Matt Neal predicts a dramatic triple header in the British Touring Car Championship this weekend as the series makes it’s annual trip north of the Scottish border to Knockhill, with just four meetings left to run in this years title run-in.
Series stalwart Rob Collard heads up the championship table by three points from his Team JCT600 with GardX team-mate, Sam Tordoff, who similarly holds a three point margin over three-time champion Neal in third.
Snetterton saw a return to form of sorts for the works Halfords Yuasa Racing outfit, with Neal’s sixth podium of the season and defending champion Gordon Shedden’s first victory since Donington Park elevating them to third and fourth respectively in the title chase.
Similarly, Honda gained ground in both the HiQ Teams Championship, in which they trail the potent BMW duo of Collard and Tordoff, and in the Manufacturer chase. Having won a race apiece at the tricky 1.27 mile circuit last season, and with a Honda Civic having been victorious in each of the last three seasons, the team makes the long journey north with high expectations of the weekend.
For Neal, the weekend represents an enjoyable opportunity, not only to drive a challenging and rewarding circuit, but to put on a good show for the Scottish contingent and their travel-weary cousins from further south.
“I’m looking forward to Knockhill. It’s obviously Flash’s backyard, so I’ll be taking a sneaky peek at his lines to see if I can get a cheeky headstart!” he joked.
“Seriously, though, I always enjoy going there. There’s a fantastic atmosphere with thousands of enthusiastic Scottish fans, who are so close to the action you can feel the vibes inside the car!
“The circuit itself is tremendous fun to drive and like a mini rollercoaster ride – constantly twisting and turning, meaning you never get a moment to breathe.”
He believes the circuit’s changing gradient and corner configuration will play into the hands of the rear-wheel drive machines on the 31-car strong grid, such as the BMW 125i M-Sport and the recently resurgent Subaru Levorg GT, but is hopeful that the Honda Civic Type-R’s strong chassis can aid Neal and Shedden in closing the championship gap even further.
“It will play to the strengths of the rear wheel-drive machinery, but with its first-class chassis, the Civic Type R should help us to take the fight to them and rack up some solid points.”
“We’re moving into the business end of the season now, so hold on tight – sparks will fly!”
Traditionally Neal has always moved himself into contention for championship glory by scoring points consistently whilst the drama unfolds around him, and another three strong points finishes will be crucial at the weekend if he is to keep the ever-present BMW tag-team within his sights as the races tick down towards the finale at Brands Hatch in October.
The first race of the weekend gets underway at 11:50 on Sunday 14th August and, as ever, will be screened live on ITV4, with TouringCars.net on hand in Scotland to provide full session reports, exclusive driver reactions, updated championship standings and detailed analysis throughout the weekend.