Gordon Shedden says focusing on race runs during general testing at Thruxton a fortnight ago should put Honda in a strong position to repeat past successes at the Hampshire circuit this weekend.
Shedden, who was on hand for testing around the 2.3 mile venue alongside team-mate Matt Neal and fellow Dynamics-run driver Matt Simpson on 20th April, believes the information gathered compliments the team’s existing qualifying setup.
Honda have a fifty-percent strike rate at Thruxton over the past seven years and consider it a ‘home event’, with the Honda Civic Type R assembled nearby in Swindon.
Shedden looked to have cemented his championship lead with a victory amid torrentially wet conditions at Donington Park just over a fortnight ago, only to be stripped of the win for a technical infringement.
“We focussed on race runs during the test last week, because we know we can bolt a good qualifying set-up onto the car, and Thruxton has been a reasonably happy hunting ground for us in recent years with the Civic Type R.
“Hopefully that trend will continue this season and we can have a really strong weekend.”
The defending champion also gave an insight into the challenges on a technical and performance front that Thruxton presents to drivers and engineers alike.
The meeting will be the last before TOCA reviews the performance equalisation of the field, in line with the regulations, before the teams head to Oulton Park in two weeks.
“Thruxton is incredibly fast; theoretically you only brake twice around the course of the lap, which is crazy to think,” he admitted.
“Slipstreaming plays a big part, and looking after the tyres over a race distance is key.
“It may look like a relatively straightforward circuit layout on paper, but I can assure you that an awful lot goes on around there from a driving point-of-view!”