Gordon Shedden takes the BTCC Crown for the third time amongst a trio of races that saw Turkington win race 1 & 2.

• Gordon Shedden joins elite group of drivers with three BTCC titles
• ‘Flash’ turns the tables to triumph in scintillating BTCC season finale
• Matt Neal’s championship bid undone by ill-fortune at Brands Hatch

Gordon Shedden became the first driver in eight years to win back-to-back Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) titles with a superb performance at Brands Hatch GP this weekend (1-2 October) behind the wheel of his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R.

Shedden entered the weekend trailing championship leader Sam Tordoff by 11 points in the chase for the most coveted trophy in British motor sport. By out-qualifying his chief rival and finishing ahead of the Yorkshireman in all three races, however, the defending champion dramatically turned the tables for a popular success.

From seventh on the starting grid, Shedden carved his way through to finish fifth in race one before pulling off some opportunistic passes as he battled to his ninth podium of the season in race two.

Beginning the finale from fifth – and needing to beat Tordoff, two places ahead of him on the grid, in order to lift the laurels – the Scot produced one of the drives of his career. 

With the championship poised finely on a knife-edge, he grabbed his flame-spitting Civic Type R by the scruff of its neck and secured the spoils in style, overhauling his BMW adversary en route to third place at the chequered flag to snare the title by two points.

Team-mate Matt Neal should similarly have been in with a shout going into race three having converted 11th on the grid into seventh in the opener, but just after posting the fastest lap in race two, the three-time champion’s engine temporarily cut out and as he attempted to rejoin, contact with another car sent him into a dizzying spin and into the barriers. 

Suffering from mild concussion, he was unfortunately ruled out of the all-important finale.

That relegated Neal to sixth spot in the Drivers’ standings – albeit just 33 points adrift of newly-crowned champion Shedden – with Honda and Halfords Yuasa Racing placing second in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables respectively.

Gordon Shedden:

“It’s unbelievable – an incredible feeling. I’ve actually been really relaxed all weekend, but even going into race three, I thought it was going to be very difficult – and it was! It was a shame Matt couldn’t join in – it would have been good to have him up there pushing for the title too, because we’ve both had really strong pace today. 

The Civic Type R was mint throughout – as it has been all season – and once again, I really stuck my neck on the line and made some bold, heart-in-the-mouth moves that were on the edge more often than not. 

After Croft in June, it looked like we were down-and-out in the title battle, but we stuck to our guns, kept plugging away and gave it absolutely everything to claw our way back. It just goes to show that every single point really does count in this championship. 

Winning the BTCC title for the first time felt phenomenal, last year was a real rollercoaster ride and this year it was just a huge release of emotion. I might allow myself a few cups of tea and a Tunnock’s Teacake tonight to celebrate...”

Matt Neal:

“First of all, huge congratulations to ‘Flash’ on his third BTCC crown. He’s driven fantastically all season and it’s a pleasure to welcome him to the ‘three titles’ club – I guess now it’ll be a straight fight to see who can get to four first! Seriously, though, I’m chuffed for him and he thoroughly deserves it – if I couldn’t win it, there’s nobody else I’d rather see lift the trophy. 

It was obviously a shame about the way my season ended. We did a solid job in qualifying and closed in on the championship lead in race one, but then in race two, I suddenly lost power and as I was attempting to recover, I was pitched into a spin that ended up in the barriers. 

I got knocked around pretty badly and because I had mild concussion, the decision was taken not to start race three, which clearly wasn’t the way I wanted to end my championship challenge. Still, I’ll just have to come back next year and try to win it again myself!”

Final Drivers’ Standings

1. Gordon Shedden 308 points

2. Sam Tordoff 306 points

3. Mat Jackson 292 points

4. Colin Turkington 289 points

5. Rob Collard 278 points

6. Matt Neal 275 points

Final Manufacturers’ Standings

1. West Surrey Racing 790 points

2. Honda / Team Dynamics 737 points

3. Subaru / Team BMR 722 points

4. MG / Triple Eight 571 points

Final Teams’ Standings

1. Team JCT600 with GardX 574 points

2. Halfords Yuasa Racing 557 points

3. Motorbase Performance 538 points

4. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 531 points

5. MG Racing RCIB Insurance 332 points

6. WIX Racing 234 points

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

Honda has a great weekend at Knockhill, the latest three rounds of the B.T.C.C.

