Gordon Shedden lead home team-mate Matt Neal as the Honda Yuasa Racing squad picked up a one-two finish in the opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day from Thruxton.
The Civic Type-R duo launched ahead of pole-sitter Aron Smith when the lights went out for the opening 16-lapper of the day in Hampshire, the BMR Racing Volkswagen CC dropping to third spot after a sluggish getaway.
The Irishman attempted to wrestle second place back from championship leader Neal , but could not make his effort at Goodwood corner stick early in the race. The BMR driver then endured heartache on lap 12, dropping back to 21st place after pitting with a left-front puncture that pitched him off the road at Goodwood.
Shedden streaked clear of Neal and clinched his second win of the 2015 season by just over a second from his team-mate, who extended his championship lead in the process.
Adam Morgan inherited third place and a second podium of the season for Ciceley Racing, while Jason Plato enjoyed a calm race for BMR Racing on his way to fourth overall – his fastest lap good enough for race two’s pole position.
Andy Priaulx recovered from a frenetic start but fell backwards in the first half of the race. The West Surrey Racing BMW 125i soon began making back progress lost, coming through to fifth place after surviving a tangle with Jack Goff‘s MG6 GT at the chicane on lap 14.
Goff slipped to eighth as the battle dropped him behind Triple Eight team-mate Andrew Jordan and Colin Turkington‘s Volkswagen CC, the top 10 rounded out by Josh Cook and Tom Ingram who demoted Rob Collard‘s WSR BMW to an eventual 13th place in a frenetic last two laps.
Kieran Gallagher suffered a big spin at Church corner while Andy Wilmot‘s Proton Gen-2 failed to even start the race, Dave Newsham suffering in an early first lap incident that put him out of the race.
Martin Donnelly‘s first BTCC race meanwhile saw the former F1 driver bag a finish, down in 20th spot.
Race two gets underway at 2:32, and you can keep up with the action here at www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk, or via Twitter at @tcfBTCC.
