Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R drivers Shedden and Neal are both in line to take the title in the final 3 rounds at Brands hatch.

• Honda chasing three BTCC crowns as season finale speeds into view
• Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal firmly in the hunt for Drivers’ honours
• Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R tipped to shine at Brands Hatch

Halfords Yuasa Racing duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal are ready to ‘throw caution to the wind’ in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season finale at Brands Hatch next weekend (1/2 October), as an unprecedented eight drivers get set to go wheel-to-wheel for the most coveted crown in UK motor sport.

Unpredictability has always been one of the BTCC’s hallmarks, and that has never been more the case than this year, with a record number of different race-winners and eight competitors still in contention to lift the laurels heading into the last three outings.

Shedden and Neal sit respectively second and third in the Drivers’ standings, 11 and 13 points adrift of championship leader Sam Tordoff, with the initiative having ebbed-and-flowed throughout an enthralling campaign.

Brands Hatch’s legendary GP circuit – home to Formula 1’s British Grand Prix on 12 occasions between 1964 and 1986 – has been a happy hunting ground for Honda in seasons past, with Shedden clinching his second BTCC title there in dramatic style last year.

Both the Scot and evergreen team-mate Neal – who passed the 600 start mark in Britain’s premier motor sport series at Silverstone last weekend – are palpably fired-up for the fight, with Honda and Halfords Yuasa Racing similarly in the thick of the battle for Manufacturers’ and Teams’ honours.

Gordon Shedden:

“Brands Hatch GP is an awesome venue for a title showdown. I’ve had some great results there in the past, and hopefully the positive memories of last year will spur me on. It’s going to be an interesting weekend, that’s for sure. Usually when you get to this stage of proceedings, you’d realistically say there are two or three drivers who could be champion but this year there are twice as many – at least! 

That means nobody can afford to sit back and just collect points – everybody has to be pushing flat-out, and it’s going to require an absolutely stellar weekend to get the job done. It could even come down to the luck of the reversed grid draw for race three... 

What seems certain is that it will go all the way to the last race – and perhaps even the last lap of the last race! I remember back in 2012 when I first went into a BTCC title-decider, no matter how much you say you’re feeling chilled and relaxed and have it all under control, the pressure of the situation still has an effect and you instinctively tighten up a bit so hopefully the experience Matt and I have will play in our favour and we also know we will support each other should the need arise. 

Ultimately – and regardless of personal aspirations – the goal is to get a Civic Type R over the finish line first.”

Matt Neal:

“It would have been crazy to think back at the start of the year that eight drivers would be going to Brands Hatch still in with a shout of the title. That proves how ultra-competitive and incredibly close the BTCC is at the moment – you simply can’t afford to have a bad weekend, especially now we’ve got to the business end of the season. 

We’ve had a bit of ill-fortune befall us at certain key stages that has cost us ground, but both of us go to Brands well in the hunt and prepared to throw caution to the wind and as a team, I don’t think anybody in the paddock works together better than ‘Flash’ and I do. 

Sam [Tordoff] seems to have been looking over his shoulder a bit lately, but in truth the pressure will be on all of us. Anything can happen from unpredictable weather to end-of-term madness, and just one slip-up could spell the end of your championship bid. 

The GP layout should suit the Civic Type R with its excellent high-speed corner stability – it’s old-school, unspoilt by health and safety warriors and calls for a lot of commitment – but then equally, it will probably suit the other cars too, so it’ll definitely be game on. May the best man win!”

Drivers’ Standings

1. Sam Tordoff 278 points

2. Gordon Shedden 267 points

3. Matt Neal 265 points

4. Rob Collard 261 points

5. Mat Jackson 257 points

6. Andrew Jordan 247 points

Manufacturers’ Standings

1. West Surrey Racing 722 points

2. Honda / Team Dynamics 688 points

3. Subaru / Team BMR 629 points

4. MG / Triple Eight 507 points

Teams’ Standings

1. Team JCT600 with GardX 529 points

2. Halfords Yuasa Racing 517 points

3. Motorbase Performance 496 points

4. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 451 points

5. MG Racing RCIB Insurance 288 points

6. Speedworks Motorsport 203 points

With the BTCC heading to the last three races it is all for the taking with EIGHT drivers in contention to take the title.

Sam Tordoff holds standings advantage after Silverstone action

A thrilling win for reigning champion Gordon Shedden rounded out the action at Silverstone on Sunday (18 September), setting up an incredible eight-driver showdown for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

An unprecedented number of drivers will challenge for the title on finals day at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time, with Team JCT600 with GardX’s Sam Tordoff currently holding the advantage by 11 points.

The drama at Silverstone commenced in typically frenetic fashion with Tom Ingram claiming the opener, following a post-race exclusion for Ash Sutton and Josh Cook due to a technical infringement.

Both MG Racing RCIB Insurance drivers had to fight back from minor setbacks off the line, with Sutton losing P1 to Ingram and Cook being demoted down to fourth by Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Racing Ford Focus.

Slight contact between Cook and Jordan followed on lap four and the MG6 was back through into third.

Sutton was by Ingram for the lead at the start of lap eight and Cook was soon joining them in the scrap. Cook got into Ingram’s Toyota at Maggotts four tours later and despite a valiant effort from the Speedworks man, it was the MG pairing that assumed control for the remainder of the race.

Post-race, however, both MGs were excluded from the result due to their rear wings being outside of the permitted tolerance. This handed victory to Ingram, although MG Racing RCIB Insurance has appealed the Cook decision, which will be heard at a later date. Subsequently, Jordan and Handy Motorsport’s Rob Austin inherited the remaining podium positions.

