SHEDDEN PLAYS DOWN TITLE CHANCES
Gordon Shedden says he's "no chance" of winning
the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in his debut
season, despite having moved up to third in the points standings
with 12 races still to go in this year's title race.
Scottish ace Shedden will arrive at Snetterton in Norfolk
this coming Sunday (13 August) 53 points behind Team Halfords
team-mate and series leader Matt Neal who, having lifted the
champion's trophy last year is currently on course for an
historic double.
In the three most recent rounds, at Donington Park, Shedden
achieved a near-perfect score with two wins and a third to
take 26 points out of Neal. But Shedden insists Donington
was a one-off and that Neal remains his tip to win the title.
In between them in second, 31 points ahead of Shedden and
22 behind Neal is Team RAC MG driver Colin Turkington.
Shedden, whose ultimate ambition is to emulate his fellow
countrymen Jim Clark and John Cleland in lifting the BTCC
title, said: "I've no chance of winning the title. Matt
is miles ahead. I have to be realistic - he just had a really
unlucky time at Donington, but at Snetterton he'll be back
on form and right up there.
"Whether or not I can get second and give Team Halfords
a 1-2 I don't know - Colin also has quite a big lead over
me and is doing fantastically well.
"My money's still on Matt to win the title, but it's
getting close between him and Colin. Plus there are a lot
of other driver-car combinations that are capable of winning
races and mixing up the order. It's going to be a very close
finish to the season."
Incredibly, Shedden has achieved four victories in just 18
races since making his BTCC debut at Brands Hatch in April.
That gives Shedden the highest win ratio of any driver currently
on the BTCC grid, better even than the likes of Neal, Turkington
and SEAT's pair of former champions Jason Plato and James
Thompson.
Shedden added: "I'm making the best of what I've got
at my disposal - one of the best cars on the grid, the Honda
Integra, run by the reigning champion team. I just want to
go out and win as many races as possible."
But he dismissed claims by some that the Team Halfords drivers
enjoy an unassailable car advantage over their rivals and
hinted that at Snetterton - with its two long straights one
of the fastest tracks in the country - will be wide open.
He said: "Everyone has preconceived ideas that our Honda
is the fastest thing out there - it's not. The MG and Vauxhall
both dragged past me in a straight line at Donington.
"The MG will be as good as the Honda around Snetterton
and Vauxhall has solved its tyre wear problems and its Astra
is phenomenal in a straight line. Snetterton's races are going
to be very hard-fought."
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