Podium finish for Shedden after surviving 100mph crash

DUNFERMLINE'S Gordon Shedden capped a nightmare weekend, during which he survived a 100mph shunt in his Honda Integra, by finishing on the podium in the latest round of the British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill.

The 27-year-old, who started 13th on the grid, finished second - sandwiched between Team Halfords team-mates, championship leader Matt Neal and Gareth Howell, in yesterday's final race but the Scot admitted he was amazed to start the race let alone finish.

"My car was absolutely mangled in the second race when I was rammed and catapulted into a tyre wall," said BTCC rookie Shedden, who set fastest lap times in races one and three and has moved into fourth in the championship. "I'm not sure who hit me, but I certainly know the impact was pretty fierce and destroyed the bulk of the front of the car. The work my mechanics did to get the car on to the grid was sensational."

Shedden's first race had looked promising when he pressurised the Seat of eventual winner Jason Plato in the early stages but a puncture and a controversial drive-through penalty saw him slip back to sixth.

Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi won the day's second race to give Vauxhall its 100th BTCC win 15 years after Galashiels racer John Cleland won their first, also at Knockhill.

In the British Formula Ford Championship, Longniddry's Sarah Playfair, 21, making her first appearance of the year, finished an impressive fourth while 21-year-old Jonathan Adam from Kirkcaldy took victory in the Seat Cupra Championship.