Flash beats Matt as Team Halfords take on the RAF
Gordon Shedden, with a little bit of help from Squadron Leader Richard Moyes, proved to be victorious over team-mate Matt Neal at RAF Leuchars as Team Halfords went head-to-head with a Tornado F3 at the Fife air base.
Ahead of his home round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, an anxious looking Flash was strapped into the passenger seat of the Tornado ready to battle defending BTCC champion Matt in his Honda Integra - before heading off into the skies for a once in a lifetime trip around the Scottish countryside.
Despite Matt's best efforts, it was the plane that emerged victorious from the race with the two running closely in the opening stages before the afterburners kicked in to allow Flash and Squadron Leader Moyes - known at the base as 'Dicko' - to ease away on the run to the finishing line.
"It was a good race, but when the afterburners kicked in, it was sianara buddy!" Matt said afterwards. "I was tempted to cheat and go before the start but I fluffed it."
While Matt was left to watch on as Team Halfords' third driver Gareth Howell gave passenger rides up and down the runway, Flash was taken on an hour long flight around the surrounding area, including a quick trip over the Knockhill circuit where he helped Team Halfords to a historic lock-out of the podium during the third race of the weekend.
"It's phenomenal how quick the plane is, both in acceleration and deceleration and how quickly it can change direction - it's mind-boggling!" Flash said with his feet firmly back on the ground. "It's a once in a life-time experience and I'm so glad I had the chance to do it. We did some aerobatics and there is so much skill involved to do what Dicko was doing. It wasn't rushed or hurried in any way, it was all smooth and relaxed.
"We pulled some good G-forces out there, I got to see the countryside - sometimes the wrong way up - and it was great. I'm happy I wasn't sick and I stayed conscious, so hopefully I haven't disgraced myself!"
Squadron Leader Moyes added that he was thrilled to take Gordon into the skies and admitted that the race against the championship winning Honda hadn't been as easy as it appeared to those watching on.
"The race wasn't as easy as it looked and I was quite nervous for the first standing quarter mile," he said. "It's only when the jet gets up to 130-140mph that she starts to run away, so I was actually quite tense at one stage.
"Gordon was whooping and hollering for an hour when we got into the air and he couldn't get enough of it. We have a long standing history with Halfords and it is great to work with them and to take the guys for a fly - especially Gordon with him being a local Scottish lad."
The team wishes to thank Dicko, Gaz and all at RAF Leuchars for making the event possible. |
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