Rivals back Gordon Shedden for Finals Day

Gordon Shedden has been backed to secure the 2016 BTCC title by his rival drivers as the clock ticks down to the final three races of the season at Brands Hatch.

The Honda driver goes into Finals Day sitting second in the championship standings to Sam Tordoff, with eleven points splitting the pair.

A straw poll amongst the 23 drivers who are no longer involved in the fight for the title revealed that eight felt the Scot would overcome his current deficit in the points to secure a second successive title – which would make him the first person since Fabrizio Giovanardi to defend the championship crown.

Tordoff’s current eleven point lead was enough to persuade six drivers to vote in favour of the current championship leader, with fourth-placed Rob Collard in the second of the WSR-backed BMWs being named third favourite with four votes.

Two drivers said they felt Matt Neal or Mat Jackson could still win the crown, with no votes for Andrew Jordan, Colin Turkington or Jason Plato reflecting the fact that the title race is more a five way fight.

One driver failed to log a vote, insisting that they couldn’t decide between the main contenders.

Shedden will start the opening race of the weekend from seventh on the grid, three places ahead of Tordoff who sits on the fifth row – just ahead of Neal and Collard.

Jackson meanwhile lines up down in P19 in his Motorbase Performance-run Ford.