Former champ Shedden returns to BTCC 05 | 03 | 2021

    SCOT GORDON SHEDDEN has confirmed he will return to the British Touring Car Championship this season. ‘Flash’, the three-times BTCC champ, will be reunited with Team Dynamics in a Honda Civic Type R. (Related: Fifer Rory Butcher to lead Toyota BTCC assault)

    The 42-year-old from Auchterarder won his titles — in 2012, 2015 and 2016 — driving a Dynamics-designed, built and run Civic FK2. All 48 of Shedden’s BTCC race wins have also come in Dynamics Hondas. (Related: Shedden reflects on triple BTCC title)

    “I can’t wait to get back in the car,” admitted Shedden, who moved to the World Touring Car Cup in 2018 with Audi, before being left on the sidelines after two seasons when the German marque ended its official support for its teams in the series. (Related: Shedden fired-up for world bid with Audi)

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    Last year the Scot drove the current Civic FK8 during BTCC pre-season testing when he sat in for former Dynamics team-mate Matt Neal. The former champ was recovering from serious injuries sustained in a cycling accident.

    “I’ve kept in touch with the team throughout, and obviously jumped in the car early in 2020 when Matt was injured, and it felt great,” Shedden continued. (Related: Shedden takes first world win with Audi)

    “That was the first time I had driven the new car and it felt right from the off. I’ve been keeping an eye on the championship, and it looks mega-competitive, but my fight and determination is as high as it’s ever been, so I’ll be giving it my all.”

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    Shedden’s return to the BTCC sets up a mouthwatering inter-family rivalry as this season will see him go bumper-to-bumper with his brother-in-law Rory Butcher. The Kirkcaldy racer — whose family own Knockhill, where Shedden is development manager — will this year lead Speedworks Motorsport’s campaign in an all-new Toyota Corolla.

    No decision has yet been confirmed on who will partner Shedden at Dynamics, with team chief Neal refusing to comment on whether he will race in BTCC this season or not.

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    “It’s great to have ‘Flash’ back in the car,” Neal smiled. “He knows the team and he knows the way we work. He showed last year that he hadn’t lost his pace, so we are expecting great things of him: no pressure!”

    The 30-race BTCC season gets underway with a triple-header at Thruxton on May 8-9, and makes its annual pilgrimage to Knockhill on August 14-15.

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    Related: How Gordon Shedden won third BTCC title

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    Jim McGill

     

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