A RACING rookie from Melksham has completed a successful debut season in motorsport.
Jake Honour has just finished his first year as a racing driver having competed in the Michelin Clio Cup Series throughout 2013. He ended the season with one overall class win, at Rockingham in August along with a ‘Driver of the Meeting’ award, back in May at Snetterton.
Jake had previously only taken part in track-days and went into the Clio Cup Series 2013 as a complete novice. He made the step into racing after receiving tuition at Oulton Park and Snetterton from 2012 UK Clio Cup champion and current BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) driver, Jack Goff.
The car Jake races in is an ex-road going Clio Renaultsport 197. The car was transformed especially for the series by him, using a ‘road-to-race’ conversion kit put together by Renault UK and series organisers Grovewood Sport.
Jake said, “ Overall I had a very successful debut season as a novice. At the first race weekend at Snetterton in May I obtained the award for ‘Driver of the Event’ which was a big confidence booster. My most successful race was at Rockingham in August, where I finished a solid 2nd place, resulting in a ‘class win’! As the season progressed, so did I, getting closer and closer to the much more experienced drivers and also leading the Rockingham and Brands Hatch races.
“After such a solid and promising year I am very much looking forward to 2014, when the Clio Cup Series becomes a fully fledged championship and also extends to 12 rounds. I am looking to do well next year, and compete once more in my Clio Renaultsport 197 ex-road car with testing beginning in March, along with some official Renault test days.”
In the 2014 season there are due to be 12 rounds. The races will be between four and six weeks apart, with races taking place at circuits such as Snetterton, Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Rockingham, Croft and Donnington Park.
