Shedden unveils 2016 BTCC racerposted in BTCC22 | 03 | 2016
FIFER GORDON SHEDDEN lifted the wraps from his new Halfords Yuasa Racing’s 2016 Honda Civic Type R at today's British Touring Car Championship media day at Donington.
Defending champ Shedden, bidding for his third BTCC title this year, will be joined in the team by three-time title-holder Matt Neal and new recruit Andy Neate.
“I’m feeling good and I’m feeling prepared,” Shedden, the 36-year-old from Auchterarder, said, “although there’s no doubt the competition will come thick and fast this year.
"We’ve had a lot to work through over the winter with the new RML components: it’s been a bit like starting again in that respect, but that’s part of the fun of developing a new car and everybody’s got the same box of bits to play with.
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“This season marks 10 years since I got my big break in the BTCC with Honda and Team Dynamics in a Halfords-sponsored Integra Type R, with Matt as the reigning champion and me the fresh-faced kid!
"It’s incredible to think that a partnership that was formed back in 2006 is still going so strong today – stronger than ever, in fact – and it’s nice to welcome Halfords back into the fold alongside our long-term partner Yuasa.
“This year represents a new challenge, and it is in just such situations that our collective strength as a team truly comes to the fore.
"If you were to name all the elements that constitute a successful team – from drivers to cars and mechanics to engineers – then I think you’d have to say we tick an awful lot of the boxes.”
The 2016 BTCC season gets underway with the opening triple-header at Brands Hatch on April 3, with its traditional victim to Knockhill on August 13/14.
Related: Knockhill invests £100,000 in new cars
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Jim McGill