Kent’s Mike Bushell is the 2014 Courier Connections Renault UK Clio Cup champion after a dramatic final round of the season at Brands Hatch.

Finishing in third place, his ninth podium of the year, and also taking two bonus points with the new lap record for the Kent venue’s GP layout, the Tunbridge Wells driver certainly ended the campaign on a high but the destiny of the title had already been sealed on lap three when SV Racing with KX driver Josh Cook crashed out at Paddock Hill Bend while trying to take the lead from Paul Rivett.

Knowing he had to win the race to stand any realistic chance of usurping Bushell for the coveted title, Cook made a point of adopting an attacking approach from the outset but his late move on the brakes only resulted in his Clio spinning out into the gravel on the outside of the right-hander.

Bushell was fortunate to avoid problems himself when exiting the first corner on lap one, luckily managing to just avoid T-boning the stricken Clio of James Colburn who was pitched into a spin when battling with Cook over the early lead. Slipping back to eighth place after standing on the brakes, Bushell battled back superbly to finish on the podium and take his first ever motor racing championship.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet”, said Bushell, who wins a loaned Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC roadcar courtesy of Renault UK and a Renault 5 GT Turbo supplied by series sponsor Courier Connections in acknowledgment of Renaultsport UK’s 40th anniversary, “At the start of the race my clutch actually went off the line, I just got going and then I stopped from going into [James] Colburn when he spun.

“I got going, I was in eighth, then I got up into sixth and then saw him [Cook] go off! I thought ‘that’s it’, so then I just wanted to be on the podium and be as fast as I could. I’ll go out and celebrate tonight but I’ve got 10 MOTs to do in the morning at work – back to reality tomorrow!”

During the penultimate round on Saturday, 11th October, Bushell finished fifth on the road after some robust action but was later credited with fourth place when Cook’s team-mate Ash Hand was penalised for contact with Rivett.
Provisional 2014 Courier Connections Renault UK Clio Cup standings (minus drop scores):

CHAMPION: Mike Bushell, 415pts; 2nd Josh Cook, 372pts; 3rd Jordan Stilp, 351pts