BTCC Driver Profiles - Matt NealBorn: 20 December 1966Lives: Hanbury, Worcestershire 2007 entry: Car #1, Team Halfords Honda Civic (S2000) Website: http://www.mattneal.co.uk The first back-top-back champion since Chris Hodgetts in 1986/7. The "people's champion" tag had already been earned (along with a £250,000 cheque) when in 1999 Matt became the first independent driver to win a race outright. The tall guy of the BTCC may have a reputation as a ladies man, but he's happily married now and devoted to his two sons who can often be seen with him at the circuit. Career highlights: 2007 BTCC with Team Dynamics; aiming to make it three in a row as the team switches to all-new S2000 Honda Civics. Matt's used to driving the old shape car, but the new Civic is a different beast entirely (including, mercifully, more leg room!) and the switch away from the all-conquering Integra will take some getting used to. 2006 BTCC with Team Dynamics to defend his Championship in a brand new Honda Integra. His season started poorly with a brake failure in qualifying putting his car into the wall at Druids, and he did well to notch up a pair of podium finishes. However the weekend ended the way it started, with Matt's Integra in the barriers - this time at Paddock Hill bend as a result of a coming-together with Collard which bought out the red flags and saw the MG driver excluded from the results - also ending Matt's run of 33 finishes. Two wins at Mondello Park put his championship back on track, and a further win at Oulton extended his lead still further - as team mate Shedden also proved a useful asset to the team. Yet another win, accompanied by two second places at Thruxton gave him a crucial advantage as Plato faultered, and a solid weekend at Croft left the SEAT driver saying it was all but over. By the time the BTCC returned to Brands Hatch, Matt had built up a 53 point lead and could theoretically win the title if he maintained that gap, but a coming together with Chilton in the final race saw a rare non-finish and meant that there would be a showdown at Silverstone. 4th place in the first race was enough to get the job done, and he won the second race of the day taking his total to 8 wins. Sat out the final race with car problems but no matter, Matt was a back-to-back champion. 2005 BTCC with Team Halfords, once again entered by Team Dynamics but now running the stunning Honda Integra which had proved quick in testing. Those high hopes proved correct at Donington when Matt won two of the three races, opening up a slender lead from Muller in the points. Two strong podium finishes were the highlight of Thruxton but he was eclipsed by team mate Dan Eaves, and was robbed of a podium in the final race by Muller. Re-took the championship lead by winning the first two races at Brands Hatch, but struggled with the extra weight in the third. Won one of the three Oulton Park rounds and picked up enough points to keep his championship alive, then went to Croft nursing an injured leg sustained by falling off a mechanical bull! Despite this "tennis injury" (as he preferred to call it) and some unwanted attention from Plato, he twice made it onto the podium. The next few weekends bought plenty of podiums and points, but wins eluded Matt as he took a cautious approach to his championship. However after race one at Knockhill where he was barged down into P2 by championship rival Muller he felt that the time had come to assert himself; which he did in the second race with a no-nonsense move on the Frenchman to take his 6th win of the season. He could scarcely believe his luck in race three when his rival retired, Matt's third podium of the weekend giving him a 30-point championship lead. On to Silverstone, and although he finished all three races in the points it was his worst weekend of the year. Fortunately Muller had an equally poor day, and they went to Brands with Matt only needing to keep his nose clean to achieve his lifelong ambition. Yvan did finish ahead in race one to close the gap slightly, but after a racing incident between the two rivals in the second race the VX driver picked up a puncture which dropped him out of the points, handing the title to Neal. In the final race he avoided a lap two accident to complete a remakable season which saw him finish all 30 races, scoring points in every single one of them. Final total, then: six wins and 316 points. 2004 BTCC with Computeach Racing with Halfords, entered by his father's Team Dynamics outfit using last year's Civic. Also presenting features for ITV's Pulling Power. Strong qualifying pace helped him to win at Brands Hatch and Silverstone, and although the bad luck took a while to disappear Matt managed 3 good finishes out of 3 at Oulton Park. The bad luck returned mid-season as he was on the wrong end of some racing incidents, while away from the track his new home got flooded. A 3rd place at Croft was scant consolation, but at Knockhill the car was back on the pace. He carried the good form into Brands Hatch, taking a lights-to-flag win in the first race, and was unlucky to make contact with a weaving Plato when a second place was on the cards later in the day. More champagne with a 2nd place at Snetterton, desperately needed as he challenged the MG's for the indy prize. Donington saw the return of the bad luck fairy, Matt failing to add any points to his tally of 181 and worse still allowing Dan Eaves to steal 3rd in the Independents. Finished 5th overall and showing no sign of slowing down, but 2004 must rank as a disappointment. 2003 BTCC with Honda Racing, Civic Type-R. Woeful early-season reliability and luck prevented a championship challenge but 6 race wins and 3rd position in the standings underlined Matt's undoubted class. 2002 BTCC - Team Egg Sport Vauxhall - 3rd 2001 European Touring Car Championship; Australian V8s - limited programme 2000 BTCC Independents' Cup - Champion; Bathurst 1000km - 12th 1999 BTCC Independents' Cup - Champion - first privateer to win a race outright in the modern era; Nurburgring 24 Hours 1998 BTCC Independents' Cup - 2nd; Bathurst 1000km - 2nd 1997 BTCC Independents' Cup - 4th 1996 BTCC Independents' Cup - 3rd 1995 BTCC Independents' Cup - Champion; member of the British team in the FIA Touring Car World Cup 1994 BTCC - Mazda - 23rd 1993 BTCC Independents' Cup - Champion 1992 BTCC Independents' Cup - 2nd 1991 Production Saloon Championship - Class Champion 1990 Production Saloon Championship - Class Champion; Willhire 24 Hours winner 1989 Ford Fiesta Challenge - 4th 1988 Brands Hatch Ford Fiesta Winterseries - 2nd 1985 Motocross |
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