Honda Racing Team driver Gordon Shedden expects the new turbo unit will make the Civic an even stronger competitor for the drivers championship for this season.
The team won the manufactuers/constructors and the teams’ titles in 2010, and both drivers Matt Neal and Shedden were in the hunt at the final round at Brands Hatch for the drivers championship, eventually finishing second and third to Jason Plato.
Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Shedden reflects on the team’s strong season in 2010, particularly again the RML run Silverline Chevrolet team.
“Last year had it’s challenges, but we kept our heads down. We didn’t get involved in any of the controversy and ultimately we had a really strong car and really strong team and proved that with our results at the end. To win the manufacturers/constructors was great for Honda and Team Dynamics and for Matt & I both to go into the final round with a chance of winning was absolutely awesome.”
“It’s a massive testament to Team Dynamics, don’t forget that effectively Chevrolet have got unlimited budget for their World Touring Car programme. All the development on that car is getting passed down to that car, so although there’s a testing ban in the UK, there’s no testing ban for World, so obviously that car is going to develop much faster than anything else. But we’ve got such a dedicated team of people at Dynamics, engineering wise we’re really strong…the fact that Matt & I got back together was also one of the key factors, just because we got on so well, we can drive a car very similarly, and that meant we could develop the car between the two of us very well.”
Gordon Shedden expects also that the newly developed Honda turbo unit by Neil Brown Engines will redress the balance with the similar specification Ford teams, Motorbase and Arena Motorsport.
“Our car was very good handling last year, it was one of the best if not the best around the corners and on the brakes, but it’s a hatchback and ultimately with the turbo charged engines that were there (Aon), we were at a bit of a disadvantage as the season went on. So now, on paper, we’re taking the best of both worlds. We’ve got a chassis that works, and works well, and will continue to improve…and hopefully now we have an engine package that will give us parity to the other turbo engines that are out there.”
The current shape Civic will also be seeing out it’s last season in the hands of Team Dynamics, as the team will likely develop an NGTC-specification car, based on the upcoming Honda Civic model to compete in the 2012 season.
“Nobody’s seen the new Civic so we don’t know what it looks like. This will probably be the last year of the Civic as a works team, and we’ll need to develop a full NGTC car for 2012″ said Shedden.
