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Gordon Shedden secures BTCC return with Speedworks Motorsport

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Three-time British Touring Car Championship title winner Gordon Shedden will make a return to the grid this year after inking a deal to join Speedworks Motorsport.

Running under the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK banner, the Scotsman will make his first appearance in the series since 2022 and will drive a Toyota Corolla GR Sport alongside Ronan Pearson and Aron Taylor-Smith.

Winning the biggest prize in UK motorsport in 2012, 2015 and 2016, Shedden is one of the most decorated drivers in BTCC history with 52 race wins to his name – placing him fifth on the all-time winners list.

Throughout his BTCC career Shedden has been largely aligned with Team Dynamics however their departure ahead of the 2023 season left the 46-year-old on the sidelines; until now.

“It’s pretty well-known that I didn’t want to leave the BTCC two years ago; the team I was due to race with pulled out of the championship on the eve of the season, which was a body blow and completely beyond my control,” said Shedden.

“Since then, my desire to race has never gone away, but I don’t do this just to be on the grid, and I was quite clear that I wouldn’t come back unless it was with a programme that I believed in. That is what I am confident I have found here with Speedworks Motorsport and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK.

“The deal has come together in a very short space of time. I don’t think either of us thought the other was available, but once we began talking, we quickly discovered a lot of common ground and a willingness to make something happen. Christian [Dick] and Danny [Buxton – Speedworks Head of Motorsport] are both racers at heart, and their commitment to continuously improving every aspect of the operation struck me immediately. We’re all very much on the same page.

“Everybody has been working hard and keeping their heads down over the winter, and the team is consequently in a good place. Last year, three of the four Toyota drivers won races in the Corolla, so it’s evidently a very capable package and I’m excited to be working with Neil Brown Engineering again on the engine side and with Árón and Ronan as team-mates for the first time.

“The primary objective is to be competitive, so the immediate goal is to tick as many boxes as possible pre-season. We all know that success in the BTCC requires a lot of round pegs to fall into round holes, but experience counts for a lot in this championship and hopefully everything will come together and we can fight for race wins – if not more. That’s what we’re here for!”