Gordon Shedden became the first driver in eight years to win back-to-back Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) titles with a superb performance at Brands Hatch GP this weekend (1-2 October) behind the wheel of his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R.
 
Shedden entered the weekend trailing championship leader Sam Tordoff by 11 points in the chase for the most coveted trophy in British motor sport. By out-qualifying his chief rival and finishing ahead of the Yorkshireman in all three races, however, the defending champion dramatically turned the tables for a popular success.
 
From seventh on the starting grid, Shedden carved his way through to finish fifth in race one before pulling off some opportunistic passes as he battled to his ninth podium of the season in race two.
 
Beginning the finale from fifth – and needing to beat Tordoff, two places ahead of him on the grid, in order to lift the laurels – the Scot produced one of the drives of his career. With the championship poised finely on a knife-edge, he grabbed his flame-spitting Civic Type R by the scruff of its neck and secured the spoils in style, overhauling his BMW adversary en route to third place at the chequered flag to snare the title by two points.
 
Team-mate Matt Neal should similarly have been in with a shout going into race three having converted 11th on the grid into seventh in the opener, but just after posting the fastest lap in race two, the three-time champion’s engine temporarily cut out and as he attempted to rejoin, contact with another car sent him into a dizzying spin and into the barriers. Suffering from mild concussion, he was unfortunately ruled out of the all-important finale.
 
That relegated Neal to sixth spot in the Drivers’ standings – albeit just 33 points adrift of newly-crowned champion Shedden – with Honda and Halfords Yuasa Racing placing second in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ tables respectively.
 
Gordon Shedden:
“It’s unbelievable – an incredible feeling. I’ve actually been really relaxed all weekend, but even going into race three, I thought it was going to be very difficult – and it was! It was a shame Matt couldn’t join in – it would have been good to have him up there pushing for the title too, because we’ve both had really strong pace today. The Civic Type R was mint throughout – as it has been all season – and once again, I really stuck my neck on the line and made some bold, heart-in-the-mouth moves that were on the edge more often than not. After Croft in June, it looked like we were down-and-out in the title battle, but we stuck to our guns, kept plugging away and gave it absolutely everything to claw our way back. It just goes to show that every single point really does count in this championship. Winning the BTCC title for the first time felt phenomenal, last year was a real rollercoaster ride and this year it was just a huge release of emotion. I might allow myself a few cups of tea and a Tunnock’s Teacake tonight to celebrate...”
 
Matt Neal:
“First of all, huge congratulations to ‘Flash’ on his third BTCC crown. He’s driven fantastically all season and it’s a pleasure to welcome him to the ‘three titles’ club – I guess now it’ll be a straight fight to see who can get to four first! Seriously, though, I’m chuffed for him and he thoroughly deserves it – if I couldn’t win it, there’s nobody else I’d rather see lift the trophy. It was obviously a shame about the way my season ended. We did a solid job in qualifying and closed in on the championship lead in race one, but then in race two, I suddenly lost power and as I was attempting to recover, I was pitched into a spin that ended up in the barriers. I got knocked around pretty badly and because I had mild concussion, the decision was taken not to start race three, which clearly wasn’t the way I wanted to end my championship challenge. Still, I’ll just have to come back next year and try to win it again myself!”

Final Drivers’ Standings
 
1. Gordon Shedden 308 points
2. Sam Tordoff 306 points
3. Mat Jackson 292 points
4. Colin Turkington 289 points
5. Rob Collard 278 points
6. Matt Neal 275 points
 
Final Manufacturers’ Standings
 
1. West Surrey Racing 790 points
2. Honda / Team Dynamics 737 points
3. Subaru / Team BMR 722 points
4. MG / Triple Eight 571 points
 
Final Teams’ Standings
 
1. Team JCT600 with GardX 574 points
2. Halfords Yuasa Racing 557 points
3. Motorbase Performance 538 points
4. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 531 points
5. MG Racing RCIB Insurance 332 points
6. WIX Racing 234 points

Halfords Yuasa Racing duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal will enter the final act of an enthralling 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign firmly in title contention after fighting back from adversity on a rollercoaster weekend at Silverstone.
 
