Photo: PSP Images

Reigning champion Gordon Shedden wins Brands Hatch race two

By

Gordon Shedden took the second win of the 2016 BTCC season in what looked like a calm sunday drive for the reigning champion.

A lightning start from Collard saw the BMW driver jump from sixth to second off the line. Collard went for the lead the following lap at Paddock Hill Bend, but some door handle to door handle racing between Ingram and Collard left the BMW in the middle of the track at Druids and damaged the Toyota Avensis in the process.

Gordon Shedden inherited the lead as Ingram began to drop down the order with his suspension damage, but the safety car was deployed on the next lap for a stranded Chris Smiley on the entrance to Graham Hill Bend.

Shedden got the jump on team-mate Matt Neal at the restart, while behind the leading Hondas saw Josh Cook and Aron Smith duel for the final podium place and Andrew Jordan, Mat Jackson and Ashley Sutton battling for fifth. The Motorbase Performance Ford Focuses were in fine form, as the pair carved their way past both Triple Eight Racing MGs. Jordan and Jackson then charged forward, hunting down the leading trio, but could not find a way past Team BKR’s Aron Smith.

With just four laps to go drama ensued as drivers began running wide at Graham Hill Bend, suggesting fluid had been left on the circuit. The fluid had not been cleared by the time the leaders came through and it began catching out a number of top drivers, including both MGs, with Cook sliding as far as to nudge the tyre barrier, Mat Jackson and Colin Turkington.

Sutton recovered from his sideways moment to retain sixth at the finish line, followed by Jack Goff, Adam Morgan, Sam Tordoff and Jeff Smith rounding out the top ten. Aiden Moffat added an 11th place finish to his tally for the day, while Dan Welch took his second points scoring finish of the meeting, the first time he’s had two points scoring finishes since 2013.

Jason Plato scored Subaru’s first ever BTCC points with a 13th place finish, with Rob Austin and Hunter Abbott rounding out the points scoring places. Colin Turkington looked like he would be the top scoring Team BMR driver before the fluid at Graham Hill Bend caught him out and plummeted him down the order.

TeamHARD’s Jake Hill looked like he was on for a potential top ten result, but a mechanical failure forced him to pull over at the side of the track with just ten laps to go.