Race pair ready for touring car season finale
THE final instalment of a gripping Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season concludes this weekend and two local drivers will aim to end on a high.
Although a first title for Rory Butcher, and a fourth for Gordon Shedden, is out of reach, both competitors will seek to consolidate their positions in the upper echelons of the drivers’ standings when the action comes to an end at Brands Hatch’s famous Grand Prix layout.
Butcher, whose dad, Derek, is the owner and CEO of Knockhill Racing Circuit, secured his first win of the season last time out at Silverstone, which was one of three podiums as he outscored his rivals.
He goes into the final race weekend fifth in the overall standings, with seven top-three finishes behind him, and claimed a second place in the final round at the 2.43-mile circuit in 2019.
“I always look forward to going to Brands GP – even more so this year, off the back of such a superb weekend at Silverstone,” Butcher commented.
“It’s a classic, old-school challenge – a proper drivers’ track that generates fantastic racing, and not a place for the faint-hearted.
“The Toyota Gazoo Racing UK camp is brimful of confidence following our first win of the season last time out and there’s no reason at all why the Corolla shouldn’t be just as competitive at Brands Hatch.
“There’s obviously a pretty tense title fight (between Ash Sutton, Jake Hill, Tom Ingram and Colin Turkington) playing out right now and, while I clearly don’t want to get mixed up in that, at the same time, we don’t need to worry about playing the percentages, and can simply focus on trying to achieve the very best possible results for ourselves.
“Having climbed into the top five in the standings, I’m keen to maintain that position to match my best-ever BTCC finish, but I’d also like to bring home a bit more silverware before we head into the long off-season to thank the Speedworks guys and girls for all their hard work.
“Regardless of where you are in the points table, the last race of the year is one that everybody wants to win as it gives you that little bit of extra momentum and motivation going into the winter months.
“I’ve done it before – on the Indy circuit back in 2020 – and I would love to do it again. We’ll certainly be giving it our absolute best shot!”
Shedden, who won the series in 2012, 2015 and 2016, is seventh in the standings, 28 points behind his brother-in-law Butcher, having also secured a podium place at Silverstone.
After finishing fourth in race one, the 43-year-old Halfords Racing with Cataclean driver was third, one place behind Butcher, in race two, before ending the weekend with an eighth place, giving him a points haul of 36.
Qualifying for the final race weekend will take place on Saturday, with rounds 28, 29 and 30 being held on Sunday, broadcast live on ITV4.