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BTCC 2012 Index

Shedden wins race two at Silverstone to take title to the wire

BTCC News | Sun 16th October 2011

Gordon Shedden claimed victory in race two at Silverstone, ensuring that the title will be decided in the final race of the season.

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By Matt Lamprell

Matt Neal continues to lead the points standings, but his advantage is now just six points over Shedden – and the title is now guaranteed to go to one of the Honda Racing drivers. The pair will start eighth and ninth respectively on the grid for the final race

Matt Neal started the second race from pole position, but it was his Honda Racing teammate who got the jump at the start. Neal was slow off the line, allowing both Shedden and Tom Onslow-Cole to pass him into the first corner.

It was a fairly frantic first lap, but at the end of it, Shedden was still in the lead, ahead of Onslow-Cole and Neal. Contact down the order left Frank Wrathall with damage - the left-hand door on his Toyota Avensis flapping open. It was also set to be another frustrating race for Mat Jackson, who was forced to pit at the end of the first lap with a puncture.

Matt Neal seized his chance to move up to second when Onslow-Cole slid wide at Brooklands on lap four. From that point onwards, he set about challenging his teammate for the lead, but Shedden was not going to give up the lead without a fight.

Jason Plato was not classified as a finisher in the first race of the day, so it was going to be a tough task if he was to keep his title hopes alive. The Silverline Chevrolet driver made up a handful of places in the early laps, but it was a struggle to even get into the points. He passed Nash to go 13th on lap five.

At the front, the gap between Shedden and Neal was just a few tenths, but the Scot was managing to stay ahead. Any advantage that Shedden managed to open up was wiped out on lap 14 when the safety car came out on track.

Nick Foster slid sideways in his WSR BMW as he turned onto the start-finish straight and as he straightened up, he was collected by the passing James Thompson. Damage to the BMW was only on the front end, but the front bumper shattered, leaving debris all over the track.

There were eight laps left when the race restarted and Neal continued to pile on the pressure, but Shedden was equal to anything his teammate could throw at him. It was a fifth one-two of the season for Honda and one that ensured that they are the only drivers left in the title fight.

Behind the Hondas, Tom Onslow-Cole finished third, ahead of Dave Newsham and Andrew Jordan. Tom Boardman finished sixth, with Jason Plato seventh and Tom Chilton eighth. Alex MacDowall was ninth and Daniel Welch, tenth.

The final race of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship gets underway at 17.15 and will see either Matt Neal or Gordoen Shedden crowned champion.

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