Reigning champion Gordon Shedden is certain that he will launch himself back into the title fight with one strong weekend during the second half of the season, although expects a hard-fought contest this weekend at Snetterton.
The Scot lies 36 points off the tally of his team-mate, championship leader Matt Neal, but feels that this weekend will be a tight fight as the 2.99-mile Snetterton circuit he believes will suit the Honda Yuasa Racing Civic.
He cautioned that the circuit also punishes the penalty ballast that lead drivers are forced to carry as a result of their season’s success, meaning that team-mate Neal could struggle in qualifying with 45kg dumped in his car as opposed to Shedden’s 18kg based on the championship positions.
“Think the infield will suit the Civic, but it’ll be a tough weekend”, said Shedden. “More than perhaps any other circuit Snetterton shows up the extra ballast.
“Snetterton is a great venue and is well supported by the fans. I don’t think the 300 layout is any better than the old circuit, but it has provided good racing over the last couple of years. It should be interesting.”
Shedden also feels certain that one strong weekend without drama will come his way during the second half of the 2013 season to launch him back into title contention, the Honda driver having lost critical points akin to mechanical demons in the opening round of the year, coupled with an incident with Jason Plato at Thruxton, Shedden now lying on equal points with the MG driver.
“We could do with a good qualifying. One of these weekends I know I’ll have a ballastic meeting that’ll fire me back into the title fight.
“I’m on the fringes of it now – we’ve had no lack of speed, just a lack of the cards falling my way, but things usually even themselves out in touring cars.”
