Shedden starts from front rowposted in BTCC30 | 03 | 2013

    FIFER GORDON SHEDDEN will start the defence of his British Touring Car Championship from the front row of the grid in tomorrow's opener at Brands Hatch.

    The 34-year-old from Dalgety Bay lapped the 1.2-mile Kent circuit in 48.483secs before snow flurries ensured times didn't improve.

    The Scot starts alongside the Honda of polesitter Andrew Jordan, who lapped just 0.096s faster.

    "What were those conditions like?", Shedden smiled today after dashing from his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic.

    "I've never qualified a car in the snow before. It's just so, so cold, but at least it's the same for everybody.

    "The big problem we had today, and we're definitely going to have for the races, is getting enough heat into the rear tyres.

    Fifer Gordon Shedden fired up for title defence

    "When the rubber's too cold, the car's almost undriveable, which will definitely make the first few laps a bit of an eye-opener."

    Immediately behind Shedden, who clinched his maiden BTCC title at Brands Hatch last October, are former champs Jason Plato and Matt Neal.

    Plato starts third in his MG, while Shedden's Honda team-mate Neal, lines up fourth, despite twice slithering off the track.

    And while Inverness-based Dave Newsham lines up seventh in his new Toyota, so competitive is the championship that the top 13 were all covered by less than a second.

    In the Porsche Carrera Cup, Kirkcaldy's Rory Butcher starts third in his Celtic Speed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

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    Jim McGill

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