The British Touring Car Championship kicks into action at Brands Hatch this weekend and for the first time since the late Nineties, two Scots — Kirkcaldy’s Jonathan Adam and Gordon Shedden from Dalgety Bay — have serious hopes of winning the title.
Not since Glasgow’s Anthony Reid, and the late David Leslie from Dumfries, raced together with Nissan have two Scots started the season with cars capable of not only winning races, but also the championship.
“It’s terrific to have the two of us flying the Saltire at the head of the field in Britain’s premier saloon car championship,” Knockhill director Shedden, a past race winner who will again drive his Team Dynamics Honda, admitted today.
“I know we’ve significantly improved our car over last year’s and I know we’re going to be quick straight out of the box. Hopefully I can grab at least one podium in this weekend’s three races.
“We shook the car down yesterday and everything was exactly as we had hoped; no problems. I’m really happy with the car.
“We’ve certainly improved it from last year, and it was bloody quick last season. We’re definitely faster now which is all we can realistically strive for at this stage. Of course we won’t know how fast we are in relative terms until we have the first qualifying session tomorrow.
“Traditionally I’ve never had a good opening weekend to the season, but hopefully all that will change tomorrow and Sunday. It would certainly be good to come away with a good haul of championship points.”
And despite making his BTCC debut this weekend after winning back-to-back Seat Cupra Championships, Adam is quietly confident he can surprise a few of the more established drivers in his BMW 320is.
“We were second-quickest in the test session at Brands last week,” the 24-year-old Fifer said, ‘so I think that shows we’re already well on the pace.
“The one unknown I have is going to be dealing with the rough and tumble of the touring car races. These guys are used to dishing it out and I’m going to have to be ready to fight fire with fire.
“Like Gordon, I think it’s great that we have two Scots in potentially race-winning cars for this season and though I may be new to the championship, I’m certainly gunning for podiums and wins.”
Both Shedden and Adam though face stiff competition in Sunday’s) triple-header at the Kent circuit from the Vauxhalls of defending double-champ Fabrizio Giovanardi and team-mate and former champ, Matt Neal.
JM