Honda Yuasa Racing star Gordon Shedden is confident of sending his throngs of supporters home happy as the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads north of the border to his local circuit of Knockhill.
Shedden has already tallied three career triumphs at the popular Fife venue – one he likens to ‘a rollercoaster ride’ – and impressively, has finished on the podium there in almost half of the races he has contested. More of the same would be very welcome next weekend (23-24 August), as he bids to close in on the top of the BTCC title standings.
“It’s the one time each year that I get the opportunity to race in front of my home crowd, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make a difference,” mused ‘Flash’ who sits second in the drivers’ classification following the most recent outing at Snetterton, just 23 points shy of the championship lead. “Scottish fans love their motorsport, and touring car racing has been a big part of that in the country over the decades.
“The atmosphere around the circuit is second-to-none. The crowds get so close to the action they can almost touch the cars as they speed around the lap, which is just incredible. Their support does give you an extra spring in your step and is sometimes capable of making extraordinary things happen.
“Knockhill couldn’t be more different to Snetterton in terms of the type of circuit that it is; it’s an absolute rollercoaster ride that goes up-and-down and sends cars airborne on two wheels over the kerbs. That requires massive commitment and means you can’t relax for even a moment, which is what generates such exciting racing.
Team-mate Matt Neal is a four-time winner around the challenging Scottish circuit, and after returning to the rostrum at Snetterton for the first time in almost three months, the triple BTCC Champion is eager to savour the champagne again next weekend.
“Knockhill is a great venue and being the only track the championship visits in Scotland, we always receive a warm welcome – particularly ‘Flash’!” he reflected. “It’s a tight-and-twisty little circuit with plenty of undulation, which makes it a lot of fun from both a driver and spectator point-of-view.
“I’ve gone well at Knockhill in the past, and being light in qualifying there could make a real difference this year, because there will be literally nothing to separate the front-runners around such a short lap where track position is key. As at Snetterton, my primary objective will be to support ‘Flash’ as best I can.”
All the action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 on Sunday, 24 August. The three BTCC races get underway at 11:45, 14:15 and 17:05.
Source: Honda Yuasa Racing