Shedden makes BTCC return in Team Dynamics Honda
Three-time British Touring Car champion Gordon Shedden is to return to the series this season with Team Dynamics at the wheel of a Honda Civic Type R.
The confirmation of Shedden’s BTCC comeback comes three days after Dynamics announced a surprise parting of the ways with 2019 and 2020 title contender Dan Cammish.
The 42-year-old Scot won all three of his titles – in 2012, 2015 and 2016 – in the Dynamics-designed, built and run Civic FK2, and has scored all 48 of his BTCC race victories in Dynamics Hondas.
He moved to the World Touring Car Cup in 2018 with Audi, but after two seasons there he was left on the sidelines when the German marque ended its official support for its teams in the series.
Shedden then got behind the wheel of the current Civic FK8 when he stood in during pre-season testing for Matt Neal, who was recovering from serious injuries sustained in a cycling accident.
He was on standby to contest the early-season races should Neal not be fit to race, only for the coronavirus pandemic to delay competition by four months.
Gordon Shedden, Dynamics Honda 2020
Photo by: Jakob Ebrey
“I can’t wait to get back in the car” said Shedden.
“I have kept in touch with the team throughout, and obviously jumped in the car early in 2020 when Matt was injured, and it felt great.
“That was the first time I had driven the new car and it felt right from the off.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the championship, and it looks mega-competitive, but my fight and determination is as high as it’s ever been, so I’ll be giving it my all.”
Shedden’s BTCC return means that for the first time he could be involved in a title fight with his brother-in-law, new Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla recruit Rory Butcher, who made his debut in the series midway through Shedden’s last season, in 2017.
He is the first driver confirmed for the two-car Dynamics line-up, with team chief Neal refusing to comment on whether he will stand down from the driving seat for 2021.
“It’s great to have ‘Flash’ back in the car,” said Neal. “He knows the team and he knows the way we work.
“He showed last year that he hadn’t lost his pace, so we are expecting great things of him – no pressure!”
2021 BTCC confirmed entries so far
West Surrey Racing BMW: Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley
Team Dynamics Honda: Gordon Shedden, TBA
Laser Tools Racing Infiniti: Ash Sutton, Aiden Moffat, Carl Boardley
Motorbase/MB Ford: Jake Hill, Ollie Jackson, Sam Osborne, Andy Neate
BTC Racing Honda: Josh Cook, Michael Crees, Jade Edwards
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota: Rory Butcher, Sam Smelt
Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai: Tom Ingram, Chris Smiley, Jack Butel, Rick Parfitt Jr
Ciceley Motorsport BMW: Adam Morgan, Tom Chilton
Team Hard Cupra: Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Glynn Geddie, TBA
Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall: Jason Plato, TBA
Related video
Cammish parts ways with Honda BTCC squad
BTCC announces further tweaks to 2021 calendar
Ranking the top 10 BTCC drivers of 2021
A refresh in equipment and some returning faces helped contribute to a supremely competitive 2021 British Touring Car Championship campaign. Ash Sutton was crowned a three-time champion, successfully defending his 2020 title, but faced stiff competition in the final year before the switch to hybrid. Motorsport.com picks out the best performers.
Why the BTCC's ballast increase couldn't stop champion Sutton
Ballast will be gone from the BTCC next year as hybrid power enters the scene, but for its final season the maximum was increased from 60kg to 75kg. Despite having to carry that nearly all season, Ash Sutton was always the favourite to pocket a third title - the 27-year-old getting his reward for a season of speed tempered by savvy to nail his opportunities
The much-loved tin-top superstar bowing out at 59
OPINION: It's not often that a driver achieves widespread affection for their personality, as well as their on-track performances. One such individual is Gabriele Tarquini, who will soon bring the curtain down on a remarkable career that has yielded touring car titles on the European and global stage - and, famously, in Britain too
The making of the BTCC's newest superstar
Ash Sutton is on the verge of being crowned a three-time British Touring Car Champion; he seems to have it all. But life hasn't always been straightforward for this superstar of touring cars, as Marcus Simmons has been finding out
Five key plotlines to follow in the 2021 BTCC
It’s been a busy silly season in the BTCC since the chequered flag fell to end the 2020 campaign last November. While last year’s top two have stayed put, there’s been a lot of fat to chew elsewhere, which should result in another fascinating year of tin-top action.
Why a BTCC legend remains defiant at '97 not out'
After a year of enforced absence from the British Touring Car Championship grid, Jason Plato is back and hungrier than ever. Despite stellar opposition and some familiar challenges, the two-time champion still has his eyes focused on the biggest prizes.
The Top 10 BTCC drivers of 2020
The 2020 British Touring Car Championship will go down as a classic in which new winners graced the top step of the podium and an unloved chassis was resurrected into a champion. But who were the year's top performers?
The Villeneuve-esque 'engineer's dream' who lit up BTCC 2020
The Infiniti Q50 was completely redesigned, redeveloped and revamped by BMR and Laser Tools Racing for 2020. And the flamboyant brilliance of the driver behind the wheel was enough to snatch the title at the last gasp…