Saturday 19th September
Phil Glew - 2009 Renault Clio Cup Champion
Rounds 17 & 18 - Rockingham Motor Speedway
Qualifying
Glew entered the penultimate race weekend of the 2009 Renault Clio Cup 111 points ahead of closest rival Alex MacDowell, needing just 25 points from the weekend to secure the title.
With this in mind Glew went in to qualifying with a positive attitude, claiming pole position for both races and putting himself in the best possible position to clinch the title in race 1.
Glew was given yet another boost as he out qualified ex Touring car racer and 2001 Clio Cup Champion Danny Buxton, who returned to the championship to assist Dave Newsham in his battle to secure 3rd place in the championship.
Race 1
As the crowd basked in the late summer sunshine Phil Glew lined his Clio up on the grid in the knowledge that this could be the most important race of his 2009 season. The pressure was on but Glew remained calm and quietly confident that he could convert pole position in to a win.
As the lights went out it was Glew who made the best start closely followed by Tordoff who had been promoted to the front row of the grid as Newsham had been demoted to the back by the Clerk of the Course for not returning to parc ferme after qualifying.
Glew led the field around the banked circuit and in to the first corner. Tordoff tried to pass Glew for the lead forcing them both to run wide at the exit of the tight hairpin and allowing Lloyd to sneak up the inside and take the lead. Glew managed to hold 2nd place as Tordoff dropped down the order and the rest of the field jostled for position.
Although Lloyd was now in the lead of the race, Championship leader Glew used his experience and sat patiently as he watched Lloyd destroy his tyres and understeer out of every corner in an attempt to retain the lead.
As Glew closed in on Lloyd and looked for a way through without causing any contact Buxton was hot on their heels and keen to make an impression in his return to the Championship. Lloyd could not cope with the intense pressure from Glew and hit the wall at the exit of Brook on lap 8, damaging his car and ending his race.
Glew who had been biding his time to pass Lloyd was now exactly where he wanted to be and he quickly pulled away from 2nd and 3rd place drivers Buxton and Herron.
Glew had little time to enjoy his lead as the Safety Car was deployed on the following lap to recover the car of Newsham who had spun at Gracelands which allowed the entire field to bunch up again.
Racing resumed on lap 12 with the distance increased to 16 laps and Glew who is experienced in leading re-starts made the most of it and pulled away from the rest of the field. Herron had been able to get the run on Buxton going side-by-side over the line and claiming 2nd place. Glew now had the Championship in his sights and battled to hold his emotions on the closing laps of the race.
Glew remained dominant out in front, as he has been all season, and with just one lap to go there was nothing Herron could do to stop Glew taking the chequered flag, claiming his ninth win of the season and securing the 2009 title crown.
Herron finished second with Buxton rounding off the podium honours. Smith finished fourth with Championship rival MacDowall forced to settle for fifth.
A post race investigation by the Clerk of the Course handed Herron a time penalty for overtaking Buxton under Safety Car conditions and dropping him to third with Buxton promoted to second.
An ecstatic Glew returned to Parc Ferme and leapt on top of his car in celebration to the cheers of Team Pyro, his sponsors and his supporters.
Glew rounded of a perfect race as he was awarded the ELF/Atol Driver of the Day along with his 15th trophy of the season.
The ITV television cameras and press jostled to get the finest shots and interviews of the newly crowned 2009 Champion and in his live television interview the media savvy Glew thanked all of his sponsors one by one and team Pyro for making it all possible.
Sunday 20th September
Race 2
Race 2 which was broadcast live on ITV-4 was a rare pleasure for Phil Glew who could now relax and enjoy the final race of the weekend, comfortable in the knowledge that he was the 2009 Champion and he had no pressure other than his hope to claim his 10th win of the season.
As the lights went out for the start of the 14-lap race it was Glew who made the better start followed by Tordoff and Buxton with the former champion finding a way passed Tordoff by the end of the first lap. Glew led the field comfortably until in true Clio Cup style the safety car was deployed on lap two due to a midfield incident.
Racing resumed on lap four with two extra laps added to the original total. Glew was faultless from the re-start and lead once more closely followed by Buxton and Tordoff.
As the race neared half distance, Glew was aware that he was being caught by front wheel drive ace Buxton and responded by setting the fastest lap on the 1.94-mile circuit with a time of 1m 30.670s.
With two thirds race distance complete Glew was now starting to edge away from Buxton who began to overdrive having a large moment and finding himself under increasing pressure from Tordoff.
Glew continued to push which he did until the final lap before crossing the line for his second win of the weekend and a hatrick of victories. Buxton hung on to finish second with Tordoff in third.
Glew jumped on to the top step of the podium with a large smile on his face, ecstatic in the knowledge that he was a deserving Champion and finishing off his perfect race weekend at Rockingham.
A jubilant Glew commenting on his weekend as the newly-crowned champion said:
"I’m absolutely delighted and want to say a massive thank you to my team, sponsors friends and family who have been amazing throughout this year. I’ve loved every minute of this season and I have to confess I had a tear in my eye on the in-lap in round 17! The Clio Cup is a fantastic championship and a proven breeding ground for future BTCC drivers, which is what I am aiming for next year."
Championship Points Table
| Position | Driver Name | Nationality | Team Name | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Glew | GBR | Team Pyro | 561 |
| 2 | Alex MacDowall | GBR | Total Control Racing | 445 |
| 3 | Andrew Herron | IRL | JHR Developments | 362 |
Phil would like to thank his sponsors WD-40, 3 in 1 Professional, DAS, STMC, MayConatin.com, Edge Sporting Events and Datapulse for their unfaltering support this season and he hopes that they have enjoyed all the highs of the 2009 season as much as he has.
Phil would also like to thank Team Pyro who have provided him with an outstanding car and the greatest amount of support a team could offer both on and off the track.
Phil is also extremely grateful to manager Eddie and his friends and family for their hard work and help throughout the season.
The final race weekend of the 2009 ELF Renault Clio Cup takes place at Brands Hatch GP circuit on 3rd & 4th October.
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