Shedden misses out on BTCC titleposted in BTCC16 | 10 | 2011

FIFER GORDON SHEDDEN'S bid to become the first Scot to win the British Touring Car Championship, since John Cleland in 1995, effectively ended after Saturday's qualifying at Silverstone.

While the 32-year-old from Dalgety Bay qualified third, his Honda Racing team-mate, and championship leader Matt Neal, started today's opening race in the triple-header finale from pole.

Though no team orders had been issued — other than not to run each other off the road — it was clear Shedden, who entered the weekend five points adrift of Neal, wasn't going to risk wrecking the pair's title aspirations.

The Honda duo finished 1-2 in the opening race, with Neal collecting his seventh win of the year, just 0.206s ahead of Shedden.

In the second race, Neal struggled with excessive wheelspin as he tried to get off the line and Shedden led into Turn 1; it was a lead he was never to lose as he led Neal home in another Honda 1-2.

That meant the pair headed into the final race of the season separated by just eight points. On the reverse grid, Neal started eighth, Shedden ninth.

And during the break between the races, veteran Cleland summed up the situation.

"It would be nice to see Gordon wining the championship," the Galashiels racer admitted, "but I think we need to remember here that essentially it's Matt's team.

"There could be team orders; who knows?"

The final race of the season actually proved to be something of a damp squib with Neal finishing eighth to lift the title; Shedden finished 10th.

"It's been a mega effort by everyone in the team," Neal said, "and I'd have been delighted if Gordon had won it. He's like my little brother. We're great mates."

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Jim McGill