Driver Streather is hoping for glory live on television

CROFT Circuit in North Yorkshire will be the venue for the fifth event of the Renault UK Clio Cup season this coming weekend where category front-runner Paul Streather is determined to make an overdue return to the podium.

Just a week ago at Oulton Park, Streather and the Finesse Motorsport team hoped to mount a challenge for silverware but illness for the Hinckley driver resulted in a somewhat muted outing for the round one victor who, at one stage, wasn’t certain to compete.

Ahead of rounds nine and 10 of the campaign, the Michael Smith Switchgear and AVW Fabrications backed racer wants nothing less than podium success as he aims to climb back up the championship standings from his current placing of sixth – at this point, though, he is still feeling particularly under the weather.

Streather said: “If I’m better I’ll be going as hard as I can. I haven’t done a great deal at Croft before but I’m hoping we can get back to where we should be. We knew what Thruxton would be, but I was really disappointed by Oulton. I couldn’t tell the team how I wanted the car as my concentration was so off because of how I felt. If I’m fighting fit at the weekend, I’ll be fighting from the front.”

Looking forward to the Croft double-header, team principal Neil Giddings said: “We’re going all out to get back on the podium at the weekend, hopefully Paul is going to be feeling 100% and, if he is, we know he’ll be back at the sharp end.”

After pre-event testing on Friday June 17, qualifying for rounds nine and 10 of the Renault UK Clio Cup season will take place at 11.20am on Saturday June 18, with the first race of the weekend getting underway at 5.15pm. On Sunday June 19 the second contest – which will be screened live on ITV4 – is scheduled to begin at approximately 3.50pm.