Carrying significant success ballast, the pair impressed in qualifying as they lined up seventh (Neal) and tenth (Shedden) around the celebrated ‘Home of British Motorsport’ – the best-placed of the leading championship protagonists.
 
Both unfortunately fell victim to punctures in race one that scuppered their hopes of solid points-scoring finishes. To rub salt into the wounds, that left the two multiple champions to begin the second contest from well down the order in 23^rdand 24^th, but the indefatigable Shedden fairly stormed through the field to snatch eighth spot and with it, the all-important reverse grid pole position for the day’s finale. Following a hard-fought effort, Neal snared the last point on offer in 15^th.
 
When the lights went out in race three, Rob Collard’s fast-starting rear wheel-drive BMW predictably surged into the lead, leaving Shedden to bravely duel it out side-by-side with Mat Jackson for second. It was a duel the Scot would win, and just a lap later, he went all the way around the outside of Collard through the Maggotts-Becketts complex in a move that drew gasps of admiration from the capacity crowd.
 
Thereafter, the defending title-holder pulled away to clinch his fourth victory of the season and close to just 11 points shy of the championship lead, with Neal right behind him only two points further back in third. The three-time champion pulled off a series of spectacular passing manoeuvres to progress from 15^th to fifth in his 600^th BTCC start, overhauling championship leader Sam Tordoff along the way. Honda and Halfords Yuasa Racing sit second in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ standings respectively.
 
Gordon Shedden:
“We did a good job in qualifying, but that was then undone in race one with the puncture, which was a real shame. It isn’t easy to fight your way through at Silverstone, but I got my head down in race two, opened as many doors as I could and squeezed through them all. I probably opened a few other people’s doors too! The car felt mega – as it did all day, to be fair – and that result was instrumental in securing us pole position for race three. I was expecting a tougher time of things on the soft tyres, but after losing the lead at the start, I knew I had good momentum and that I would have an advantage over Rob at Maggotts with the Civic Type R, so I kept it pinned – that was particularly satisfying, as it’s not the kind of move you manage to pull off very often! I genuinely couldn’t believe the grip I had and the car was phenomenal throughout – as far as I was concerned, the race could have gone on and on! This was exactly the kind of weekend we needed around a circuit where we had feared we might struggle, and points definitely make prizes at this stage of the season. It’s all to play for at Brands Hatch now – so bring it on!”
 
Matt Neal:
“It was all looking quite rosy until a couple of laps from the end of race one! I’d been sitting there feeling pretty smug after qualifying and running ahead of all my main championship rivals, and then the puncture put us properly on the back foot and needing to recover ground, which isn’t easy here. On the positive side, at least the other guys around us in the points didn’t have a stellar time of it either. In race two, we needed to get the right breaks and they just didn’t fall our way, with people defending as if their lives depended on it throughout the field. Still, we gained some ground and although it was fairly heavy-going again to begin with in race three, once I found some clear air I could really get my head down and showcase the Civic Type R’s full potential. Our car is great in the high-speed sections, so we were quick through Copse and then strong on the brakes into Maggotts and Becketts, which made that the overtaking spot of choice. I just wanted that race to keep on going – who knows, we might have even come away with a Honda one-two! Both ‘Flash’ and I are well in the hunt going to Brands Hatch, so it’s game on!”
 
Drivers’ Standings
 
1. Sam Tordoff 278 points
2. Gordon Shedden 267 points
3. Matt Neal 265 points
4. Rob Collard 261 points
5. Mat Jackson 257 points
6. Andrew Jordan 247 points
 
Manufacturers’ Standings
 
1. West Surrey Racing 722 points
2. Honda / Team Dynamics 688 points
3. Subaru / Team BMR 629 points
4. MG / Triple Eight 507 points
 
Teams’ Standings
 
1. Team JCT600 with GardX 529 points
2. Halfords Yuasa Racing 517 points
3. Motorbase Performance 496 points
4. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 451 points
5. MG Racing RCIB Insurance 288 points
6. Speedworks Motorsport 203 points

Halfords Yuasa Racing team-mates Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are firmly focussed on their title ambitions as the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship speeds towards a nail-biting conclusion – with the penultimate outing set to take place at Silverstone next weekend (17/18 September).
 
