BTCC

Shedden Ends Season With Win, Clarke Takes Podium

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Gordon Shedden ended his 2014 British Touring Car Championship season with a race victory during a wet final encounter of the season, while Jack Clarke joined him on the podium for his first rostrum visit of 2014.

Nick Foster exploited the quick-starting BMW 125i by launching ahead of pole-sitter Clarke into the lead of the race at the start, the Crabbies Racing Ford Focus driver hanging on well as the race was instantly brought under safety car conditions by a spin for James Cole into the gravel at Surtees.

The race for the lead soon changed hands once again as Clarke found better traction at Graham Hill Bend to take back the top spot from Foster, who began falling down the top 10 as the conditions worsened.

The charger of the race was Shedden, who rapidly made his way up to third and then second with a brave move inside Foster at Hawthorn, before chasing down Clarke’s Ford.

Clarke survived an initial attack at Paddock Hill Bend as Shedden slid luridly sideways, before the Scot made his move finally stick as his Honda Yuasa Racing Civic Tourer found better grip to dive inside the rookie at Westfield.

Shedden claimed victory to seal third in the championship by matching his win at the final round of last year, over three seconds clear of the superb Clarke, collecting the maiden podium visit of his rookie season with Motorbase.

Mat Jackson made it two Fords on the podium to ensure he finished every race of 2014, charging through to pass the BMR Racing Volkswagen CC of Aron Smith with a little nudge at Druids helping the cause.

Jackson therefore finished fourth overall in the standings, Sam Tordoff snatching fourth in the final race from Smith in the melee following a second safety car interruption for Martin Depper‘s beached Pirtek Racing Honda Civic at Paddock Hill Bend.

Andrew Jordan was next up on a somewhat quiet weekend for the outgoing champion, Jason Plato charging through from the pit lane to a strong seventh place on a mixed weekend for the former double champion who finishes runner-up of 2014.

The Triple Eight driver disposed of eighth-placed Foster late on, while Tom Ingram and Marc Hynes rounded out the top 10.

Dave Newsham‘s 12th place finish was enough to take the final trophy, the Jack Sears Trophy awarded to the AmD Tuning Ford driver for most overtakes in the season from their starting spots.

Colin Turkington ended the day as the 2014 champion, although he endured a tough final race of the season as he collected Simon Belcher at turn one, then spun on the penultimate lap at Surtees.

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