After the squad’s best points-scoring weekend in recent years at Oulton Park just two weeks ago, Halfords Racing with Cataclean drivers Daniel Rowbottom and Gordon Shedden are fired up and raring to go as the pair continues its hunt for Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship glory.
While the team had struggled to maximise results that matched the pace of the Honda Civic Type R previously, the stars aligned in Cheshire and both drivers came away with an impressive points haul, leaving Rowbottom third and Shedden sixth in the title battle.
The weekend also pushed the Droitwich-based squad up to second in the Teams’ Standings, and further increased Rowbottom’s advantage in the Jack Sears Trophy.
Heading to Knockhill, both drivers are bolstered by their recent successes and will be aiming to continue this strong run in front of the returning fans at the Fife circuit.
“Sometimes the luck just doesn’t go your way and we’ve had our fair share of that this season, so it was great to get the results we did at Oulton,” said Team Owner Matt Neal. “Equally, you must make your own luck in this game and as you can imagine I am a pretty tough taskmaster so I expect the drivers and the team to push as hard as they can. There is no resting on our laurels!
“Knockhill is a track that we know well and have gone well at over the years, so we will keep the pressure on the likes of Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram, as you can guarantee they will want to score well this weekend after a disappointing Oulton for them both.”
“Oulton was a great weekend for us all,” added Shedden. “I’m right back in the mix now and going to my home circuit I’ve got my tail up, I need that win! I don’t get to drive the circuit as much as everyone thinks these days, and I haven’t raced here since 2017, so I’ll be looking to find my form early on in free practice.
“I drove the car here at the beginning of last year, when Matt was out injured and managed to get on the pace pretty quickly, so I’m hoping I can get in the groove this weekend and score some all-important points! I’ve had some great results over the years with 11 podiums and obviously the home crowd is always worth an extra tenth or two!”
“To get the monkey off my back at Oulton was a huge relief,” admitted Rowbottom. “I’ve felt it has been building over the last few rounds and we just haven’t quite managed to achieve that top step of the podium.
"I feel that I’m on top of my game now and ready to take on the challenge of Knockhill, which is such a great circuit to drive, but very tight, twisty, and unforgiving! I can’t wait to get going again now and you can guarantee I’ll be trying my hardest to get a good points haul again this weekend!”