• Matt Neal produces storming drive for third triumph of 2016
• Gordon Shedden fights hard to stay in the hunt on home turf
• Honda keeps pressure up in chase for Manufacturers’ crown

Matt Neal tallied his third victory of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign at Knockhill this weekend (13/14 August) as the three-time champion maintained his bid for a fourth tin-top crown north of the border.

 

  

An impressive qualifying effort with 57kg of success ballast on-board his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R saw Neal line up seventh on the grid for the opener, with team-mate and home hero Gordon Shedden just a tenth-of-a-second back in 11^thafter suffering turbo trouble.

From there, the duo raced in tandem to eighth and ninth on the harder-compound Dunlop tyres. Having switched to the more favourable softer rubber for race two, Neal went on a charge, scything his way through the field and taking advantage of the leaders’ scrapping to move up to third on lap 22, second two laps later and snatch the lead at the hairpin a lap later still, subsequently easing clear to secure his third triumph of the season.

After crossing the line a solid ninth in race two, it was Shedden’s turn to bolt on the soft tyres in the day’s finale, swiftly advancing five spots to run fourth before setting off in pursuit of the leaders. Although he soon caught them, there was no way past around the tight-and-twisty Fife circuit, but the Scot did snare an additional point for posting the race’s fastest lap.

On maximum ballast following his earlier race win, Neal completed an excellent weekend with a strong fifth place, consolidating his second spot in the Drivers’ standings – just nine points adrift of the lead – with Shedden similarly well in touch in fourth. Honda maintained second position in the Manufacturers’ classification, with Halfords Yuasa Racing continuing to narrow the gap to the top of the Teams’ table.

Matt Neal:

“Both of us took the pain on the hard tyres in the first race, but I really enjoyed race two; being on the soft tyres, I thought we would have a chance from where we were starting and after catching the leaders, I could see they were beginning to struggle a bit and I was able to capitalise upon their battle. The Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R was monstrous right the way to the end. With 75kg of ballast in the car in race three, I honestly thought a top ten finish would be a good outcome so I was really pleased to take fifth. We came to Knockhill anticipating a tough weekend with the weight we were carrying and its reputation as a rear wheel-drive circuit, so to leave with a win and still sitting second in the championship is fantastic.”

Gordon Shedden:

“The dice never really rolled my way this weekend, right from qualifying. The first two races involved some typically tight Knockhill battling, and then the reversed grid worked against me with a couple of quick cars on soft tyres ahead. I pushed as hard as possible and the Honda Civic Type R was quick, allowing us to make decent progress at the start, but we just couldn’t keep up in a straight line which prevented us from attacking into the corners, so that was mightily frustrating. With Knockhill being my home track, I’d obviously hoped for more but we salvaged the best we could and we’re very much still in the hunt. We’ve clearly got some work to do, but we’ll head to Rockingham next with everything to play for.”

Honda Yuasa BTCC has a poor weekend with NO Wins or podiums during the three races.

• Halfords Yuasa Racing unrewarded for valiant Yorkshire effort
• Matt Neal keeps title tilt on-track with trio of points finishes
• Gordon Shedden’s wet-weather tyre gamble fails to pay off

Halfords Yuasa Racing endured a difficult weekend as the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) travelled north-east to Croft, with both Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden fighting hard for scant reward.

 

Renowned as a circuit that favours rear wheel-drive machinery, Croft was always going to represent a challenge for the front wheel-drive Honda Civic Type R, but even allowing for that, Neal and Shedden were disappointed to line up 15^th and 17^th on the 32-strong grid for the opening encounter.

 

Neal moved through the field in race one to take the chequered flag 12^th, before evincing a solid turn-of-speed in race two as he homed in on the multi-car scrap over fifth until his tyres faded in the closing stages, leaving him tenth. The three-time champion concluded his weekend with an 11^th-place finish in a rain-plagued finale to leave Croft sitting third in the Drivers’ table, still firmly in the title fight.

