MAX COATES lies second in the Renault UK Clio Championship standings after claiming a pair of podium finishes in the most recent round of racing at Thruxton.

Scorton-based Coates has had mixed fortunes at Thruxton in the past, but while he was unable to hold on to the championship lead he claimed at Donington Park earlier this month, the Team Pyro racer was nevertheless satisfied with his performances at the weekend.

A strong qualifying display saw Coates claim pole position for round five of the championship, and a flying start enabled him to claim the lead on the opening lap.

He was passed by his team-mate, Daniel Rowbottom, and James Dorlin shortly after, and the trio battled all the way to the chequered flag.

Coates claimed second spot briefly, only to lose it after a minor mistake, but the North Yorkshire driver swooped again to claim a second-place finish as he burst past Rowbottom on the exit from the final corner of the race.

The second race of the day saw Coates’ Bennett Renault car start in third position, and he remained in the same place for the entirety of the action.

He applied significant pressure to Paul Rivett throughout, but the pair were unable to mount a sustained attack on race winner Dorlin, who has moved two points ahead of Coates in the championship rankings.

Coates said: “This weekend has been a significant one. The Thruxton round has been a bit of a disaster the previous two years, so to put it on pole position and then take two podium positions is a massive achievement for me and underlines our potential for the remainder of the season.

“I really enjoyed race one in particular, the battle between the three at the front was hard, close and clean - perfect Clio Cup racing.”

The Clio Cup resumes with the next two rounds staged at Oulton Park on June 9-10, and will visit Croft Circuit as part of the British Touring Car Championship weekend on June 23-24.