Off the back of a strong weekend at Rockingham a fortnight ago – yielding a victory and runner-up finish for Shedden and a points-scoring hat-trick for the metronomically consistent Neal – the pair will embark upon the ‘business end’ of the campaign as two of the most prominent protagonists in the chase for the coveted crown. The latter is also set to mark a momentous milestone at Silverstone, as he revs up to make his 600^th BTCC start in race two.
 
With the championship battle increasingly taking shape, second-placed Neal sits just five points shy of the summit of the standings with third-placed Shedden 15 further back and inexorably closing in. What’s more, they are the only two drivers inside the top five in the table to have experienced the emotions of a title-decider in the past, with the former clinching the crown in 2005, 2006 and 2011 and the latter triumphing in 2012 and 2015.
 
As a warm-up to the Silverstone showdown, both men will be joining in the fun at this weekend’s annual Goodwood Revival meeting, participating in the 1950s-themed St. Mary’s Trophy race against a veritable Who’s Who of motor sport superstardom including erstwhile Honda BTCC race-winner and ‘Mr. Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen. They will also contest the RAC TT Celebration race in 1960s machinery – before returning to the cockpit of the rather more modern and state-of-the-art Civic Type R a week later.
 
Matt Neal:
“I’d be fibbing if I said Silverstone was our most eagerly-anticipated track of the year. The Honda Civic Type R’s key qualities come to the fore in high-speed corners, where its grip and aerodynamics really score – but due to the National Circuit layout, that won’t really factor into the equation next weekend. It’s also tough carrying success ballast this season; you can’t look a superstar in qualifying – it’s all about playing the long game, and Silverstone will be tricky with the weight because it will hurt us in a straight line. Saying that, we expected a difficult weekend at Rockingham and that obviously turned out alright, so you just never know – especially given how difficult to predict the BTCC is at the moment. Our little Civic Type R surprises us every time out, and we are constantly making improvements. The title battle is still wide open and a small advantage can be eroded over the course of a single race, never mind a full weekend so we need to keep our heads down as consistency and staying out of trouble will be paramount. When you get to this stage of the season with so much at stake, it’s all too easy for your emotions to take over but having been there before, we both know what to expect.”
 
Gordon Shedden:
“It’s fair to say Rockingham was an unexpectedly good weekend – one that fired us right back into the thick of the title fight. Silverstone’s National Circuit is essentially composed of three long straights, which doesn’t play to the strengths of our car but the weather can obviously intervene and the reversed grid throws up opportunities, too. We’ve seen how quickly everything can turn on its head in this championship and it doesn’t take much to make a mistake when the pressure is this high, but Matt and I have both been there before, done it and have the T-shirt to prove it so that experience could prove to be significant. That said, the other guys are all hugely experienced too, so there are no real excuses for anyone. Ultimately, the name of the game is points accumulation and the goal for Silverstone has to be to try to further home in on the championship lead. We will need a little bit of luck, but rest assured we will be giving it everything we can and will duke this out right the way to the end.”
 
Drivers’ Standings
 
1. Sam Tordoff 258 points
2. Matt Neal 253 points
3. Gordon Shedden 238 points
4. Mat Jackson 230 points
5. Rob Collard 227 points
6. Colin Turkington 210 points
 
Manufacturers’ Standings
 
1. West Surrey Racing 648 points
2. Honda / Team Dynamics 617 points
3. Subaru / Team BMR 530 points
4. MG / Triple Eight 469 points
 
Teams’ Standings
 
1. Halfords Yuasa Racing 477 points
2. Team JCT600 with GardX 476 points
3. Motorbase Performance 424 points
4. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing 396 points
5. MG Racing RCIB Insurance 273 points
6. Team IHG Rewards Club 174 points

Halfords Yuasa Racing pairing Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are looking to maintain a rich vein of form as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) heads to Rockingham next weekend (27/28 August).

