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Brands Hatch BTCC: Gordon Shedden claims title as Aron Smith wins

Gordon Shedden clinched his first British Touring Car title in a wet second race at Brands Hatch, taking second behind new BTCC winner Aron Smith

The rear-wheel-drive WSR BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole jumped into the lead at the start, with Smith's Motorbase Ford and Matt Neal's Honda battling for second.

Shedden was just behind Rob Collard's WSR BMW into Druids when a tap from title contender Jason Plato's MG forced the Honda Civic into Collard.

The BMW spun, taking out Will Bratt's Audi and delaying the Speedworks Toyota of Adam Morgan.

With Collard's retirement, which brought out the safety car, Eurotech driver Andrew Jordan secured the Independent drivers' title in his Honda.

Smith overcame Onslow-Cole at Druids just after the restart, but a Paddock Hill Bend clash between Nick Foster's BMW and Dan Welch's Proton, and a crash for Dave Newsham's ES Vauxhall after contact with Plato, brought out the safety car once more.

Smith led at the second restart, while Shedden closed on third man Neal. The Scot made it by at Clearways and set off after Smith and Onslow-Cole.

Before he got there, the BMW went off at Surtees, handing Shedden second. Onslow-Cole was then involved in another incident after Andy Neate's MG went off at Graham Hill Bend and hit Morgan as he came back onto the track.

As Morgan suffered a heavy crash, Onslow-Cole and the Gilham team's newcomer Aaron Williamson also had excursions in avoidance.

Up at the front, Shedden closed on Smith, but elected not to challenge. With Neal third and MG title rival Plato only managing fifth, Shedden's points total is now unassailable with the reversed-grid race still to go.

Neal has also moved two points ahead of Plato in the fight for second in the table.

New Independent champion Jordan was fourth, right behind Neal, while Frank Wrathall's Dynojet Toyota came through from row 11 to sixth.

Mat Jackson also charged from row 11 to take seventh, and will start the reversed-grid finale from pole.

Results - 18 laps:

Pos  Driver            Team/Car             Time/Gap
 1.  Aron Smith        Motorbase Ford     35m56.647s
 2.  Gordon Shedden    Honda                + 2.615s
 3.  Matt Neal         Honda                + 4.489s
 4.  Andrew Jordan     Eurotech Honda       + 4.979s
 5.  Jason Plato       MG                   + 8.829s
 6.  Frank Wrathall    Dynojet Toyota       + 9.503s
 7.  Mat Jackson       Motorbase Ford       + 9.699s
 8.  Jeff Smith        Eurotech Honda      + 13.835s
 9.  Lea Wood          Wood Vauxhall       + 14.125s
10.  Rob Austin        Austin Audi         + 19.418s
11.  Ollie Jackson     AmD Volkswagen      + 27.026s
12.  Andy Neate        MG                  + 40.033s
13.  Liam Griffin      Motorbase Ford      + 40.974s
14.  Nick Foster       WSR BMW             + 46.584s
15.  Tom Onslow-Cole   WSR BMW             + 46.721s
16.  Chris James       ES Vauxhall         + 49.536s
17.  Tony Hughes       Speedworks Toyota   + 49.901s

Retirements:

     Aaron Williamson  Gilham Honda          11 laps
     Adam Morgan       Speedworks Toyota     10 laps
     Tony Gilham       Gilham Vauxhall        6 laps
     Dave Newsham      ES Vauxhall            5 laps
     Daniel Welch      Welch Proton           5 laps
     Will Bratt        Austin Audi            0 laps
     Rob Collard       WSR BMW                0 laps

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