Gordon Shedden wins sodden season finale at Brands Hatch
Honda Racing Team’s Gordon Shedden took the final win of the 2014 season in monsoon conditions at Brands Hatch, ahead of Motorbase Performance’s Jack Clarke in a career-best second.
The race capped a remarkable turnaround for Shedden, who suffered huge rear-end damage in the first race and had to fight his way through in the second. The Scot passed Clarke into Dingle Dell on lap four, but the series rookie was able to hang on ahead of team-mate Mat Jackson for his first podium and first top 10.
Jackson ends the season as the only driver to complete every racing lap of 2014, ahead of Sam Tordoff and Aron Smith. Outgoing champion Andrew Jordan was sixth for Eurotech Racing, with Triple Eight’s Jason Plato fighting through from a pitlane start to seventh. Nick Foster, Tom Ingram and Marc Hynes completed the top 10.
New champion Colin Turkington made steady progress through the field, but a late off at Surtees meant he came home down in 20th.
At the start, Foster got the jump on pole-man Clarke, with the safety car making another appearance while the marshals retrieved James Cole’s Toyota Avensis.
Once the race resumed, Shedden passed Team BMR’s Jack Goff at Druids, before Clarke retook the lead from Foster into Surtees. Shedden was also quickly past the BMW 125i, and although Clarke gamely fought him off for a lap, the Honda went through into Dingle Dell on lap four.
Goff dropped out of third when he pitted on lap six, while Shedden stretched his lead to around six seconds at the front. This was nullified when the safety car made another appearance on lap nine, when Martin Depper went off at Paddock Hill.
The green flags flew again on lap 12, and Jackson passed Smith in a forceful move at Druids to take third. Shedden was peerless up front, and the race was shortened by three laps due to the shocking conditions, allowing him to cruise home.
