Renault Aftersales Racing drivers, Ed Pead completed the second round of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup yesterday afternoon by finishing in sixth place at the end of a bruising championship race.

The results of Saturday's qualifying races meant that lead driver Pead lined up on the fifth row of the grid for Sunday's 16-lap race.

Pead, carrying Ixell, Ixtar, Rapide Bodycare, RAMB, Renaultp@rts, Motrio and Renault Trade Partner logos on his car, was particularly keen to impress in the championship race after having his qualifying race win taken away from him by meeting officials 24 hours earlier.

As the lights turned to green in front of a crowd of 40,000 spectators, the 29-year-old quickly fought his way up to sixth place at the end of the opening lap before numerous accidents further down the field prompted the safety car to be deployed so that the track marshals could clean up the debris.

When the race restarted, Pead quickly got back in to his stride and settled in to a neat and tidy rhythm that he hoped would enable him to at least pass another couple of his rivals and possibly attack for a podium place.

However, with the meeting timetable running late, officials waved the chequered flag with only nine laps completed in a bid to claw back some time and make sure that the meeting-closing British Touring Car Championship race started on time.

Pead was therefore forced to settle for sixth place. But it was a result that guaranteed he remained at the top of the 2007 ELF Renault Clio Cup standings.

"It's been a pretty stressful weekend with everything that's happened, but if you'd have told me that I would leave Rockingham still leading the championship, I would definitely have taken that," Pead said. "I've never had a particularly good feeling for the track so sixth place - amongst all the carnage on the first lap - is a positive result for me."

With the one-make championship set to move to Thruxton circuit in Hampshire in a couple of weeks, Pead is already focused on extending his series lead at the airfield track - one of his favourite UK circuits.

"The next three tracks are my definite favourites so I'm going to be lighting the blue touch paper at those and going all out to come away with a significant lead in the championship," he added.

RESULTS

1. Stefan Hodgetts (Momo UK)    9 laps @ 14m 17.28s
2. Ben Winrow (Total Control Racing)  +1.58s
3. Chris Dymond (Robertshaw Racing)   +4.14s
4. Robert Lawson (JHR Developments)   +8.20s
5. Martin Byford (Z Speed Racing)   +8.87s
6. Ed Pead (Renault Aftersales Racing) +9.18s
7. Mark Speller (Full Speed Racing)  +10.22s
8. Andrew Bentley (Double Six Racing)   +13.16s

Be sure to check out the extended selection of photos from this meeting in the Photo Gallery.

.