A handful of points adrift of the championship leader, British Touring Cars star Gordon Shedden is relishing the chance to shine in front of a partisan home crowd this weekend.
Now the most successful Scottish touring car driver in terms of race wins, the Fifer is determined to do well and rack up vital championship points, but will be sticking strictly to his normal race weekend routine.
“Flash” is lying in second place in the championship, only eight points behind leader Mat Jackson, as the circus gears up for round seven at his home track of Knockhill in three days’ time.
“It’s the closest I have ever been at this stage of the year,” he said. “Last year in the last round I had a chance of winning the championship, but that was really an outside bet.”
But Gordon, whose first experience of Touring Cars was at the Fife circuit when he was a teenager and thought he “wanted a bit of that” once he saw the somersaulting mayhem of Touring Car driver Gabriele Tarquini’s spectacular and legendary crash, will not be attempting any foolish moves in a bid for the top step on the podium.
While he will not be overly cautious and will be pushing as hard as ever, he will be very conscious that it is all about maximising the points advantage over his competitors.
Sitting in the Knockhill centre overlooking the tight, twisting track, he admitted that although this weekend is important on an emotional level, and one in which he wanted to do well, it was even more important he did not mess it up.
“It’s the same amount of points up for grabs at Knockhill as any other circuit. You can’t win the championship here, but you can lose a lot of points, so I’m staying focused.”
Gordon’s day job is at Knockhill, but being office-based he has not much more experience of the track than his rivals. “It’s so different going round the track in road cars so I do not think in terms of actual racing I’ve much of an advantage,” he said.
“I’ve not raced here all that often and I think all it does give is that little bit of extra confidence, because you know where everything is, every turn.”Biggest drawWhile the huge crowd expected it is the biggest draw at the Fife track and ticket sales are up on last year are like the 12th man in a football team in terms of support, being the crowd’s darling can also bring its own pressures as they will the home talent to do well.
“It is a bit of pressure, but almost a nice pressure,” he said.”To see everyone so close and the flags waving, it is really humbling. Yeah, won 19 (races) now, more than John Cleland, but he also got his championships so I need to string mine together a bit better,” he laughed.
Winning at his last outing at Snetterton, Gordon emerged with a decent haul of points and is hoping his successful streak will continue this weekend.
“The car is awesome. They have done a good job, so hopefully that will continue,” he added. “Although here, there is always something thrown in the mix.”
That something could be the unique form of the track – as legend has it drawn up on an old sheep feed bag contoured to fit around an old railway line, hill and farm buildings, or the infamous Knockhill weather.
“It’s really like a rollercoaster. You have absolutely no time to relax but it’s a great challenge, short and tight, and all the drivers who have raced here, including loads who’ve gone on to Formula 1, say it’s a great circuit.”
Now nearly two decades on from being inspired by Tarquini and his ilk, Gordon’s a veteran of the championship, where he always wanted to be.
He has never been enticed by the lure of F1, but does admit a hankering to take part in Le Mans at some point.