Photo: IP Race Tech Engineering

Neate feels “tough” decision to skip Brands will pay off for IP Tech

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It’s a case of short-term pain for long-term gain for Andy Neate and his IP Tech Race Engineering team, as they announced the “tough” decision to sit out the first round of the season at Brands Hatch.

Both the team and its NGTC Chevrolet Cruze have been started from scratch over the winter and while progress has been swift, the Aylesbury man is keen to avoid a repeat of last year.

The first time Neate drove his Triple Eight MG6 was in free practice at Brands – a situation he has taken the decision not to face again.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Neate said: “The last components won’t be arriving until next Thursday and while the guys could have fitted them, they would have been fitting them at the circuit.

“The first time the car would have turned a wheel would have been in FP1, and I didn’t want to do that. We did that last year. I’ve got sponsors on board this year and I don’t think I would have done myself justice, or them justice.

“We are going to get three or four days of testing in between Brands Hatch and Donington, which will be three or four more than I had in the whole of last year.”

The 38-year-old is confident the decision will set his team up for the rest of the season, including the addition of a second car.

Neate said: “It was a tough decision [not to go to Brands] because I was sad I wouldn’t be on the grid. But I think it will pay dividends.

“We have lodged two entries because the interest in NGTC. There is a significant growth in the grid so we were lucky to get the entry in.

“As soon as my car is finished we will start the second car. We are in conversations with a few drivers, but nothing is set in stone, but I am quite confident we will have a second driver out at the back end of the year.”

Neate said good results would be even more rewarding for the team, considering it has only existed for a matter of months.

He said: “We built not only the car but the factory. I went to the workshop on Wednesday and seeing the car there in its livery was quite a special moment.

“The results we get this year, every single one of them will be special.

“The aim is to be more consistent and to be reliable. Everyone’s saying they want to get in the top 10, but getting there consistently is going to be tough. But I want to achieve a few podiums if I can.”