Starter in Le Mans makes car go through clutches (8)
I believe the answer is:
escargot
'starter in le mans' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'makes car go through clutches' is the wordplay.
'clutches' says the answer is hidden in the clue (I've seen 'clutching' mean this).
'ESCARGOT' is hidden within 'makes car go through'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for escargot that I've seen before include "Cart goes carrying edible French snail" , "An edible snail from France" , "Got scare from edible French snail" , "national delicacy" , "Hardly fast food" .)