GORDON SHEDDEN is 23 points behind in the British Touring Car Championships after a "callenging" weekend's racing at Snetterton recently.

The Dalgety Bay racer is still in second place and with 12 races left to run - and a home fixture at Knockhill next - hopes are high the 2012 champ can hit the top.

A frustrated 'Flash' struggled in Norfolk with the extra weight of success ballast due to his position in the championship, and could only qualify in 11th place for race one.

But the Honda Yuasa Racing ace picked up points from every race after battling gamely to take the chequered flag in seventh spot in the first contest.

Race two saw him make progress up to fourth, at which stage team-mate Matt Neal dutifully allowed his title-chasing pal past to guarantee Shedden two potentially crucial extra points and a rostrum finish. In the final race he slipped back to eighth after a slow start but hauled himself back up to fifth.

Shedden reflected, "We knew it was going to be a challenging weekend.

"Snetterton is fast, but there a lot of heavy-braking areas and with so many stop-start sections, the ballast really does affect the car.

"What's more, whilst the Civic Tourer handles fantastically well and stops on a sixpence, we are hampered by the engine limitations down the long straights.

"Qualifying only 11th meant it was going to be a difficult race day, but I managed to grind out some results and make up places in every race, and points do make prizes at the end of the season.

"They could be vital by the time we get to Brands Hatch in October.

"It was a tough weekend, but we did the best job we could. There's still plenty of racing to go, and hopefully the tide will turn a little bit over the next couple of meetings."

Shedden and Neal's combined efforts enabled Honda to reclaim the lead in the manufacturers' championship and preserve second spot in the teams' battle.

Colin Turkington is leading the drivers' championship with Shedden in second spot.

They'll now turn their attention to Knockhill when the BTCC comes roaring into the West Fife circuit on 23rd and 24th August.