Shedden beats Priaulx in race two thriller
Honda's Gordon Shedden has given the new 2015 Civic Type-R it's ever BTCC victory after fending off BMW's Andy Priaulx by the slenderest of margins following a nail-biting climax to the second race.
With four-laps to go, it didn't look like either Shedden or Priaulx would take the race two victory as pole-man Jason Plato was in a hugely commanding position with an 89th victory for the BMR driver looking to be a full-gone conclusion.
Sensationally, however - when enjoying a near four-second lead at the front - Plato's Volkswagen dramatically careered into the gravel trap at Paddock Hill bend after a suspected front left puncture cruelly denied the double-champion an easy first win of 2015.
Ironically, right as Plato's race came to an abrupt end, Priaulx launched a hefty attack on Shedden's Type-R into the final corner for what was second position. The WSR driver looked to have successfully barged his way through but the 2012-champion fought back to undercut the 1-Series heading back up to Druids.
That looked to have been that. But as the leading pair came across lapped traffic on the final lap, Priaulx once again closed in on Shedden and unleashed another robust attempt on the final corner - setting up an incredible drag-race to the line with the Honda prevailing by just 0.040 seconds.
Shedden's victory incidentally hands the Scot an early championship lead after two races.
Defending champion Colin Turkington took his first podium of the year in third as the BMR man could only watch the staggering battle for the win unfold ahead of him. Turkington had looked dangerous in the opening stages but couldn't prolong a sustained challenge.
Mercedes' Adam Morgan was fourth in the A-Class after he spent most of the opening third of the race glued behind the success ballast laden Rob Collard. Morgan's move on the soft tyre running Collard, paved the way for the rest of an inpatient multi-car queue to demote the race one winner down to an eventual 16th position.
Completing the top-five in fifth was MG's Andrew Jordan quickly followed by the Speedworks Avensis of Tom Ingram.
Sam Tordoff recovered from his race one tyre woes to score a solid seventh place finish after fending Matt Neal off in eighth.
Jack Goff had a messy second encounter in ninth when an early altercation with BMR's Aron Smith hampered his second race.
Rob Austin completed the top-ten in his Audi A4 and will start the reversed race three grid on pole-position.
