Photo: PSP Images

Shedden will miss season opener at Brands Hatch

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Gordon Shedden’s championship ambitions have taken a massive hit, with the Scottish driver’s Honda Civic written-off after a heavy crash at Brands Hatch in the first free practice session.

A tyre failure heading into the fast Paddock Hill bend spun the Honda Civic out, causing the session to be red flagged as last year’s championship winning car was recovered from the gravel trap.

Team Principal Steve Neal confirmed that the car was not able to be repaired, and the team will have to look into other options to rescue Shedden’s 2011 championship campaign.

Neal confirmed the new engine was likely a factor in the failure, with the team racing for the first time with the new NGTC-specification engine, which is 30kg heavier than the previous S2000 engine.