Shedden gets BTCC estate for '14posted in BTCC29 | 11 | 2013
FIFER GORDON SHEDDEN will swap his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic hatch in next year's British Touring Car Championship for … an estate car!
The 2012 BTCC champ, along with his team-mate Matt Neal, will drive a race version of Honda's all-new Civic Tourer in the 10-round championship.
“I'm looking forward to what I’m sure will be a strong year for the team in 2014, and more excitingly, with a new car," Shedden said today.
"It might be a Tourer, but it’s still a Civic, the car that has won every championship in BTCC for the last three seasons.
"I’m really looking forward to the challenge of next season, and to seeing what the Tourer can do on race day.”
The team has its sights set firmly on a clean sweep of titles after the Honda Civics secured both the teams’ and manufacturers’ crowns for the fourth year in a row with Matt and Flash narrowly missing out on the drivers’ crown in the 2013 season.
And triple-champ Neal, like Shedden, is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the new BTCC Civic Tourer.
Related: Battler Shedden just misses out on 2013 title
"Although we’re racing a new model, the inherent advantages of the Civic hatchback from the past two years remain," he said, "so there’s no reason why this car can’t be a winner straight out of the box! We’ll be testing the car early in the new year and I can’t wait to see it on track.”
And team boss Peter Crolla was quick to stress he sees no reason why the car shouldn't be as competitive as the hatch.
“Racing with the Civic Tourer means no compromise over the Civic hatchback," Crolla said. "The weight, wheelbase, layout and suspension remain the same, but naturally, the length of the car is extended due to the larger tailgate.
"After two competitive seasons in the BTCC with the hatchback, it will be an interesting challenge to ensure the Tourer keeps Matt, Flash and the team at the head of the championships throughout next season.
"We’ve worked hard over the past few months to develop the first car which will be completed as we head towards the new year, with the first run scheduled for early January.”
Shedden and the team will test the new model in January ahead of its race debut at Brands Hatch for the first round of the championship on March 29/30. The cars will race at Knockhill on August 23/24.
Related: Honda confirms Civic Tourer prices
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Jim McGill