Last time out at Knockhill, Matt Neal hammered home his title credentials with a barnstorming race two victory – his third of the season – as he fought through from eighth on the grid in an on-song Honda Civic Type R. Gordon Shedden scored a hat-trick of strong points, culminating in fourth spot in race three and furthering his push to retain the coveted Drivers' Championship honours.

Neal and Shedden sit well-placed in second and fourth in the standings with Halfords Yuasa Racing continuing to close the gap to top spot in the Teams' table while Honda are doing likewise in the Manufacturers' running. Shedden notched two fastest laps and a victory at the Northamptonshire circuit last season so optimism is abound that a win and consistent points can be on the cards once again as the battle for the BTCC crown heads towards its conclusion.
 
Matt Neal:
"Heading into the last one at Knockhill, we were expecting quite a tough weekend if we were being honest with the weight we had on-board and its rear-wheel drive nature. What we and the little Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R managed there was just fantastic. It was a monster right the way through with that win in race two and fifth in race three, even with maximum success ballast. Rockingham's one that might not expressly favour our characteristics but we have a strong chassis and we've gone well there – I came away with three strong points positions and Flash got a win last year so anything can happen, as we saw in Scotland a week ago. Points are what's needed and its about consistency as always in the BTCC when you're looking to maintain a title charge. That's the aim."
 
Gordon Shedden:
"I never had the dice roll my way at Knockhill, right from qualifying on Saturday. The reverse grid went against me with cars up ahead on the soft compound tyres and we struggled in a straight line. The car was excellent though, as Matt showed. We know how strong the chassis is in the Honda Civic Type R which made it doubly frustrating for me. I went really well at Rockingham last year. The car was on it and we took two of the three fastest laps as well as a race win in the second one on the Sunday so I'm hoping I can pull more of the same out of the bag and get myself right into the mix on track as well as in the Drivers' championship. I'm not far away and we could be bang on the leader if we put a particularly strong weekend together, it's all so close. We're up for the fight and we want to be right there.

Matt Neal tallied his third victory of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign at Knockhill this weekend (13/14 August) as the three-time champion maintained his bid for a fourth tin-top crown north of the border.
 
An impressive qualifying effort with 57kg of success ballast on-board his Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R saw Neal line up seventh on the grid for the opener, with team-mate and home hero Gordon Shedden just a tenth-of-a-second back in 11^th after suffering turbo trouble.
 
From there, the duo raced in tandem to eighth and ninth on the harder-compound Dunlop tyres. Having switched to the more favourable softer rubber for race two, Neal went on a charge, scything his way through the field and taking advantage of the leaders’ scrapping to move up to third on lap 22, second two laps later and snatch the lead at the hairpin a lap later still, subsequently easing clear to secure his third triumph of the season.
 
After crossing the line a solid ninth in race two, it was Shedden’s turn to bolt on the soft tyres in the day’s finale, swiftly advancing five spots to run fourth before setting off in pursuit of the leaders. Although he soon caught them, there was no way past around the tight-and-twisty Fife circuit, but the Scot did snare an additional point for posting the race’s fastest lap.
 
On maximum ballast following his earlier race win, Neal completed an excellent weekend with a strong fifth place, consolidating his second spot in the Drivers’ standings – just nine points adrift of the lead – with Shedden similarly well in touch in fourth. Honda maintained second position in the Manufacturers’ classification, with Halfords Yuasa Racing continuing to narrow the gap to the top of the Teams’ table.
 
