Shedden bags Brands Hatch winposted in BTCC03 | 04 | 2016
SCOT GORDON SHEDDEN began the defence of his British Touring Car Championship with a win and a podium at the opening round at Brands Hatch.
But just as the 37-year-old from Auchterarder was on the point of leaving the Kent circuit with the championship lead, he crashed out of the day's final race with a puncture.
"It's a pity, but that's motorsport," admitted Shedden, who was lying seventh in the final reverse-grid race before the front-left tyre on his #52 Halfords-liveried Honda deflated and pitched him into the gravel.
"The first two races were really solid, with a second place and a win, so it's disappointing not to finish the final race and bag a good points haul.
“But it’s been a good weekend, with a couple of podiums for me including a win, a big points haul and Matt and myself sitting first and second in the Drivers’ classification.
"The Honda Civic Type R is clearly very fast, and there’s still more to come from it as we are learning all the time. We didn’t take any risks in race one and perhaps went a little bit too soft on the set-up.
"I think my car was actually slightly better with the ballast on-board in race two, which wasn’t at all what we had expected, and I got bullied a little bit in the early part of race three and then picked up the puncture. Still, no complaints: it’s been a very strong weekend for us.
"I'm only five points off the championship lead, and I know our car will only get faster as the season goes on."
Shedden was one of three different race winners, with Tom Ingram leading the first from start-to-finish in his Toyota, and then Adam Morgan winning the day's final race in his Mercedes.
And while Dalkeith 19-year-old Aiden Moffat finished ninth in the third race, it's Shedden's Honda team-mate Matt Neal who takes a five-point lead into the next round at Donington in a fortnight.
Related: Gordon Shedden ready for 2016 BTCC battle
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Jim McGill