Photo: PSP Images

Gordon Shedden wins dramatic final race at Snetterton and retakes points lead

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Team Dynamics Honda driver Gordon Shedden has retaken the lead of the championship after winning the final race of the day at Snetterton, capitalising on a technical problem for early race leader West Surrey Racing’s Andrew Jordan on the penultimate lap.

The Team BMR Subaru of James Cole started from pole position, but was quickly under threat from Jordan’s BMW 125i M, while Shedden tried to go around the outside of the two of them at Riches, but backed off and slotted into third.

It wasn’t too long before the two of them passed Cole’s Levorg GT, with Rob Collard moving into third in the #5 WSR BMW by the end of the first lap.

Just behind, the Handy Motorsport Toyota of Rob Austin was caught up in trouble at Oggies, and span across the corner and collected Race 1 and 2 winner Ash Sutton’s Subaru, with Austin out on the spot, while Sutton was able to bring his damaged Levorg back to the pits, but was out of the race with no chance of scoring.

Rob Collard overtook Shedden’s Honda at Hamilton on the following lap, but it was soon clear the BMW driver had passed the Honda under the yellow flags which were out while Austin’s car was recovered, and Collard handed the position back on the next lap.

The BMW of Colin Turkington picked off Mat Jackson’s Ford and then James Cole’s Subaru over the next two laps, while two-time champion Matt Neal also found himself in a battle with Cole’s Subaru, which allowed Jackson’s Ford to sneak past the pair of them.

Neal’s car then lost control with an apparent failure and hit the barrier at Oggies, joining the list of retirements.

Jordan continued to control the race, but suddenly slowed on lap 11, with Shedden assuming the lead ahead of Collard and Turkington’s BMWs. The two battled each other on the last two laps which allowed Shedden to get away, and take his third win of the season.

Shedden now moves back into the lead of the championship by two points ahead of Colin Turkington, with Rob Collard just two points further back heading to the next round at Knockhill in Scotland in two weeks’ time.