The last race of the year was to be the first night race in Britain for many years. Not only was it dark it was wet!

Of the three Mardi Gras entries the Mc Enerny's went out early after qualifying 11^th, a sound 2^nd in class. Richard Miens and Des Smail were to finish 12^th after suffering clutch problems. John George and Julian Griffin finished 7^th overall and 2^nd in class to win Class 3 in the Championship.

Paul Hetherington again attended the Macau GP to engineer Paul Poon.

After their class win in the Donnington night race, John George and Ed Pead were unlucky not to win their class at Brands Hatch. They had taken the class lead after the pitstops and were looking good for a victory when they were knocked into a spin at Clearways, a few laps from the end. The necessary pit stop to sort the accident damage, dropped them to third in class but promoted Michael and Sean McInerney to second in class with another steady drive.

Simon Harrison shared the BMW with Richard Miens and the car was leading its class and second overall, when a loose relay dictated an early pit stop. A spirited fight back up the order was cut short on the hour with an engine problem.

Mardi Gras ran three cars in the EERC race at Thruxton on Saturday. The most successful was the Integra driven by Michael and Sean McInerney which finished 14^th and 2^nd in class. This was despite a couple of unscheduled stops for tyre drama's.

Richard Meins was the sole driver in his E46 BMW. The car was a lot faster for this race, following some engine work in Germany. Richard was challenging for a podium position when he pitted after the first hour. Unfortunately a wheel stud broke when changing the left front wheel. As the other studs appeared to be stretched, the car was withdrawn on safety grounds.

John George and Ed Pead campaigned the red Integra which was challenging for class honours after the pit stop. This time the crankshaft oil seal blew flooding the clutch and cutting Ed's stint short.

The season ended for the Clio's at Oulton Park with Ed Pead holding on to second place in the championship. It wasn't easy however as the dry to wet conditions in qualifying mean't that Ed qualified in 13^th place, his lowest qualifying position of the year. He however rose to 6^th by the end of the race to secure the 2^nd place.

John George was also caught out by the conditions in qualifying managing only 18^th. After an incident on the first lap he dropped to the back of the field but rose to 16^th by the flag. John finished 13^th in the championship.

Mardi Gras finished 3^rd in the team championship.

Ed Pead lost his championship lead and saw his title hopes shattered after a disasterous weekend at Donington Park. Ed failed to finish the first of the weekends races and was then disqualified from Round 17. Those results meant that TCR's Jonathan Fildes was crowned 2003 Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup champion - a remarkable achievement given that it is his maiden season in a Clio and driving on UK circuits for the first time!

Problems started in qualifying where Ed had difficulty getting a clear lap, ending up 9^th and 6^th for the two races. The mid field start was his undoing in the first race where he was caught up in the first lap shenanigans and went no further. In round 17 he finished a 5th, one place ahead of a recovering Fildes but it was to no avail when the stewards disqualified Ed for a move on Martin Brackenbury on the first lap.

John George continued his improved form with a strong 8th in Round 16 despite a body work problem for the last three laps. A promising drive in Round 17 was spoilt by an "off", which relegated him to the back of the field. He however recovered to 12th by the end.

When the dust settled on the carnage at Brands Hatch the two Mardi Gras Drivers emerged unscathed with excellent results. Ed Pead increased his Championship lead to 17 points and John George's 6^th was his best result in the Clio Championship.

The first race start was blighted by cold rear tyres. With only a short warm up lap, Ed Pead, starting from 5^th on the grid, had a vicious "tank slapper" on the run from Druids to Graham Hill bend using more grass than tarmac to get the car straight. Trouble was that others were having the same problem and it ended in tears after the bend with a multiple pile up. Series returnee Paul Rivett sustaining the most damage. After the restart Ed quickly moved to second but after a moment at Paddock lost touch with Eion Murray and had to settle for the 2^nd place. Title rival Jonathan Fildes was less lucky after an off at Druids on the restart and had to fight his way back through the field.

John George avoided the scrapping at each start an emerged on the second lap in a strong 5^th place. John's consistent race pace held off the strong challenges and it was only a minor mistake at Paddock that allowed Oli Wilkinson through.

Renault UK has confirmed the current Clio Renaultsport 172 Cup model will continue to run in the championship for the next two seasons before being replaced by a brand new Clio Cup car in 2006.

The official announcement means teams will be able to budget for the next two seasons in the firm knowledge they will not need to invest in new cars giving the series good stability. It also means each equipe can prepare well in advance for the arrival of the new car in 2006.

Renault UK's Director of Press & PR Tim Jackson commented: "It's very good news for all involved with the ELF Clio Renaultsport UK Cup confirming our continued support of British Motorsport. Over the past four seasons we've established the Clio Cup as the very best one-make saloon car championship with professional technical support and management. We intend the series to stay that way and this announcement will enable us to build for the future."

ELF Clio Renaultsport UK Cup Championship Manager Simon North said: "This announcement means that our teams will be able to concentrate on their current cars for another two years without any uncertainty and will then be able to prepare in plenty of time for the new model when it arrives for the beginning of the 2006 season."