Matt Neal:
“Both of us took the pain on the hard tyres in the first race, but I really enjoyed race two; being on the soft tyres, I thought we would have a chance from where we were starting and after catching the leaders, I could see they were beginning to struggle a bit and I was able to capitalise upon their battle. The Halfords Yuasa Racing Civic Type R was monstrous right the way to the end. With 75kg of ballast in the car in race three, I honestly thought a top ten finish would be a good outcome so I was really pleased to take fifth. We came to Knockhill anticipating a tough weekend with the weight we were carrying and its reputation as a rear wheel-drive circuit, so to leave with a win and still sitting second in the championship is fantastic.”
 
Gordon Shedden:
“The dice never really rolled my way this weekend, right from qualifying. The first two races involved some typically tight Knockhill battling, and then the reversed grid worked against me with a couple of quick cars on soft tyres ahead. I pushed as hard as possible and the Honda Civic Type R was quick, allowing us to make decent progress at the start, but we just couldn’t keep up in a straight line which prevented us from attacking into the corners, so that was mightily frustrating. With Knockhill being my home track, I’d obviously hoped for more but we salvaged the best we could and we’re very much still in the hunt. We’ve clearly got some work to do, but we’ll head to Rockingham next with everything to play for.”

Halfords Yuasa Racing duo Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden have success in their sights as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) heads north of the border next weekend (13/14 August) to the Scot’s home circuit of Knockhill.
 
The BTCC returned to action following its mid-summer break at Snetterton last weekend, and behind the wheel of the potent Honda Civic Type R, Shedden and Neal immediately signalled their intent – the former battling to his second victory of 2016 and the latter strengthening his own title bid with a sixth podium finish of the year.
 
The pair sit respectively third (Neal) and fourth (Shedden) in the Drivers’ standings, with Halfords Yuasa Racing gaining ground in second spot in the Teams’ classification and Honda doing likewise in the Manufacturers’ chase. Both men triumphed at Knockhill 12 months ago – and the Civic has won at least one race there for each of the past three campaigns – so hopes are high as the BTCC speeds towards a thrilling end-of-season showdown.
 
Matt Neal:
“I’m looking forward to Knockhill. It’s obviously Flash’s backyard, so I’ll be taking a sneaky peek at his lines to see if I can get a cheeky headstart! Seriously, though, I always enjoy going there. There’s a fantastic atmosphere with thousands of enthusiastic Scottish fans, who are so close to the action you can feel the vibes inside the car! The circuit itself is tremendous fun to drive and like a mini rollercoaster ride – constantly twisting and turning, meaning you never get a moment to breathe. It will play to the strengths of the rear wheel-drive machinery, but with its first-class chassis, the Civic Type R should help us to take the fight to them and rack up some solid points. We're moving into the business end of the season now, so hold on tight – sparks will fly!”
 
Gordon Shedden:
“While the points are clearly worth the same at Knockhill as anywhere else, I only get to race in Scotland once a year so it does mean a lot to me – the support I receive is amazing and really gives me an extra spring in my step. Having anticipated a difficult weekend, our results at Snetterton definitely exceeded our expectations, enabling us to move up the championship standings and cut our deficit to the top of the table – so much so that I’m actually closer to the lead points-wise than I was at this stage last year! We’re right back in the fight and the gloves are off. We’ve obviously got a bit more ballast on-board again now, but we’re up for the challenge and if we can repeat our performance from Snetterton, that would be phenomenal.”

Following a six-week mid-summer break, Halfords Yuasa Racing was back in action in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Snetterton this weekend (30/31 July), with Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden retaining their composure on a dramatic day of racing to tally a trio of podiums and keep themselves firmly in the title fight.
 
Taking full advantage of carrying less success ballast aboard his Honda Civic Type R than has been the case for quite some time, defending champion Shedden laid down an immediate marker in qualifying by scorching to his first BTCC pole position in more than three years.
 
The Scot converted that into the runner-up spoils in the opener after gamely fending off Colin Turkington’s Subaru for two-thirds of the race, but he found himself used as a pinball by rivals in race two as he was shuffled back to tenth at the chequered flag. Undeterred, Shedden bounced back in style in the finale to storm through the field and snatch the lead on the very last lap following a robust and entertaining scrap with Rob Collard.
 
