Gordon Shedden upset at Plato clash

Honda Racing Team’s Gordon Shedden left Thruxton with one win to his name, but was upset at contact with Jason Plato on the first lap of the day which potentially denied him another.

The reigning champion and Plato’s Triple Eight MG made contact on the exit of the complex, firing the Civic into the guardrail.

Shedden made it back to the pits and rejoined after a tyre change, but finished at the tail of the field.

The luck was reversed in the final race, as a puncture for Plato handed the win to Shedden.

“Obviously I don’t feel particularly enamoured by it all. It ended my race and wrecked a good weekend. But we salvaged what we could,” said Shedden to TouringCarTimes.

“It is a nice way to finish and we can leave with a bit of a spring in our step, and look forward to Oulton Park.

“His [Plato’s] tyres were obviously screwed. You take a win any way you can get them – you want to race, but I don’t need to worry about what they [MG] are doing.”

Shedden made an official complaint to the stewards about the first race incident, but no further action was deemed necessary.

Giving his view on the incident, Plato said: “I made a cracking start and was looking to go around the outside, and that came off.

“We went through the left, I started running out towards the right, and Gordon started coming across.

“Two guys were battling for one corner and inevitably there was a bit of contact. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”