MOTOR SPORT: Mixed weekend for Swindon Hondas

9:10am Thursday 7th June 2007

Croft circuit in North Yorkshire was the latest venue for the two Swindon built Honda civic cars in the British Touring Cars Championship.

After the qualifying the Honda piloted by Gordon Shedden was in pole position with the other Swindon Honda of Matt Neal in fourth place on the grid.

The first race on Sunday got underway and both of the Swindon cars made it safely through the first tricky chicane where cars are in danger of going off into a huge gravel trap.

The 15-lap race was won by a BMW but the two Swindon Hondas were home second and third with Shedden just in front of Neal.

Race two was full of incidents - on the warming up lap Neal felt a lot of vibration in his car and the mechanics were looking at it while the race started.

He joined the field but was a lap down after a drive chain had worked loose but the car was up and running.

On lap 11 Shedden retired with a mechanical problem but Neal brought his car safely home and was delighted after the problems he suffered before the race.

The last race of the day for the British Championship was over 16 laps.

Both Hondas were starting towards the back of the field and would have a lot of cars to overtake to gain a good result.

The Swindon cars were quickly up to race speed and were going through the rest of the cars very easily.

As the chequered flag was taken at the end of the race Sheddon was home in fourth closely followed by Neal in sixth position.

The cars will now move onto Oulton Park in Cheshire in 3 weeks for the next 3 races in the 2007 championship.

Caterham driver David Tansley from Cricklade fought his way from last place on the grid to a superb podium finish in the Roadsport B challenge at Donnington.

Other commitments meant that Tansley was in the USA and unable to take part in any testing or prior to the meeting and also had to miss the testing and qualifying on Saturday.

As a result, the Cricklade based-driver had to dash from the airport on Sunday morning to complete a mandatory three-lap practice to compete in the second race, but starting from 22nd - and last - on the grid.

However, Tansley made a good start and stormed his way through the grid in the early laps with some stunning overtaking moves.

In the closing laps of the race Tansley moved into third position and was on the tail of the second-placed car as the chequered flag came out.

He said afterwards: "After failing to finish in the last race at Silverstone and missing the first race at Donnington it was vital to try and pick up a few points.

"Although I had not been able to test, Donnington is a great drivers' circuit and the car was performing well. I had hoped for a top ten finish at best and was thrilled to get on the podium."