• Rob survives scare to take third

Rob Huff displayed the crucial characteristics of a top racing driver to fight his way through for a podium finish in round two of the Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup.

Razor-sharp thinking, plus a cool head in a crisis were allied to his tactical skills and driving ability at high speed when he hit trouble at 100mph. "That's not an unusual speed in this business," said the Cambridge racer, "but I was going backwards at the time, with the clutch embedded in the floor of the car.

"The Clio tyres take a few laps to warm up and supply grip, and that makes corners such as Cascades, a 160 degree left hander with an adverse camber, a bit tricky early in the race.

"I went into a spin, and to bring the car around I had to slam my foot hard down on the clutch. But it went through the bottom of the car and stuck there sending the rev counter screaming to 8,000, giving me no gears.

"Somehow I managed to get a foot under it and prise it back up to get control again, otherwise that would have been that for the race."

Problems in qualifying which had to be held up and restricted due to the number of crashes cut down the 22-year-old Cambridge driver's laps and left him in seventh position on the grid.

But he quickly hustled past a couple of cars and was involved in a cut-and-thrust duel with Martin Byford in which he was better on the brakes in the bends, but outpaced when it came to top end power.

After the scare at Cascades though, he quickly recovered to cut through from fifth to third in the 32 car field: "I had a bit of a battle with Eoin Murray, who briefly got past me," he said, "but I wasn't going to miss out on third for the team (Tim Sugden Motorsport).

"And I gave reigning champion Daniel Buxton something to think about when he tried to go around the outside of me at his favourite track.

"I did to him what he's done to others before now, kept him on the grass. I think I ruffled a few feathers in the race, but they know now that I mean business".

Fifth in the series opener at Brands Hatch he is now fourth overall in the competition, with the next round at the high-speed circuit he relishes. Thruxton on Bank Holiday Monday (May 6).