With significantly more weight in his car, Halfords Yuasa Racing stablemate Neal qualified ninth and after finishing eighth in race one, he scythed through the pack in the second outing to clinch a podium position in third – although he, too, had to fend off a feisty Collard to make sure of the result, with the pair running side-by-side through a succession of corners as the Honda man boldly stood his ground and grittily clung on to secure his sixth rostrum of the season.
 
The three-time champion added to that with tenth spot in race three to consolidate third place in the Drivers’ standings – inching to within just six points adrift of the lead – with Shedden vaulting from ninth up to fourth, right in his team-mate’s slipstream. Honda slashed its deficit to the top of the Manufacturers’ table from 53 points to 34, with Halfords Yuasa Racing similarly closing from 52 points adrift of the summit in the Teams’ classification to only 29 adrift.
 
Gordon Shedden:
“First of all, I was glad to see everyone walk away from the massive accident at the start of race three. For me, obviously, that was a fantastic win. Three laps from the end, I began to think I might be able to catch Collard and my car just came alive. With two laps to go, I felt sure I could have a go and that a win might be on the cards and then it all happened on the last lap, when it was bumper-to-bumper until we reached the chequered flag. It was fair racing, and I hope we gave the crowds a thrilling end to the day. I couldn’t be happier. It has put me back in contention in fourth in the championship and I will be heading to my home event at Knockhill in two weeks’ time on a real high!”
 
Matt Neal:
“Like ‘Flash’, I was very relieved that everybody was able to walk away from what looked like a particularly nasty shunt at the beginning of race three. For us, it was a pretty fraught weekend with everything going on around us on the track, but I am pleased with the performance of the whole team today. I had success ballast to contend with and struggled for straight-line speed, but I managed to pull out a podium and two top ten finishes to score some really vital points. It was fantastic to see ‘Flash’ take a win, and we are definitely back in the hunt and looking forward to Knockhill!”

Halfords Yuasa Racing pairing Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are both revved-up and ready to go for the resumption of action in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton next weekend (30/31 July).
 
The BTCC brigade will return to the track in Norfolk following a six-week mid-summer hiatus, with Neal and Shedden sitting respectively third and ninth in the chase for the coveted crown having conceded ground following a tough time of things at Croft just before the break.
 
Both men, however, are multiple winners at Snetterton and so know what it takes to reach the top step of the rostrum there. In what is turning out to be one of the closest, most competitive and most unpredictable campaigns in the BTCC’s long and illustrious history, the Halfords Yuasa Racing team-mates are eager indeed to keep the pressure up – albeit cautious about their prospects around such a power-dependent lap.
 
Matt Neal:
“Snetterton is a circuit I really enjoy and a proper challenge – it might be a fair way for us to travel, but it’s well worth the trip and I’m very much looking forward to it. The Honda engine is excellent, but due to the equivalency regulations, we’re really struggling at the moment for straight-line speed – and you need a lot of that at Snetterton! With that in mind, we’re prepared for the fact that it could be a difficult weekend for us, so we’ll need to really maximise the Civic Type R’s mega chassis in the braking zones and through the fast corners – that’s where this car truly comes into its own. It’s always good to go racing again after a long break, especially when you’re in the thick of such an absorbing title fight – so bring it on!”
 
Gordon Shedden:
“In some respects, the start of the second half of the season is almost like beginning afresh and I’m definitely ready to get stuck in again! Snetterton has historically been a power circuit and we are suffering in a straight line at the moment, so we make no bones about the fact that we expect a rough ride. That said, we’ve done plenty of work over the break, leaving no stone unturned to make sure we deliver to the best of our potential and I’m hopeful we’ve made some improvements. The biggest positive for me is that I’m going into the weekend with the least ballast I’ve had in the car for a long time – so I really have to make that count in qualifying and race one. I need to put some big points on the board this weekend to try and haul myself back into championship contention.”