Saturday 4th April
Glew secures double victory at brands hatch.
Round 1 Brands Hatch Indy Circuit
Qualifying
Saturday morning provided mixed weather conditions, making set up decisions difficult for the first qualifying session of the 2009 Clio Cup.
As the session began the drivers found themselves contending with a rain shower, unsure if the rain was going to continue falling Glew started the session on new tyres hoping to put in a quick time before the track became too wet. His plan backfired slightly as the rain subsided and the track was fully dry by the end of the 30 minute session.
Glew had used the best of his new tyres in slightly slippery conditions but still managed to put in two quick times. His times were good enough to position him on the front row of the grid for both races, just a few thousand’s of a second off the time of pole sitter Alex MacDowall.
Race 1
The sun was shining by the time the field of pristine new Clio’s made it to the grid. Phil Glew lined his car up on the front row with great precision, intentionally pointing the nose of his Clio down hill. Knowing how difficult it is to overtake on the Indy circuit Glew was determined to beat MacDowall off the line and make it around Paddock Hill bend in the lead.
The lights went out and Glew made an excellent start managing to take the lead just ahead of MacDowall and Seat Cupra graduate Herron.
The hard work was not over for Glew who found himself hounded by MacDowall who was not going to give up hopes of his first Clio victory easily. As the race progressed, the leading pair of Glew and MacDowall pulled away from Herron in 3rd place.
Macdowall kept up the pressure and tried hard to force Glew in to a mistake. No mistakes came as Glew drove a smooth and faultless race; he also managed to look after his tyres which gave him an advantage in the closing laps of the race.
MacDowall showed his frustration as he darted from side to side trying to pass Glew and in doing so used the best of his tyres and started to make mistakes.
Glew kept his composure and during the closing laps of the race managed to pull away from MacDowall and take his maiden Clio Cup victory in style. An ecstatic Glew leapt up on to the top step of the podium having lead the race from lights to flag and collected his winner’s trophy.
Having driven a perfect race Glew now felt confidence that he could do it all again in Sunday’s race.
Sunday 5th April
Race 2
With the sun shining, the grandstands full and the prospect of live television coverage the drivers sat in anticipation for the start of race 2.
As the lights went out Glew made yet another blistering start, cutting ahead of pole sitter MacDowall and leading the pack through Paddock Hill Bend and through the opening lap. To Glew’s delight his team mate Aron Smith managed to pass MacDowall at Druids giving him some breathing space as the pair jostled for position.
The race was quickly halted as contact between Robinson and Shepherd at Paddock Hill Bend lead to Shepherd’s car being in a dangerous position resulting in the safety car being deployed.
As the drivers weaved from side to side trying to keep heat in their tyres Glew was planning the best way to control the field at the restart and extend his lead. The race eventually resumed on lap four, having been extended to 23 laps, with MacDowall immediately trying to re-take Smith leaving Glew to pull away and set the fastest lap of the race.
On lap 10, contact between Robinson and Carnaby at Druids plus contact between Bradley and Tyldsley left cars in an unsafe position causing the second Safety Car of the day.
The second safety car was frustrating for Glew as he had pulled away from the rest of the field with relative ease and given himself a bit of breathing space to drive his own race.
The safety car pulled in to the pit lane with only one corners notice taking the drivers by surprise.
Glew managed to compose himself and make yet another good restart extending his advantage over the battling pair; Smith and MacDowall.
The remaining laps saw Glew drive an excellent race and gain a respectable lead over Smith. The race was eventually red flagged after 19 laps as injured driver Tyldsley was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Glew celebrated a dream start to his Championship bid with two race wins, one fastest lap and a new lap record. He now goes in to the next round at Thruxton with a healthy 11 point lead over MacDowall and hopes to carry on his good form.
Commenting after round two Glew said: “I got a fantastic start for both races and managed to pip Alex into Paddock Hill Bend but it was such hard work keeping him in my mirrors, especially in the first race. He tried to throw me a few dummies but I know Brands well and managed to hold him off to the flag.”
Philip would like to thank Team Pyro for putting such an excellent car together for him and giving him so much support throughout the weekend. A great big thank you also goes out to his sponsors, WD-40, 3 in 1 Professional, DAS, STMC, EDGE Sporting events and MayContain.com who make it possible for him to be racing at all.
Join us for the action at round 2 of the Clio Cup at Thruxton on April 25th and 26th.
Copyright 2009 Philip Glew | Internet Design by Artsgraphica