Bishop Auckland’s Paul Donkin will reunite with the Champion SV Racing (SVR) team when the Renault UK Clio Cup – Britain’s premier one-make saloon car championship – takes to his home Croft Circuit as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) support package (27-28 June).
CEO of one of Donkin Group’s three subsidiary companies, DRS Facilities Management, which specialises in all forms of industrial roofing and cladding repairs, maintenance and modification, Donkin was a latecomer to motorsport, but hit the ground running in the Atom Cup UK in 2013, consistently finishing inside the top five and notching up numerous class victories.
Donkin had his front-wheel-drive baptism with SVR during the 2014 UK Clio Cup season finale on the world famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, but his performances didn’t give a fair and accurate representation of his ability as treacherous weather conditions stalled his progress.
As a result, the Bishop Auckland driver feels he has “unfinished business” and sees Croft as an opportunity to make an impression in the UK Clio Cup, which is widely regarded as a breeding ground for future touring car stars and the main feeder series to the BTCC.
“I’ve only really raced rear-wheel-drive cars before and my first attempt at the Clio Cup – in a front-wheel-drive car – at Brands Hatch didn’t go to plan. I feel I’ve got some unfinished business – I’ve always wanted to race in the Clio Cup – the cars are dynamite and it’s the best route into the BTCC. I want to do well at Croft, obviously, but the level of competition in the Clio Cup is at a whole new level to what I’m used to and any track knowledge I have will count for little, so we’ll just see how things unfold. Going back to SV Racing was an easy choice as they are such an accommodating bunch of people.”
SV Racing Director, Danny Buxton, said: “It’s fair to say that Paul’s first attempt at the Clio Cup – in fact his first experience of a front-wheel-drive racing car – in the pouring rain on the very demanding Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit with us last year was a real baptism of fire! But we are very happy to be working with him again – he is genuinely one of the nicest chaps I’ve ever met in motorsport with a real enthusiastic desire to go racing but also as someone who’s out to enjoy every moment he is on the track.”
For more information on SV Racing, please visit the www.svracing.co.ukwebsite, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @SV_Racing on Twitter andInstagram.