FLYING FIFER Gordon Shedden was left cursing after he was denied pole position for tomorrow's opening round of the British Touring Car Championship triple-header at Knockhill when his final flying lap was wrecked by a novice.
While two other Scots took pole positions for races at the circuit, Shedden was left fuming. The 31-year-old from Dalgety Bay, who had looked unbeatable after topping the two morning practice sessions in his Team Honda Civic, had his fast lap ruined by BTCC debutant Jeff Smith an his Vauxhall Vectra.
"I honestly don't know what he was doing, but he certainly wasn't looking in his mirrors," Shedden, who eventually had to content himself with second on the grid after clocking 53.073secs on the 1.3-mile circuit, fumed afterwards.
"We know we have a quick car here this weekend and if I can get a lead, I know I won't be caught."
"I honestly don't know what he was doing, but he certainly wasn't looking in his mirrors," Shedden, who eventually had to content himself with second on the grid after clocking 53.073secs on the 1.3-mile circuit, fumed afterwards.
"The delay wrecked my chance of pole position, which was definitely achievable, but it’s the guy’s debut at BTCC level so you can’t crucify him. But if he does that again, I definitely will.”
Teenager bagged second pole position
Just to rub salt into the Scot's wound, he saw his time overtaken by 19-year-old Alex MacDowall. The Carlisle teenager bagged his second pole position of the season by just 0.072s and the Chevrolet driver is ready for the battle with Shedden.
“To beat Gordon on his home circuit is pretty special but I’m wary it’s only half the battle won," MacDowall admitted. "He's a lightning fast starter and the last time I was on pole at Snetterton my gear lever broke 10 yards after the start. Hopefully that won't happen tomorrow.” Shedden though is up for the fight.
"It's crucial I get the fast start I want and lead Alex into the first corner," the Knockhill business development manager and part-time race instructor at the circuit, explained. "We know we have a quick car here this weekend and if I can get a lead, I know I won't be caught."
The Fifer, whose Honda is carrying 18kg of ballast, lines up ahead of his main championship rivals, Honda team-mate Matt Neal and Chevrolet's Jason Plato who start third and fourth respectively.
"It would be great to win the first race"
And Shedden, fourth in the championship, 10 points behind Neal in third and 33 adrift of championship leader Plato, knows he needs a good points haul today if he's to go to the final two rounds at Donington and Brands Hatch with any hope of becoming the first Scot to lift the championship since John Cleland in 1995.
"Big points is what I'm after tomorrow," Shedden continued. "Yes it would be great to win at least the first race, but I'm not going to risk that if damages the car for the other two races. I'll be more than happy to finish ahead of Matt and Jason, ideally with three podiums, and close the gap to the guys in the championship race."
But while there was frustration for Shedden, there was delight for a posse of other Scots who relished driving on their home track in front of a substantial crowd who turned out for qualifying, and will exceed 20,000 for today's races.
Newsham, Adam, Geddie and Butcher shine
While Golspie's Lewis Williamson endured a torrid time in the British Formula Renault Championship, managing only 10th, fellow Highlander Dave Newsham starts on pole as he bids to clinch the highly competitive Renault Clio Cup.
The Inverness driver — who has won 10 of the 14 rounds so far this season — bagged his 13th pole position in 15 with a best time of 57.371s, 0.287s ahead of Lee Pattison who he leads by a whopping 114 points in the championship.
And there was more good news for former BTCC racer Jonathan Adam. The Kirkcaldy racer, making a guest appearance in the Ginetta G50 Cup, stormed to pole position with a time of 52.931s, 0.138 ahead of Nigel Moore. But despite posting the fastest lap in the race with a 53.215, an error slipped him from first to eighth as the experienced Moore held on to win.
There were impressive performances from the two leading Scots in the Porsche Carrera Cup. While Aberdeen's established Porsche racer Glynn Geddie qualified fourth, immediately behind defending champion Tim Harvey, 23-year-old Rory Butcher again displayed his natural talent. Butcher, the son of Knockhill owner Derek, qualified eighth — just 0.407s off the pole time of Michael Caine — in his one-off drive in the championship piloting one of the Celtic Racing Porsches run by Aberdonian Tommy Dreelan.
"Yeh, I'm chuffed with that," the Dunfermline racer, who scored two fifth places when he last drove in the Porsche series at Knockhill two years ago, admitted. "My car's a 2006 model and about 20bhp down on the new cars, so I'm well pleased to be in the top 10."
Jim McGill