Halfords Yuasa Racing face a ‘new challenge’ in the 2016 British Touring Car Championship according to reigning champion Gordon Shedden, as the team revealed their new challenger at the BTCC media day at Donington Park.
Honda unveiled their trio of striking orange Civics on Tuesday, with team regulars Shedden and Matt Neal joined by BTCC returnee Andy Neate.
The outfit have also rekindled their association with Halfords, with whom Team Dynamics took back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 in a partnership that eventually spanned five seasons from 2004 to 2008.
Defending champion Shedden pointed out the similarities between the 2016 season and his first-ever in the BTCC, which came in 2006 at the wheel of a Halfords-backed Honda.
“I’m feeling good and I’m feeling prepared, although there’s no doubt that the competition will come thick and fast this year,” said Shedden. “We’ve had a lot to work through over the winter with the new RML components – it’s been a bit like starting again in that respect, but that’s part of the fun of developing a new car and everybody’s got the same box of bits to play with.
“This season marks ten years since I got my big break in the BTCC with Honda and Team Dynamics in a Halfords-sponsored Integra Type R, with Matt as the reigning champion and me the fresh-faced kid! It’s incredible to think that a partnership that was formed back in 2006 is still going so strong today – stronger than ever, in fact – and it’s nice to welcome Halfords back into the fold alongside our long-term partner Yuasa.
“This year represents a new challenge, and it is in just such situations that our collective strength as a team truly comes to the fore. If you were to name all the elements that constitute a successful team – from drivers to cars and mechanics to engineers – then I think you’d have to say we tick an awful lot of the boxes.”
Neal is entering into an incredible 26th season in the BTCC and the three-time champion praised the efforts of his team, who have not only been working on the new RML components but have also been trying to make further gains in the engine department.
“It’s been a flat-out winter,” explained Neal. “The guys literally haven’t stopped. We’ve been collaborating closely with Neil Brown Engineering on the new engine, which is another big step forward. It’s cutting new ground and has massive potential – what it delivers in terms of drivability and mid-range power is phenomenal, and that’s very exciting.
“We are well aware that you can never rest on your laurels, and we’ll need to work harder than ever to stay ahead of the game. In four of the last five years, a Honda driver has walked away with the championship, so we certainly have a target on our backs for other teams to shoot at. That’s the territory that comes with success, though, and there’s no other position I’d rather be in.”
Neal also welcomed Halfords back alongside long-term partner battery Yuasa, who first backed the team during the 2011 season.
“It’s brilliant to have Halfords back on-board and to have retained Yuasa’s equally vital support – and whilst it’s been a great journey so far, we’re confident the best is yet to come,” added Neal. “The cars will certainly look very distinctive, and you know what they say about a car that looks fast…”
Neate returns to the BTCC for the first time since 2013, when an ill-fated attempt to run his own team came short of delivering promising results. By returning with the defending champions, Neate has put himself in the best possible position ahead of his fourth full season in the championship.
“It was fantastic to be back behind the wheel,” enthused Neate. “Everybody has welcomed me so openly and really made me feel part of the team at Halfords Yuasa Racing, which has made it easy to settle in. From organisation to attention-to-detail, you can see why Honda are the champions – I don’t think there’s any team in the paddock that does it better.
“The engineering side has done an absolutely amazing job with the car – the Civic Type R is just immense. The 2016 version is an improvement on last year’s model, which was already the BTCC benchmark – and we’ve only really scratched the surface of its potential so far. That bodes very well indeed for the months ahead.”