General News
03/Dec/2012
Shedden receives Autosport award
Newly crowned Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden shared the stage with FIA Formula 1 and World Rally champs Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Loeb at last night’s star-studded Autosport awards.
As ever the annual ceremony on London’s Park Lane attracted many of motor sport’s most famous faces.
Shedden was voted National Driver of the Year and duly received the coveted Paul Warwick Trophy. Significantly this year he became only the third Scottish driver in history to win the BTCC, joining Jim Clark (1964) and John Cleland (1989 and 1995). Fittingly he was presented with his trophy last night by another great Scot, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, a chief rival of Clark’s in F1 in the Sixties and who also contested the odd race in the BTCC (nee British Saloon Car Championship).
“Being the only other Scottish driver to have his name on the BTCC Champion’s trophy alongside those of John Cleland, who was my hero when I was growing up, and Jim Clark who will forever be a legend makes me very proud,” Shedden said on stage. “Receiving this award tonight from another of my country’s heroes, Sir Jackie, makes things even more special.”
Shedden last weekend received his BTCC Champion’s trophy at the championship’s own Night of Champions ceremony. Tonight (Monday) he is due back in London to receive yet more silverware, namely the British Racing Drivers Club’s prestigious ‘Silver Star’ award based on the BRDC’s own points-scoring system. It is the second time Shedden has achieved the Silver Star having previously won it in 2010…
Meanwhile, in addition to Shedden, other award winners to grace the stage at last night’s Autosport ceremony included Vettel, who won a third straight FIA F1 crown in last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, the winner of that race, Jenson Button, and, after an extraordinary ninth World Rally title, Sebastien Loeb.
