The 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s annual trip north of the border took place at the weekend, as Knockhill circuit in Fife hosted the seventh round of a gripping season.
As ever, the 1.2-mile strip of tarmac was one that greeted the BTCC competitors with a challenge of their own commitment, with its undulating nature and fast sections creating a spectacular image for the fans and a rollercoaster ride for those in the driving seat.
The weather was an added bonus, with wall-to-wall sunshine on Sunday helping swell the crowd.
Mat Jackson got back to the top of the podium after earning the 20th race win of his BTCC career.
The 33-year-old from Warwickshire guided his Airwaves Racing car to victory in the second of the day’s three races.
Honda Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal took the opening-race honours, with Rob Collard surging past eBay Motors team-mate and polesitter Nick Foster to win the final race.
The driver who probably received the most enthusiastic welcome was Fifer Gordon Shedden, the 2012 BTCC champion, who headed into the meeting in second place overall behind West Surrey Racing’s Colin Turkington.
Before this weekend, Shedden, of Dalgety Bay, held three wins at his home circuit, alongside a tally of 11 podiums in 24 top-tier BTCC races in Fife.
He was unable to add to his total of wins but remains in second overall.
Before racing got under way, he said: “We only get to race here once a year, so it’s really special. Our nation has a fantastic heritage in motorsport and for me to come back here and race in touring cars, something I grew up watching with my dad, it’s definitely special.”
The race weekend had even more going on than usual, with Knockhill celebrating its 40th anniversary with a spectacular display of cars.
Another significant date was the 50th anniversary of Fife-born legend Jim Clark’s first championship win.
On Thursday a special Forth Road Bridge crossing took place to mark the occasion.
It saw a parade of six of Clark’s cars and four modern-day BTCC cars cross the bridge.
The parade included two of Clark’s single seaters, two Lotus Cortinas and two other early Clark cars.