Motorbase Performance driver Jordan kept his championship chances alive with victory in race two, after fending off the attentions of Adam Morgan and Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram.

The 2013 champion started on the front row and initially hounded Ingram’s Toyota Avensis, before storming down the inside going into Becketts on lap seven.

Morgan’s WIX Racing Mercedes nipped into second as Ingram’s pace faded, but he wasn’t able to trouble Jordan’s Pirtek-backed Ford for the win.

West Surrey Racing’s Rob Collard blasted his BMW 125i M Sport into the lead off the line in the final race, as his rear-wheel drive machine launched past Shedden’s Honda Civic Type R on the run down to turn one.

Shedden would not be denied, however, as the Halfords Yuasa Racing man produced a stunning move on the second lap. As Collard braked into Maggotts, Shedden stormed around the outside and back into the lead. He went on to extend his advantage and claim his fourth win of the season.

Motorbase’s Mat Jackson relegated Collard further down the order on lap three, but the latter was able to stem the flow thereafter and make the podium.

With just one event and three highly-anticipated BTCC races remaining this season, it is Tordoff leading the standings from the Honda duo of Shedden and Matt Neal. Incredibly Collard, Jackson, Jordan plus the Subarus of Colin Turkington and Jason Plato all remain in contention to claim the most coveted prize in British motor sport. Just 37 points separate the top seven with 67 still on offer at Brands Hatch.

West Surrey Racing/BMW continues to lead the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ standings, whilst Team JCT600 with GardX recaptured top spot in the Teams’ table.

Jordan cemented his position at the head of the Independents Drivers’ classification, and Motorbase Performance holds an unassailable points lead in the Independents Teams’ order.

Michael Epps was the Jack Sears Trophy winner at Silverstone, although Sutton is still in charge of the category’s proceedings.

Rounds 28, 29 and 30 of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit on 1/2 October.

Championship Leader

Sam Tordoff said: “From the off here we’ve had problems, so to come away having extended our lead from five points to 11 is quite frankly ridiculous! For me, the pressure is off as nobody expected this at the start of the year. I’m picking points up as we go along and seeing how we go from there really. It could be difficult at Brands with the ballast – it’s undulating, so we have to be wary. There are a lot of corners and stop-starts, though, which should suit the BMW.

“There are seven or eight guys taking points off each other out there as well as off of me, so we’ll see what happens. Regarding the competition, Honda has been up there for many years as the benchmark. I think the biggest threat comes from them – they’re experienced guys who have been there and done it. My team-mate’s there in the mirrors too, and you can never discount the Fords. It’s going to be a strange two weeks. I’ll try to keep myself sharp with BMW in the meantime, and Brands Hatch GP is my favourite circuit. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll go there the same way I did this weekend. I’ll prepare, do the simulator work and walk the track three times if needs be. Hopefully we’ll qualify well, which will be really important, and we’ll go from there.”

Silverstone Race Winners

Tom Ingram said: “Obviously it wasn’t the way we’d have liked to have won the race and it would have been nice to cross the finish line first on the road, but a win is still a win and we had the speed to run right at the front throughout. If it hadn’t been for Josh Cook’s robust move, I think we could have taken the fight back to Ash Sutton again, but we got the result in the end anyway, and it proved we are right back on the pace after recent events.”

Andrew Jordan said: “That was hard work. I think I’ve done myself a bit of an injury celebrating! We needed that. I’ve read in places that I’ve lost my mojo, well I’ll just remind them that I haven’t at all. After the safety car, I was trying to go as fast as I could to get a gap. I wasn’t worried about the tyres. I was controlling them well. I’ve perfected a technique to look after them from back in 2013. I could see Adam Morgan was using his fronts a bit harder. We’re back in the number one spot where we should be.”

Gordon Shedden said: “The rear-wheel drive cars made a good start and I had Mat Jackson on the inside as well. I thought ‘oh no’, but my car was right on it – there was an amazing amount of grip. I got my head down and made it back past Mat and then I nipped back past Rob Collard too. I could have gone another ten laps after the chequered flag, as I was absolutely loving it. We needed that so much, it was great. It’s going to be an amazing weekend next time out at Brands Hatch. Without a shadow of a doubt, I’ll be doing everything I can to retain my title. I think the last person to do it was Fabrizio Giovanardi back in ‘07/08. I’ve been on the back foot all season really and I’ve never given up. I’m delighted to go to Brands with a chance – that’s all I ask for.”

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 25 – Silverstone:

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 21m49.891s (99.18 mph)

2 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.478s

3 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +7.464s

4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +10.121s

5 Jake HILL (GBR) RCIB Insurance Racing +16.570s

6 Aron SMITH (IRL) BKR +18.131s

7 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +18.307s

8 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +18.431s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +18.554s

10 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +18.785s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 26 – Silverstone:

1 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance 26m44.945s (91.99 mph)

2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) WIX Racing +0.884s

3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +2.456s

4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +2.662s

5 Jason PLATO (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +3.001s

6 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +3.253s

7 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +3.471s

8 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +4.409s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +5.043s

10 Hunter ABBOTT (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +5.993s

2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Round 27 – Silverstone:

1 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing 21m54.766s (98.81 mph)

2 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Motorbase Performance +0.668s

3 Robert COLLARD (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +1.087s

4 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Silverline Subaru BMR Racing +2.009s

5 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +2.426s

6 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team JCT600 Racing with GardX +2.586s+

7 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +5.399s

8 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) Motorbase Performance +7.119s

9 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +7.914s

10 Ash SUTTON (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +9.275s