Three-time BTCC champion Gordon Shedden is making a return to the series with Team Dynamics, replacing outgoing Dan Cammish.
The Scotsman, who won his three titles with the Honda backed team, returns to the sport after a three year absence, having last raced in 2017. In a somewhat poetic twist, it was Cammish who replaced Shedden three years ago, and now the roles are reversed.
Shedden, or ‘Flash’ as he is known, needs no introduction to BTCC fans. He made his debut at Knockhill in 2001 as an independent and secured a full time BTCC drive with Team Dynamics in 2006. He won his first race at round seven at Oulton Park.
Shedden last raced in the BTCC in 2017. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
He stayed with the team until a small stint with Seat in the second half of 2009. Shedden returned in 2010 with the squad now a manufacturer backed Honda team. Incredibly between 2010 and 2016 he wasn’t out of the top three in the championship standings. He won his first title in 2012 before adding two more in 2015 and 2016.
His last BTCC season in 2017 secured three wins and fourth in the championship before he left for World Touring Cars, with Cammish replacing him.
This won’t be the first time he’s driven the Honda Civic FK8, as he had a demo run last year when Matt Neal was injured in a bike crash, but Shedden says he ‘can’t wait to get back in the car.’
Shedden has 48 wins to his name and will make his 350th appearance this season. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Shedden told the official BTCC website: “I’ve been keeping an eye on the Championship, and it looks mega competitive, but my fight and determination is as high as it’s ever been, so I’ll be giving it my all.”
This news comes after Cammish announced he was stepping away from the BTCC, with Shedden’s teammate to be announced in the coming weeks. The strong speculation is we will see Dan Rowbottom in the second seat but time will tell.
One of the most exciting things about pre-season is seeing the cars, seeing what colours we need to look out for on the grid. While most cars look great, there are some that just stand out for all the right reasons.
Whether that be an iconic livery, a moment you associate with your favourite team or driver, or simply you think it looks good and therefore becomes a favourite of yours.
We’ve delved into the archives and found five of our favourite liveries from the last five years of the British Touring Car Championship, with so many to choose from creating a list wasn’t easy.
5. 2016 Team Dynamics Honda Civic
Shedden attacks Knockhill in his Honda Civic FK2. (image credit: BTCC Media)
Honda and Halfords, it’s a combination we’ve become used to over the years watching the British Touring Car Championship. Gordon Shedden took the title for Team Dynamics in his orange Honda with some beautiful black accents to compliment the design. The FK2 Civic is one of the most successful BTCC cars of all time, and suited the colour scheme perfectly.
4. 2020 Excelr8 Hyundai i30N
The beautiful Hyundai i30N from 2020. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting fans to watching on TV, the Hyundai ran by Excelr8 often caught the eye. Driven by Senna Proctor and Chris Smiley, the vivid blue and black colour scheme really helped accentuate the i30N’s features. The red around the grille stood out and made the car easy to spot during races.
3. 2018 Motorbase Ford Focus Pink Edition
This one off livery definitely caught the eye. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
As part of the BTCC’s 60th anniversary celebrations at Snetterton, Sam Tordoff revealed a pink liveried Ford Focus which definitely caught the eye. When asked about why he chose it, Tordoff stated: “We wanted to choose a colour that really made an impact on the track and also on TV. Bright pink has become my signature colour over recent years and we wanted something special for the car, so it was a no-brainer to run with it!”
2. 2019 WSR BMW 330i M Sport
Tom Oliphant at Thruxton in the stunning BMW 330i M Sport. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
BMW’s M Sport brand is one of the most recognisable in motorsport, and while the iconic colours were used on the 1 Series in the few seasons prior, the colours really shone on the new-for-2019 330i. Colin Turkington drove to the title in the white BMW, with splashes of red, light blue and dark blue. Side note, the Pirtek livery used by Andrew Jordan also really suited the 330i, but the white machine used by Turkington and Tom Oliphant, was just a cut above.
1. 2017 WSR Pirtek BMW 1 Series
Andrew Jordan’s beautiful Pirtek livery. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Our favourite livery of the past five years is this stunning metallic Pirtek livery used by Andrew Jordan. It was used in 2016 on his Ford Focus but following his move to WSR, the livery followed. A shining blue with Pirtek’s signature yellow and red logos, this livery caught the eye and really shone. A move to a matte finish akin to Red Bull’s recent liveries followed in 2018, and while pleasant it wasn’t as striking as the metallic versions.
These were just five of our favourites, honourable mentions include Tom Oliphant’s metallic green Ciceley Mercedes Benz A Class from 2018, and BTC Racing’s matte grey Honda Civic FK8 with pink accents.
As we wait for the cars to hit the track, we will sit back and marvel at these beautiful machines a little longer.
Dan Cammish will not be in the 2021 British Touring Car Championship after it was revealed he has left Team Dynamics.
The news broke on Tuesday morning as the Yorkshireman departed after three stellar campaigns in the championship. In what appears to be an amicable split, Cammish leaves the team and means that the Honda backed outfit has yet to name either of its two drivers for this season.
Dan Cammish departs Team Dynamics on good terms. (Image Credit: BTCC Media)
Cammish amassed eight wins in his three seasons with the team. He has been in the hunt for the title in both 2019 and 2020, finishing third on both occasions. This including a dramatic and heart-breaking final race battle in 2019, where brake failure saw him retire in spectacular fashion at Brands Hatch, handing the title to Colin Turkington.
After a flood of supportive tweets came in for Cammish, he was quick to thank the fans for their support over the last few years.
First of all I would like to say thanks to so many of you for the kind and positive tweets. I really wasn’t expecting it and I have to say it is much appreciated today. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in BTCC and much of that enjoyment comes from you guys. Cheers https://t.co/97uNykapxO
Team Dynamics’ lynchpin Matt Neal paid tribute to Cammish and his effort with the team.
Truly gutted about @DanCammish he is a class act, we worked our socks off to make it happen but devastated we couldn’t keep him on the grid 😩
Thanks to the few individuals who blocked our attempts but real thanks to those who welcomed the competition and supported our efforts.
The move brings up a conundrum for the Team Dynamics side, what is their next move going to be?
Series veteran Matt Neal has been strongly rumoured to be retiring and taking on a leadership role in the garage. The move may mean Neal has one more season, or he sticks to his plan and brings in two brand new drivers for the new season.
There are various contenders for the two seats, and ones which will be the most coveted, in what is a race and title winning outfit.
Dan Rowbottom has been strongly linked with a move to Team Dynamics, having had one season in 2019 in the BTCC with Ciceley Motorsport. Neal could remain with the team and shelve his retirement plans. His son Henry could be drafted in but some believe it’s too early for him to make the step up.
Alternatively some outside bets for the seat could arise, including Senna Proctor, whose yet to sign for anyone. Another outside bet could be Harry King, who romped to title success in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB series in 2020, and has a similar pedigree to Cammish.
The first driver is said to be revealed on Friday 5 March, with the second being announced over the coming weeks.
