Born in Edinburgh on 15 February 1979, Shedden began his racing career in the Ford Fiesta Championship in 1999 with the Tim Norton Motor Services Ltd. Racing Team. He won the championship the following year, recording nine victories. Outside of the cockpit, Shedden has served as the Business Development Manager for the Knockhill racing circuit alongside his wife, Jillian.
Shedden transitioned to the SEAT Cupra Championship, where he finished as runner-up in 2003 and fourth in 2004. His early exposure to the BTCC included a one-off appearance in the Production Class at Knockhill in 2001. Although he was entered to drive an Alfa Romeo for GR Motorsport in the 2002 BTCC, the car never reached the track.
In 2006, Shedden secured a full-time seat with Team Halfords (Team Dynamics) in the BTCC, partnering with reigning champion Matt Neal. He claimed his first series victory in race 7 at Oulton Park and took his first pole position at Thruxton. He ended his debut season fourth overall with five wins and was named rookie of the year.
Shedden remained a consistent front-runner after Team Dynamics switched to the Honda Civic in 2007, again finishing fourth in the standings. Following a stint as team leader in 2008 and a fragmented 2009 season—which saw him move from Team Dynamics to Clyde Valley Racing and later Club SEAT—he rejoined the factory-supported Honda Racing team in 2010.
The 2010 season saw Shedden finish third in the championship after taking five wins. In 2011, driving the NGTC-powered Honda Civic, he finished as runner-up to teammate Matt Neal, losing the title by only eight points.
Shedden secured his first BTCC title in 2012 driving the new full-NGTC Honda Civic. Despite a difficult start at Brands Hatch and a car fire during practice at Snetterton, he regained the championship lead with two wins at Rockingham and clinched the title at the Brands Hatch season finale. After finishing second in 2013 and third in 2014, Shedden returned to the top of the standings in 2015, winning his second title by four points over Jason Plato while driving the new Honda Type R.
In 2016, Shedden successfully defended his crown. Despite sitting ninth in the standings at the mid-season break, a strong second half featuring three wins allowed him to overtake Sam Tordoff in the final race of the year. This achievement made him the first driver to successfully defend a BTCC title since 2008.
Shedden’s career has been marked by significant mechanical setbacks and technical disqualifications. In 2008, while leading at Thruxton, he suffered punctures in both the first and third races of the day. A similar 125 mph shunt caused by a puncture occurred at Thruxton in 2010 while he was leading the opening race.
Technical infringements also impacted his championship campaigns. In 2012, he was disqualified from a race at Snetterton for an over-boosting engine. In 2013, he lost a podium finish at Brands Hatch after being excluded for failing a ride height test.
In January 2018, Shedden left Team Dynamics to join the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR). He drove for the Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team (W Racing Team) for two seasons. His tenure in the international series concluded in December 2019 when the WRT team announced it would not participate in the 2020 season.
Shedden has made several appearances in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, including a 2005 entry at Knockhill. He has also competed at the Macau Grand Prix on several occasions.
Outside of professional competition, Shedden appeared in multiple episodes of the television program Top Gear. His participations included an articulated bus race in Series 12, an airport vehicles race in Series 14, and a taxi race in Series 20, which he won driving a Hindustan Ambassador.
Shedden's three BTCC titles (2012, 2015, 2016) were all achieved with the Team Dynamics-run Honda squad. His 2016 championship was notable for his recovery from a mid-season points deficit to become the first back-to-back champion of the NGTC era. Following his time in WTCR, Shedden was set to return to the BTCC with Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport.
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