354 3 James Dixon 6 6 7 5 6 4 7 6 2 7 3 3 4 3 7 3 2 330 4 Adam Bonham 5 3 2 2 3 21 4 17 21 3 5 7 5 5 5 7 297 5 Josh Cook 10 Ret 8 8 9 6 3 5 6 Ret 4 4 1 1 3 4 287 6 Josh Files 2 4 9 Ret 2 13 5 2 5 5 18 5 6 10 2 Ret 2 268 7 Stefan Hodgetts 1 1 3 2 Ret 8 2 8 1 1 2 239 8 8 5 3 6 10 15 6 7 Ret 13 Ret 12 3 6 Ret 5 208 9 James Colburn 22 7 Ret 4 1 1 Ret Ret 8 Ret 13 6 10 9 16 9 182 10 Ignas Gelžinis 16 12 13 15 12 7 12 Ret 15 10 7 11 8 7 10 15 152 11 Mike Bushell 9 Ret Ret 9 8 Ret 9 Ret 7 18 6 Ret 12 17 6 2 2 146 12 Vic Covey, Jr. 15 9 12 10 13 8 13 9 10 11 15 18 13 15 15 11 140 13 Simon Belcher 17 10 Ret 12 17 12 17 8 13 14 9 10 14 16 14 12 121 14 Jake Giddings Ret Ret 15 16 15 14 14 12 17 8 11 9 18 11 8 10 118 15 Aaron Williamson 3 15 Ret 14 Ret 10 8 10 14 6 99 16 Will Davison 11 Ret 10 11 18 19 10 Ret 19 9 8 17 17 13 12 Ret 2 98 17 Rob Smith 23 8 17 17 16 Ret 11 11 12 Ret 10 15 9 14 18 17 2 97 18 Kim Andersson 7 Ret 6 7 Ret 5 19 13 82 19 Finlay Crocker 18 13 14 18 21 11 Ret Ret Ret 12 12 13 20 18 11 18 74 20 Luke Wright 4 Ret 4 Ret 7 Ret 60 21 Nicolas Hamilton 13 Ret 11 21 14 18 Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret 14 19 Ret 13 16 6 54 22 Darren Wilson 21 11 16 Ret 20 17 16 16 16 17 16 19 46 23 Tautvydas Barštys 20 16 18 20 19 20 15 14 18 15 14 16 21 19 3 46 24 David Dickenson 16 12 4 14 43 25 Ronnie Klos 19 17 19 19 Ret 16 18 15 20 Ret 17 Ret 15 19 19 13 7 40 26 Adam Gould 12 Ret Ret 13 11 9 39 27 Mark Tilbury 14 14 22 16 20 20 21 28 David Grady 9 Ret 12 29 Andy Wilmot 17 Ret 4 30 Graham Field 21 20 22 21 1 Pos Driver BHI DON THR OUL SNE ROC SIL BHGP Pts

Notes and References

1. News: AirAsia X gets on board with Renault Clio Cup UK. Renault Sport UK. Renault Sport. 28 February 2011. 7 March 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120307203715/http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/championships/cliocup/news/ObjectId/5851/Default.aspx. 7 March 2012. dead. dmy-all.
2. News: AirAsia Renault Clio Cup Va Va Vooms into 2012. 27 January 2012. 30 January 2012. Renault Clio Cup UK. Renaultsport UK.
3. News: Season start for tin top Media Day. Renault Sport UK. Renault Sport. 21 March 2012. 22 March 2012.
4. News: Bumper 2012 AirAsia Renault Clio Cup Entry List Revealed. 20 March 2012. 22 March 2012. Richard. Devine. BTCC Crazy. James Mappin.
5. Turner. Kevin. 1 March 2012. In Brief.... Autosport. 207. 9. 84. Teddington, Middlesex. Haymarket Publications. Charles. Bradley. SaxMax runner-up Will Davison will race in the Renault Clio Cup this season with Westbourne Motorsport..
6. Turner. Kevin. 23 February 2012. Dixon to Vittoria for Clio title tilt. Autosport. 207. 8. 82. Teddington, Middlesex. Haymarket Publications. Charles. Bradley.
7. News: Hamilton confirms return. 2 March 2012. 5 March 2012. Crash.net. Crash Media Group.
8. News: Rob Smith Joins Clio Cup with TCR. The Checkered Flag. BlackEagleMedia Network. 8 March 2012. 8 March 2012. Simon. Paice.
9. News: AirAsia Clio Cup 2012 Picture Beginning To Take Shape. 27 January 2012. 31 January 2012. Richard. Devine. BTCC Crazy. James Mappin.
10. Turner. Kevin. 15 March 2012. In Brief.... Autosport. 207. 11. 83. Teddington, Middlesex. Haymarket Publications. Charles. Bradley. Ginetta racers Jake Giddings and Aaron Williamson will both move into the Renault Clio Cup this season with Giddings' family-run Finesse Motorsport team..