Paul Hetherington, team owner of leading Clio Cup outfit Mardi Gras Motorsport, commented: "To know we have the current car for two more years is good news for us as it keeps things stable and means we have a good investment. We're delighted to hear there will definitely be a brand new Clio Cup in 2006 and it's good having a firm date to work towards for the arrival of the new car."

The ELF Clio Renaultsport UK Cup offers racing at almost equal speed to that of the Production Class in the British Touring Car Championship and is therefore the ideal proving ground for drivers aiming to forge a career in saloon cars and progress to the BTCC. The 2001 ELF Clio Renaultsport UK Cup Champion Danny Buxton (Hartford), who is now a fully-fledged BTCC driver after signing a deal with Vic Lee's Team Halfords outfit, is keen to point out that the Clio Cup is the number one place to be for aspiring touring car drivers.

The Clio Cup championship has quite literally been instrumental in getting me my drive in the British Touring Car Championship", said Danny, "Any budding touring car drivers out there that have aspirations to one day be a part of the BTCC should look no further than the Clio Cup.

"It's the best one-make championship in the country and while other manufacturers may come and go from UK motorsport Renault is fully committed to being there for the long haul which is fantastic for the continuity and development of the Clio Cup series. This championship has made my career and if anyone else has aspirations that match my own then the Clio Cup is unquestionably the place for them."

With Daniel Buxton concentrating on his Touring Car duties, Ed Pead left Snetterton leading the Championship by 1 point. After qualifying 6^th for both Rounds, hampered by oil being laid late in the session before going for a time, Ed finished 3^rd in Round 11.

Round 12 was a different matter. After taking advantage and moving to 3^rd when Eoin Murray had an off, Ed set about Fildes and Wilkinson. With great determination he picked both off to make it a third win out of four races at Snetterton this year and taking the lead in the Championship.

John George had his best meeting of the year fighting hard in both races. He finished 8^th in the first race and 11^th in the second after qualifying 16^th in both races.

Mardi Gras ran two cars at Snetterton and helped with the Ian Mitchell / Richard Meins car. Richard did not use his own car as it is awaiting some engine parts.

Michael and Sean McInerney stared in their Honda Integra. A well paced, consistent performance netted them 6^th overall and a class win.

The John George Phil Bennett finished 14^th and 4^th in class. John George was close to heat exhaustion at the end after driving for over half of the race.

Ed Pead came away from Donnington in third place in the Championship, one point behind Jonathan Fildes. After qualifying fourth for both races, Ed finished 7^th on Saturday and 3^rd on Sunday.

Ed made a fantastic start in round 11, moving up a place before the first corner. Further round the lap, former champion Buxton tried an optimistic move on race leader Murray at the Old Hairpin and went off the track. This unsettled Murray and Pead didn’t need asking twice as he seized the opportunity to take the lead in his Mardi Gras Motorsport car. It all went wrong at the next corner though as he went off into the gravel "I’m not sure if I got a tap from behind, but I had lots of understeer through McLeans and the back end just got away from me." He demonstrated superb car control by negotiating his way back onto the track, and then put in an excellent recovery drive which ended with him snatching 7^th place from Johnson on the last lap.

The Sunday race was processional and Ed was left to defend a steady 3rd after the early laps spread the field out.

John George had one of his best performances of the year. After qualifying 12^th and 13^th for the two races, John finished 13^th on Saturday and 16^th on Sunday. Sunday was a disappointment as he was running strongly in the top ten when a visit to the gravel trap at Coppice relegated him down the field.

Ed Pead was lucky to come away from Croft with a 4^th place after a bruising battle in the Mardi Gras Clio. Ed clashed with championship leader Daniel Buxton on at least two occassions. On two consecutive laps he was forced through the gravel trap at Clervaux. By keeping his foot in on each occasion he survived and minimised his loss of position. Unfortunately this allowed Jonathan Fildes to get away to another win, and close on Ed's second place in the Championship.

John George was having his moments further down the field clashing with series newcomer Jason Porter on the closing laps. John was to finish 10^th after qualifying 16^th.

Mardi Gras had mixed results with their three entries in the Willhire. Again our faithful red Integra lasted the distance, finishing 3^rd overall and first in class.

The race was not trouble free however for the drivers, John George/Phil Bennett/Ed Pead. As the first leg finished, a rear suspension damper broke and the mechanics had to work hard between the two parts of the race to fashion a replacement. With no spares available an incompatible unit was requisitioned from the Wells car and, with the help of an angle grinder, a replace a damper unit, of a different length, made to fit! With no time for fancy set up, the car joined the second race after the first lap and, with full credit to the drivers, worked its way through the field from last to 3^rd.

For his efforts Phil Bennett won the driver of the day award. This was in a car which raced for four and a half hours a couple of inches lower on the near side at the rear!

The Kevan Wells/Stuart Wells/David Mason car expired in the second hour when an oil line failure caused a flash fireball as the car passed the pits, singeing pit signallers eyebrows as it passed!



The Richand Meins/Des Smail/Simon Harrison BMW E36 developed a clutch problem in qualifying and did not make the start of the race.

