Shedden ready for BTCC battleposted in BTCC02 | 04 | 2016
"IT'S DEFINITELY GOING to be a bit of a weekend," Gordon Shedden smiled, "but at the end of it, the objective remains the same; score championship points and win races."
For Shedden — who returns to the Kent circuit for the first time since clinching his second British Touring Car Championship in the final few corners of the season's dramatic final race six months ago — the weekend is of double significance.
Not only does he start the defence of the BTCC title for the second time — he first won it in 2012 — but the weekend marks 10 years since he helped forge one of the strongest partnerships in tintop racing.
The 37-year-old from Auchterarder, who will again drive a Honda Civic Type R, has been with Team Dynamics since 2006. The team has run the works Honda programme since 2010 under the watchful eyes of Steve Neal.
And it's with Neal's son, triple BTCC champ Matt, that Shedden established a formidable double act which has dominated touring cars over the past few years.
Since 2010, Honda has won all but one manufacturer’s title; since 2011, Shedden and Neal have won three of the five drivers' titles.
Related: Shedden — I've got a big target on my back
And such has been the Scot's consistency that only once has he finished outside the top four in the ultra-competitive championship when he has contested a full season with the team.
“I’ve only had one year when I haven’t been at Dynamics,” Shedden explained today “and we're still a family team. Sure, we run the manufacturer programme for Honda, but we’re a family team with family values.
"I talk to them every day and I guess from my point of view I’m more involved than just being a driver. I enjoy that as well.”
After winning the Scottish Ford Fiesta Championship, Shedden actually made his BTCC debut at Knockhill behind the wheel of a Ford Focus in 2001. Even then he was a winner, taking the Production Class win in the day's second race.
Five years later he formed the alliance with Team Dynamics and the Neals. Since then only once has he spent a season not fully under the Dynamics umbrella: that was in 2009.
Having begun the season, again at Brands Hatch, completing the opening three races for the team, he was replaced by returning champion James Thompson. Shedden signed for Clyde Valley Racing, competing at Snetterton and Knockhill, and finishing second at his home circuit.
Reunited with Team Dynamics in 2010, the partnership has helped ensure Shedden has become the most successful Scottish touring car driver in history, with two titles and 41 wins from 287 starts.
But Shedden, whose Honda will this season again carry the famous Halfords orange livery — two of team-mate Neal's titles came in 2005 and '06 in a Halfords-liveried Honda Integra Type R — is taking nothing for granted this season.
"I know when I won the title for the first time in 2012 that the following season was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be," he explained.
"But I'm that little bit older and wiser now, so I head into the opening weekend at Brands Hatch definitely better prepared.
"Having said that, no matter what sport you're in, everyone wants to beat the champion and believe me, it's no different in BTCC.
“It's hard to believe that 10 years ago I made the jump into the BTCC with Team Halfords. At the time I was the young Scottish guy coming out of Fiesta’s and Matt was defending his first championship.
"Back then I knew nothing; but since then we’ve continued to go from strength-to-strength down the years and formed this partnership.
Related: Shedden clinches second BTCC crown
“I don’t think there are many pairings who have enjoyed the success we've had. This year that's going to be crucial because we'll need every ounce of ammunition to beat the others on the grid."
With a raft of new technical rules and standardised chassis components introduced this season, all 32 cars on the grid will take a step into the relative unknown in this afternoon's qualifying.
And Shedden — who is also joined at Honda by Andy Neate, who returns to BTCC for the first time since 2013 — is only too aware someone may find an early-season advantage.
“Everybody up and down the pit lane has access to exactly the same box of bits as we do," he explained, "and that means the competition will come thick and fast. At the moment it's impossible to single out anybody.
"It's entirely possible somebody will get the drop on how to make the new kit work better than anybody else, and the reality is it might not be one of the favourites on paper who finds that bit extra.
"I genuinely think this will be one of the most open BTCC seasons for many years. It's massively wide open. But I'd love to do back-to-back championships. It'll be very tough to do, but it'd be a great way to mark 10 years with the team."
Related: Future is orange for Gordon Shedden
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Jim McGill