Gordon Shedden is still in an “estate” of Easter ecstasy after he made British Touring Car Championship history at the weekend.
The 35-year-old was reflecting on a last-corner race win at Donington Park which saw the new Yuasa Honda Civic Tourer become the first estate car to score a win in the BTCC and kept the 2012 champ right in the mix of a fast-developing fight for supremacy.
After sixth and third place finishes in the two earlier mixed-condition races, the Scot saw off the Ebay Motors BMW of Colin Turkington at the last chicane to snatch the momentous win.
Impressive outings in the opening two rounds of the series have left the Knockhill business development manager just a point behind joint-leaders Jason Plato and reigning champion Andrew Jordan in the championship standings.
Shedden later tweeted: “Tremendous day yesterday with 1st ever win for the @hondaracingbtcc Civic Tourer! What a race. Up there with my best ever! Awesome support.”
He had been impressed with the Tourer’s Brands Hatch debut when it made the podium on all three races in the opening round including a second for the man from Fife but he said the speed of the machine on the dried out Donington track had been a revelation.
“After the first corner, when I just missed contact with Andrew Jordan, I was miles away from the lead but the Tourer just came alive on the soft tyres,” Shedden said.
“As soon as I got into clear air, I couldn’t believe how good it was I had so much traction all the way around.
“With five laps to go I was six seconds behind and what a last lap. History has been made with a first win for the Tourer.”
Volvo campaigned its 850 estate in the 1990s but it only ever scored a win in saloon form. Thruxton hosts the next BTCC round on the first weekend in May.
Picture by David Wardle