Motorsport: Dominant Shedden takes two wins at Thruxton

Scotland’s fastest saloon car racer, Gordon Shedden, moved himself into second place in the British Touring Car Championship with two wins at Thruxton.

The 33-year-old from Dalgety Bay, who endured a nightmare qualifying session when his Honda suffered technical problems, started the opening race at the 2.3-mile Hampshire circuit from 18th.

In torrential rain, the Scot powered through to finish sixth behind the Ford of race winner Mat Jackson, before going on to dominate the day’s second race, winning by 3.147secs from Jason Plato’s MG.

Shedden further emphasised his class by winning the day’s final race having started ninth on the reversed grid. The Scot led home a Honda Racing 1-2, ahead of team-mate and defending champion Matt Neal.

“It’s been a mega day,” the Scot, who now sits second in the championship, just four points behind Plato, beamed yesterday. “The car has handled phenomenally all weekend, and in many ways the rain just played into our hands. It was just like racing at Knockhill.”

Meanwhile, Fifer Rory Butcher defied atrocious conditions to score two podium finishes in the Porsche Carrera Cup at Thruxton. The 25-year-old from Kirkcaldy slithered his Celtic Speed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to third in both rounds of the UK’s fastest championship.

“Despite the weather, it’s been a fantastic weekend,” Butcher said. “Conditions were atrocious, especially in the second race.”

Butcher started from sixth in the opening race and began the second race second on the grid.