Battler Shedden just misses outposted in BTCC13 | 10 | 2013
FIFER GORDON SHEDDEN'S brave bid to retain his British Touring Car Championship evaporated in the torrential rain at today's Brands Hatch season finale. But the Scot didn't go out without a fight.
Entering the weekend 35 points behind championship leader Andrew Jordan, Shedden finished second in the opening race behind the MG of Pason Plato.
But while the MG driver cantered to his second win in the second race, Shedden's charge was wreck by the slightest of taps from the Ford of Tom Onslow-Cole.
As they entered the top of the fast right-hander at Paddock Hill Bend, the contact was enough to send the 34-year-old from Dalgety Bay's Honda Racing Civic into a violent spin, first right, then left.
Related: Shedden sets up BTCC title defence
Somehow Shedden (pictured), displaying masterly driving skills, managed to save the car and maintain its forward momentum.
Miraculously though, none of the other car made the slightest contact with him. Rejoining in 11th, he managed to fight his way back to finish seventh, and with Jordan failing to finish the race, the Scot clung on to a slim hope of retaining his crown.
Those hopes were boosted when the No7 ball was pulled out of the bag, and Shedden had pole for Race 3. Jordan started at the back.
But while the Scot fought off a race-long assault from the Vauxhall of Jack Goff, to win his fifth race of the season — to sit alongside the five races he failed to finish for reasons outwith his control — Jordan battled through to finish ninth, and take his first title.
While Shedden led Honda racing to both the Teams and Constructors' championships, in the coveted Drivers' Championship, he and Jordan finished the season separated tantalisingly by just seven points.
Gordon Post-Race 2:
"I got hit by Tom Onslow-Cole's Ford, and that put me in the most dangerous situation, ping-ponging in-between cars, and how I missed everybody I will never know — I was on full lock-stops one way to full lock-stops the other! I'm really disappointed with what happened at the start.
"It was chaos in that race: Andy (Jordan) went out, which was a perfect chance for me to get back into the championship.
"It's just kinda disappointing that someone's taken that chance away from me at the first corner of first lap.
"The track felt totally different from the conditions in Race 1, but very tricky and treacherous. I'm disappointed at the moment.
"I'm on pole for Race 3, but with the pace I had in race 1, I had the pace to stay with Jason in Race 2 and would have finished on the podium, and then it would have been lot more exciting going into the last race.
"It's Brands Hatch, end of season, last day at school for a lot of things and people. Just disappointed."
Gordon Post-Race 3:
It's nice to finish with a win, great reward for all the effort that everyone at Honda and Team Dynamics has put in throughout the season. It's been a fairly turbulent defence of my championship. If I'm honest, it's often been one step forward two steps back.
"Above all I've got to say well done to Andy Jordan: they've done a fantastic job. I know what it felt like last year, and it was one of he best days of my life. I'm sure Andy's feeling exactly the same way.
"We said at the start of the year that our priority was to get a Honda Civic across the line first: it's just in the wrong colours with the wrong graphics up the side of it. But that's testament to the strength of the car that we've built, and I'm really proud to be part of the Honda family.
"It's a great boost to Andy and his dad: they've been at it a long time, and they thoroughly, thoroughly deserve it.
"I think I was 35 points behind coming in today and I think I've finished seven points behind. I tried everything and threw everything at it: had some great results today and some fairly big moments, as we saw at the start of Race 2.
"That's touring car racing, and anyone who thought this championship was done and dusted and over before we arrived at Brands Hatch hasn't seen the final day of a touring car season for a long time."
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Jim McGill