GORDON SHEDDEN is a thinking man. That statement is not aimed at portraying the British Touring Car Championship racer in the mould of Rodin's famous sculpture; instead it is intended to highlight the measured and calculated approach he has, not only to his racing, but also to life.
The 32-year-old from Dalgety Bay, who heads into this weekend's BTCC triple-header on his home track at Knockhill in Fife trailing the Ford of current leader Mat Jackson by just eight points, is clinical in his ability to achieve his goals.
"The fans. There is nowhere else in Britain where the fans get so close to the action on the circuit, nor where they are so loud. We'll have a massive crowd on Sunday and I know the bulk of them will be cheering for me.
They might not believe it, but when they're loud, I can hear them, even inside my car. They make such difference and I'll be doing everything I can to give them something to shout about."
— Gordon Shedden
So it's no coincidence that the words 'measured' and 'clinical' describe perfectly his auditions manoeuvre in his last race at Snetterton four weeks ago.
Faced with losing his seventh-place in the day's final race, having just been informed he was about to be ordered into the pits to have a flailing front wing removed from his car, Shedden took matters into his owns hands.
"We'd only a few laps to go and I knew if I pitted I wouldn't score any points, which would have seriously damage my championship hopes," he explained today.
"I decided to take matters into my own hands. I knew there was a bollard at a fast left-hander where, if I got it right, I could run the front left of the car against it and hopefully remove the wing. Thankfully it worked."
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Anyone who witnessed the brave manoeuvre — and don't, for one minute, think it was anything more than brave — can not have failed to have been impressed.
This was no small, lightweight bollard. This thing was half as big as the Honda Racing Civic in which Shedden was calculatedly spearing towards it at more than 80mph.
His coolness, quick-thinking, and bravery, ensured he heads to Knockhill this weekend within sight of becoming the first Scot to lift the BTCC crown since Galashiels' John Cleland in 1995.
Before Sunday's first race starts in front of 30,000 spectators at the tight, twisty 1.3-mile undulating circuit perched high in the Fife hills and which traditionally delivers spectacular door-to-door racing, there are four rounds remaining this year each with three races. With 15 points awarded for the win, Shedden's chances have never been better.
It is though very tight; the Scot may be just eight points adrift of Jackson, but the top four — former champs, Shedden's team-mate Matt Neal and Chevrolet's Jason Plato — are all covered by just 20 points.
“No one driver is going to win the title at Knockhill this weekend, but they could easily lose it," he continued. "Just look how quickly it turned again at Snetterton where I led the thing after the day's second race for about two hours.
See more photos of Fifer Gordon Shedden
"There’s more than a third of the season – 12 of the 30 races – still to go and my season isn’t wholly dependant on a ballistic weekend at Knockhill. “I actually think the Chevrolets of Jason and his team-mate Alex MacDowall will be dynamite around Knockhill; the Chevrolet is lighter than our Civic and Jackson’s Ford.
"The top five in the championship will all start the weekend with success ballast in their cars, whereas MacDowall will have zero ballast, so he should qualify on pole position and win race one."
Ironically, Knockhill hasn't been too kind to Shedden. Only one of his 18 BTCC wins — his last win at Snetterton saw him overtake Cleland's previous Scottish record — have come on his home circuit. And it's home in more ways than one.
Not only is he commercial director at the track, but he's also married to Jillian, the daughter of circuit owner Derek Butcher and who is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the business in her role as managing director.
"Yeh, Knockhill's pretty special for me, and I have to admit I think I've probably got two of the best jobs in the world," Shedden, whose business degree no doubt helps his ability to remain clinical in the heat of the battle — be it on-track or in the boardroom — laughed.
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"Having said that, it's not really been too kind to me in terms of winning BTCC races. And I know people will be thinking I've got an advantage over the other drivers because it's my home circuit; I haven't.
"I haven't driven round the track in a race car since last year's BTCC meeting. When we all go out for our pre-event shakedown, it'll all be just as new for me as it is them." Shedden does though admit to having one additional powerful advantage.
"The fans. There is nowhere else in Britain where the fans get so close to the action on the circuit, nor where they are so loud. We'll have a massive crowd on Sunday and I know the bulk of them will be cheering for me.
"They might not believe it, but when they're loud, I can hear them, even inside my car. They make such difference and I'll be doing everything I can to give them something to shout about."
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Jim McGill