Champ Shedden bags Knockhill podium 13 | 08 | 2017
SCOT GORDON SHEDDEN completed his damage limitation approach to the annual British Touring Car Championship triple-header at Knockhill by bagging a podium in today’s final race.
The 38-year-old from Auchterarder entered the weekend taking a two-point lead to the Fife circuit. But on a track which famously benefits the rear-wheel drive cars, Shedden’s front-wheel drive Honda Civic struggled for out-and-out race pace.
As expected, it was the rear-wheel drive Subarus and BMWs which dominated.
Jason Plato took the 96th BTCC win of his career, winning the opener just ahead of his Subaru team-mate Ash Sutton. In Race 2, the roles were reversed, with Sutton claiming his fifth win of the season ahead of the double champ.
In both the opening races, it was the BMWs of Colin Turkington and Rob Collard which finished third and fourth respectively.
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Shedden meanwhile, who carried the maximum 75kg success ballast through qualifying and today’s opening race, had to content himself with 11th in Race 1. That was followed by sixth in Race 2.
Starting from fifth on the reverse grid for the day’s finale, three-time champ Shedden powered his way into second, then was forced to fend off the late challenge of the two BMWs.
“We knew this weekend was going to be tough, because Knockhill has always favoured the rear-wheel drive cars,” Shedden, who now heads to Rockingham in a fortnight trailing Turkington by 12 points, said afterwards. “So this weekend was all about damage limitation.
“Getting a podium in the final race was the best we could really do, because we were just outpaced all weekend.
“But we’re still in a really strong position to take advantage of the tracks over the closing weekends. They suit our car better than some of our main rivals, and we’re still in the battle for the title.”
And while Tom Ingram won the day’s final race in his Toyota, ahead of Shedden, it was former Knockhill race instructor Turkington who was the most consistent all day, finishing third in all three races.
The BMW driver now leads the title race by four points from Sutton, with Shedden a further eight points adrift.
Fifer Rory Butcher, making his BTCC debut, delivered an impressive weekend. The 30-year-old from Kirkcaldy, driving his Motorbase-prepared Ford Focus, eased himself into the championship in the first race, before finishing ninth in both the final two races.
“I got worked-over a bit in the opening race,” Butcher admitted, “but I got my elbows out for the second two races. It’s a pity the car suffered a bit of damage in the final race, otherwise a top-five was on the cards. But I’ve learned a huge amount, and I now know what to expect at Rockingham.”
Drivers’ Standings:
1. Colin Turkington, 265
2. Ashley Sutton, 261
3. Gordon Shedden, 253
4. Rob Collard, 248
5. Tom Ingram, 204
6. Matt Neal, 172
Manufacturers’ Standings:
1. BMW, 589 points
2. Honda, 513
3. Subaru, 511
4. Vauxhall, 389
5. MG, 243
Teams’ Standings:
1. Team BMW, 501 points
2. Halfords Yuasa Racing, 420
3. Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, 363
4. Speedworks Motorsport, 202
5. Eurotech Racing, 161
6. Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo, 160
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Jim McGill
Photos: Jakob Ebrey