 

Shedden lapped at a similar pace in races one and two as he tallied points-paying finishes in 15^th and 13^th – the former his 300^th BTCC start – before taking a gamble on slick rubber in race three. It was an audacious strategy that unfortunately didn’t pay off and the Scot was ultimately forced to pit to change over to wets, seeing him slip to ninth in the Drivers’ standings as Honda and Halfords Yuasa Racing maintained second spot in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ classifications.

 

Matt Neal:

“It’s been a tough weekend and one I won’t be sorry to see the back of! We knew the rear wheel-drive cars would have an advantage at Croft, but we thought we would still be somewhere in or around the top six and that obviously wasn’t the case. In the circumstances, we got pretty much the maximum we could out of the car. I drove my heart out and race two was quite enjoyable; because we were struggling for straight-line speed, I had to work the tyres quite hard and that halted our progress in the closing stages. On the positive side, both cars came back in one piece when quite a few didn’t and we can now go away and regroup over the summer break. Believe me, we won’t be rolling over by any means!”

 

Gordon Shedden:

“We’ve not been on the pace all weekend which was certainly a surprise, because the Civic Type R is a very good package and was strong round here last year. Yes, Croft is traditionally a rear wheel-drive circuit, but other front wheel-drive cars did ok so I don’t subscribe to that excuse. In race three, knowing we couldn’t compete on outright pace, we decided to roll the dice because from where we were starting, we had nothing to lose. The bottom line is we weren’t good enough and there are clearly some elements missing that we need to put our finger on, but we have a decent break now that we will use to reassess, figure everything out and come up with an action plan for the second half of the season.”

The Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic's are looking like they can do some serious damage to the competition.

• Halfords Yuasa Racing duo set sights on northern success
• Matt Neal confident Civic Type R can shine in Yorkshire
• Gordon Shedden keen to celebrate on landmark weekend

Halfords Yuasa Racing team-mates Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are heading to Croft for the next outing on the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship calendar with a strong haul of points firmly on their hit list.

Having claimed a commanding victory in the most recent race at Oulton Park – his second of the season behind the wheel of the potent Honda Civic Type R – Neal travels north-east just a single point adrift of the top of the Drivers’ classification. The three-time champion boasts a stellar record at Croft, with six successes to his name.

Shedden, meanwhile, celebrated his 100^th BTCC podium in North Yorkshire last year during the course of an impressively consistent weekend, and the Scot is primed to make his milestone 300^th start in the series 12 months on.

The defending title-holder currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ chase following a puncture in the final race at Oulton that robbed him of the runner-up spoils, with Halfords Yuasa Racing only one point shy of the lead in the Teams’ classification and Honda right in the fight for Manufacturers’ glory.

Matt Neal:

“Croft is a circuit I’ve always enjoyed; I love how close the fans get to the action there – they can really smell the burning brakes and rubber, which makes for a fantastic spectator experience. You need a good all-round package underneath you at Croft –traction in the slow-speed sections, agility through the tight-and-twisty parts and stability for the fast corners out the back, which call for a lot of commitment. They are all areas in which the Civic Type R scores highly, and we had a positive and productive test at Rockingham earlier this week which enabled us to get a solid handle on the car. If you look at how competitive it is in the standings, every point is critical this year – all it takes is one hiccough to send you tumbling down the order – so it’s essential that we stay focussed and continue consistently racking up the results.”

Gordon Shedden:

“Historically, we’ve gone pretty well around Croft; like Oulton, it’s a circuit that tends to favour rear wheel-drive cars, but we’ve generally led the way amongst the front wheel-drive brigade. There was some great racing there last year, and I’m sure we can expect more of the same again. It’s a fun circuit with a real mix of corners, which makes perfecting the car’s set-up quite a challenge – but one that I relish. Given how fiercely-disputed the BTCC is right now, every weekend is pivotal – it’s incredible to think we’ve already had nine different winners from the first 12 races! With that in mind, we have to be targeting three strong points finishes, which we would have had at Oulton but for the late puncture in race three. The cards haven’t particularly fallen my way in that respect recently, so hopefully we can turn that trend around.”