Andy Neate confirmed at WSR

Andy Neate will rejoin the BTCC in 2010, just 18 months after a crash in a sportscar race that nearly cost him his life. The 35-year-old has been linked with one of West Surrey Racing’s BMWs for some months, but today has confirmed the deal which will see him race a BMW 320si for the team, completing a remarkable comeback to the sport.

“To be with a team who’s past drivers have included the likes of Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen is a very special feeling. Dick Bennetts who runs the show is just the best team boss I could wish for,” said Neate, who made his BTCC debut at the Brands Hatch finale of the 2005 season in a Daniels Motorsport run Vauxhall Astra Coupe, scoring points in race two.

Speaking to the Official BTCC website, Neate went on to say that, “I’m not going to make any grand predictions. The BTCC is as tough as it gets but I definitely want to be in the championship and with WSR for some years.”

The Aylesbury racer admitted that as a result of his accident he had said he wouldn’t race again, but “The BTCC is all I’ve ever wanted to be in since I started out. To me it’s the best race series in the world. The person I really needed to ask permission from was Sarah and after visiting the doctors for assessments she said ‘go for it’.”

Neate was left with a broken neck and multiple injuries, including two decompressed lungs after a crash at the start of the 2008 Britcar 24 Hours at Silverstone.

“When they reached me in the car I wasn’t breathing and they had to do some emergency work to get my lungs going before they could move me. I was airlifted to hospital and the doctors told my wife, Sarah, to prepare for the worst.

“I basically suffered the same injury as the actor Christopher Reeve who played Superman,” says Neate. “The only difference was my spinal chord didn’t break away from the vertebrae. Really, when this happens, at best you’re looking at terrible paralysis.”

After being in a coma for a fortnight and hospital for two months, Neate was eventually allowed home, although it would be a further two months before he could walk again.

“But somehow, I came through it. There were some very tough moments. Waking up and having no mobility. Losing three and a half stones when all you weigh in the first place is 12 stones is also quite a lot to take and for a long time I was a long way of any physical normality.

“But eventually my fitness, strength and sensations started to come back and now I’m ready to race again. I’ve still got a titanium plate in my neck which slightly limits my neck movement but that’s about it.”

Neate tested for WSR at Thruxton on Friday and had been due to run at Silverstone today (Monday), before snow caused the test to be cancelled.

“It’s the way it goes at this time of year. Every bit of seat time is valuable but we’ve got a few more days of testing planned before the season starts. It feels now that I’m back to where I should have been two years ago.”