Gordon Shedden has won a dramatic opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Croft by just 0.035s from Robert Collard.

Collard’s WSR BMW crossed the line half on the grass as he unsuccessfully tried to pass Shedden’s Honda Racing Team Honda Civic in a sprint from the last bend to the chequered flag. But Scottish ace Shedden held on by a nose for his first victory of 2010. He also set the race’s fastest lap for a bonus point.

Shedden told btcc.net: “I knew he was coming and it was a case of defending into the final hairpin and then trying to second-guess where he might have a go on the exit. At least I gave him half a car’s width but I wasn’t going to let that one go…”

Collard added: “I went wide into the hairpin to get a run on him and he kept left to block me off so I went to his right. I felt it was a bit unfair on Gordon’s part but in his position I may well have done the same. The crowds probably enjoyed that one!”

Finishing third was Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato and fourth Honda Racing Team's Matt Neal but Tom Chilton, who’d started from pole position in his Team Aon Ford Focus, was down in 18th after pitting to replace a punctured tyre. The result has had a significant effect on the standings heading into the second of today’s three races at the North Yorks track: Neal continues to lead from Plato by just six points with Shedden up from sixth to third.

Notably Daniel Lloyd, aged just 18 from nearby Huddersfield, scored points on his BTCC debut with an excellent seventh place in his Triple Eight-run Vauxhall Vectra.

Shedden, starting from second on the grid, seized the lead at the first corner. He then gradually edged away from Chilton who soon started to struggle for pace with what, unbeknown to him, was a slow left front puncture. At half-distance, Collard and the rest of the following pack started to find a way past Chilton but by hanging on for as long as he could the Ford driver caused great confusion – and excitement – behind as his bunched-up rivals tripped over one another.

Collard then set about closing the gap to Shedden and going onto the final lap they were nose-to-tail. But it was not to be, despite his last gasp effort, although second place – just as first has for Shedden – has clearly breathed new life into Collard’s season.

Keeping clear of all the chaos behind, some 18 seconds adrift the fleeing leaders, were wily pair Plato and Neal, although the latter came under intense pressure towards the end from Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed’s Paul O’Neill.

Triple Eight’s James Nash, his Vectra’s handling knocked askew in a clash with Neal, won the dash for sixth ahead of the impressive Lloyd. Eighth was Chilton’s team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole – he’d been up to fifth but dropped back when his car’s engine briefly cut out. Airwaves BMW’s Mat Jackson took ninth by passing Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Vectra at the final bend – earlier the pair had clashed through Clervaux, costing Jackson valuable time and places.

There was a hugely encouraging drive from Forster Motorsport’s Martin Depper in 14th, right on the bumper of Plato’s team-mate Alex MacDowall who, having run fourth early on, slipped down the order with brake problems. Behind, Martin Johnson just held off Andy Neate for 16th, the latter’s WSR BMW having gone through a high-speed spin at the Clark Esses after a spill with the former’s Boulevard Vauxhall Astra on lap seven.

Retirements included Depper’s team-mate Arthur Forster – the local driver stopped on the opening lap after a spin into a crop field at the Clark Esses. It was at the same corner that Shaun Hollamby also pulled up in his AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf. Lea Wood parked up at the Complex with alternator failure on his Central Group Racing’s Honda Integra. David Pinkney’s Pinkney Motorsport Vectra expired in a cloud of smoke and his mechanics face a race against time to replace its engine for today’s second race.

Croft - Race 1 Result

1 52  Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 15 -- 1m26.297s 2 6 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 15 +0.035s 1m26.688s 3 2  Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 15 +18.355s 1m27.123s 4 4  Matt Neal Honda Civic 15 +20.012s 1m27.067s 5 29 I Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 15 +20.265s 1m27.244s 6 14 I James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 15 +27.276s 1m27.296s 7 25 I Daniel Lloyd Vauxhall Vectra 15 +27.888s 1m27.912s 8 21 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus ST 15 +30.323s 1m26.924s 9 5 I Mat Jackson BMW 320si E90 15 +30.554s 1m27.028s 10 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 15 +30.999s 1m27.222s 11 11 I Steven Kane BMW 320si E90 15 +33.895s 1m27.636s 12 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 15 +35.940s 1m27.005s 13 20  Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 15 +36.601s 1m26.910s 14 30 I Martin Depper BMW 320si E90 15 +37.062s 1m28.548s 15 28 I John George Honda Integra 15 +48.228s 1m28.607s 16 27 I Martin Johnson Vauxhall Astra Coupe 15 +50.673s 1m29.023s 17 44 I Andy Neate BMW 320si E90 15 +51.622s 1m28.658s 18 23 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 15 +1m22.598s 1m26.317s

Not Classified - 37 I Arthur Forster BMW 320si E90 12 +3 Laps 1m30.271s - 43 I Lea Wood Honda Integra 11 +4 Laps 1m28.627s - 99 I Shaun Hollamby VW Golf MK5 4 +11 Laps 1m29.676s - 55 I David Pinkney Vauxhall Vectra 3 +12 Laps 1m28.609s

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