Shedden wins BTCC title in thriller 02 | 10 | 2016
SCOT GORDON SHEDDEN won a dramatic third British Touring Car Championship when he crossed the line third in the final race of the season at Brands Hatch.
The 37-year-old from Auchterarder had entered the weekend 11 points behind the BMW of championship leader Sam Tordoff.
The Scot immediately cut the gap to six points by finishing fifth in the opener, with Tordoff a distant 10th. And after finishing third in the day’s second race, two places ahead of the BMW driver, the deficit was down to two points.
Shedden, determined to be the first Scot to win the title three times, started the final reverse grid race from fifth, two places behind Tordoff.
Midway through the 18-lap race, the Scot powered his Honda Civic passed Tordoff’s BMW to hold the advantage in the title race.
Related: Shedden fired-up for BTCC title charge
But there was more drama when a late safety car meant a final lap sprint to the chequered flag. Shedden crossed the line third, two places ahead of Tordoff.
“This is just unbelievable, unbelievable,” an ecstatic Shedden, who became the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi in 2007 and ’08, beamed today.
“I knew this was going to be a tough day, but it was tougher, and closer than I ever thought it could be. To win it on the final lap of last race of the season again is just brilliant.”
Shedden, who also won his second title 12 months ago in similar dramatic circumstances in the season finale, finished two points ahead of Tordoff.
And while former Knockhill race instructor Colin Turkington won the day’s opening two races in his Subaru, there were celebrations too for Dalkeith teenager Aiden Moffat.
The 19-year-old Scot delivered the best result of his BTCC career by bringing his Mercedes home second in the final race, just 1.016s behind the Ford of race winner Mat Jackson.
Related: Honda reveals Civic Type R Concept
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Jim McGill