In Round 8 on the Saturday, Ed Pead was 3^rd and John George 14^th, in the Mardi Gras Clio's. Ed and Jonathan Fildes were close for 3^rd and 4^th but 7 seconds adrift of eventual winner Daniel Buxton.

Ed Pead was 4^th in Round 9, on the Sunday, after another race long dice with Jonathan Fildes. John George finished 13^th.

Ed Pead maintained his title challenge at Silverstone with a 3^rd and 5^th in the two races at Silverstone. John George was 16^th and 12^th.

The Richard Meins and Des Smail BMW M3 finished 5^th (4^th in class) and 9^th (4^th in class) in the two races at Pembrey

In the 4^th Clio Round on Sunday, Ed Pead finished 3^rd after a dice with Mark Davies. John George was to retire on the ninth lap, when in 13^th place, with an engine problem.

In the 5^th Round on the Monday Ed Pead was to finish 4^th. It took him the first two laps to pass Oli Wilkinson but by this time the first three were out of reach. Mark Davies was to feature heavily again giving Ed a race long dice for 4^th.

John George was to rise to 10^th by the seventh lap before an incident dropped him back to 15^th where he was to finish.

The old Honda Integra of John George and Phil Bennett finished 6^th overall and 1^st in class.

The latest type Integra's of Michael and Sean McInerney finished 8^th overall and 2^nd in class.

Kevan Wells and his son were classed as non-finisher after gearbox problems hit mid race.





It was the first outing for Richard Meins and Des Smail in the new BMW M3 E36 which finished 9^th overall and 2^nd in class.

Ed Pead, after qualifying 4^th, dropped to 6^th at the start but by the end of the second lap he was back up to 4^th following a clever maneuver at Druids. He was by now two seconds down on 3^rd place Charlie Butler Henderson. It took Ed until lap 16 to wind in the difference and take Charlie for the 3^rd place, the position he was to hold until the flag.

Ed now leads Daniel Buxton in the championship by 13 points.

John George qualified 13^th and finished 14^th. John had a dice with Julian Griffin, Paul Maguire and Ian Curley which was the highlight of the race. John manage to get ahead of Julian but, try as he might, he could not get past the other two despite trying for most of the race.

The Honda Integra Rs of Michael and Sean McInerney and Kevan Wells finished 5^th and 6^th in the 2 hour Endurance race at Brands.

Mardi Gras's third Integra, driven by Robert Huff and John George, expired on the hour with a blown engine while well placed.

In a terrific start for Mardi Gras, Ed Pead won the first two rounds of the Clio Championship After qualifying 2^nd and 4^th for the two races. John George in the second Mardi Gras Clio finished 11^th and 14^th.

In preparation for the first meeting at Snetterton on 19/20 April 2003 the Clio's tested at Donnington on 23 March 2003 where Ed Pead was 4^th and John George was 7^th. At Rockingham on 2 April 2003, Ed Pead was 5^th and John George 17^th.

In the first round of the European Endurance Racing Championship (EERC), a 2 hour race at Silverstone, Mardi Gras ran only two Honda Integra's after a third, to be driven by Kevan Wells, was damage in testing on Friday.

The Phil Bennett and John George car finished 6^th overall, 1^st in class and the father and son team of Michael and Sean McInerney finished 8^th overall, 2^nd in class.

Front-running ELF Clio Renaultsport UK Cup team Mardi Gras Motorsport today (13^th February 2003)confirmed it will run a minimum of two cars in the 2003 championship. The Silverstone-based outfit, which finished sixth overall in the 2002 Entrants Championship, has announced two drivers for this year's campaign but may also consider boosting its line-up to a three-car attack before the new season gets underway.

Ed Pead (Beckenham, Kent), who finished a very creditable sixth in the driver's championship last year during his Clio Cup debut, will lead the team and the 25-year old will race alongside Cornish businessman John George. George returns for his third season in the category with Mardi Gras and the 41-year old will be hoping to make an impact on the top 10. Pead, meanwhile, aims to build on a successful 2002 with Bintcliffe Sport Racing (now Xcel Motorsport) where the highlight was a brace of fourth place finishes at Oulton Park and Thruxton.

Commenting on his signings, Mardi Gras Motorsport team manager Paul Hetherington said: "I'm very pleased to reveal that Ed and John have signed to contest the 2003 Clio Cup with us. I'm thrilled that Ed has opted to join Mardi Gras as he undoubtedly proved his worth in the championship last year. "It's good that John will be running with us for a third season and I'm sure we'll be competitive from the off. There is also a chance we may run three cars but that's by no means confirmed at this stage."

Ed Pead said: "I'm absolutely delighted to have signed this deal with Mardi Gras Motorsport and I'm confident that we'll be able to achieve some strong results. The team did a great job with Danny Buxton last year so I'm sure it will be a good season."

John George, meanwhile, is hoping to build on the 2002 Winter Championship where he achieved a best ever Clio Cup placing of fourth at Donington Park. He commented: "The Winter Championship went well for me and I'm hoping that I can build on the last couple of years by consistently finishing in the top 15 and maybe even the top 10."