First win for the Honda Civic Tourer Estate in the BTCC
By Jamie White – Head of Communications
Honda Yuasa Racing is celebrating after a dramatic last gasp victory at Donington Park in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), securing a maiden victory for Gordon Shedden’s Honda Civic Tourer.
The result marked the first BTCC triumph for an estate car, and came in the ‘home’ meeting for Team Dynamics, Honda’s long-time championship partner. It also propelled Gordon, aka ‘Flash’ to within a point of the top of the drivers’ title standings.
The 2012 champion maintained his strong form by snaring a front row starting slot in qualifying for race one – another ‘first’ for an estate in the BTCC.
Following morning rain, the opening encounter took place on a damp track surface – a new experience for the Honda Civic Tourer. Shedden initially ran third, before winding up a battling sixth at the chequered flag, two spots ahead of teammate Matt Neal, who crossed the finish line in eighth.
Race two was wet, and Neal was back on form with a vengeance and soon stormed his way through the spray and up through the order, taking Shedden along for the ride. By the end of lap five, the Civic Tourer twins were running line-astern in fourth and fifth.
Following a lengthy mid-race safety car period, a small mistake by Neal at the re-start enabled Shedden past into fourth, from there the flying Scotsman set about hunting down Andrew Jordan in his Pirtek Racing Honda Civic hatchback, seizing third place and the final podium position when the reigning champion ran briefly off-piste. After recovering well from his minor lapse, Neal fought through to a strong fifth at the flag, right on Jordan’s tail.
The BTCC’s reverse grid format for race three meant Neal would begin the weekend finale from second, with Shedden fourth.
After working his way up to second by lap 12 of 18 and clearly on a mission, Shedden brought the appreciative crowd to their feet as he scythed into the sizeable 5.3-second deficit separating him from race leader Colin Turkington. The duel came down to the very final chicane, and with Turkington protecting the inside line, Shedden held his nerve to pass him and clinch a famous and popular victory, with third position for Neal sealing a double podium and a superb finish to the weekend.
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