Three-time Champion Matt Neal “It’s a very special feeling”

Honda Racing Team driver Matt Neal has won his third BTCC drivers’ crown, and describes this year as the hardest Championship he has won after the tight all year battle with team-mate Gordon Shedden & Chevrolet’s Jason Plato.

Despite carrying the maximum success ballast weight of 45kg into qualifying and race one, Neal managed to take his third pole of the year, and his first with that much weight on the car on Saturday and converted that into a victory in race one, whilst a puncture for Chevrolet rival Jason Plato in the same race set the reigning Champion up for his eventual elimination from the Championship hunt in race two.

By race three the fight was just between the two Honda drivers, but with Gordon Shedden having to pass Neal and get on the podium to outscore his team-mate, the odds were stacked against him, and with Neal finishing eighth and Shedden tenth in Round 30, the title went to Neal by eight points.

“I thought I’d get used to it or get a bit hardened to it, but I still shed a tear on the slowing down lap,” said Neal to TouringCarTimes.

“You can’t get used to the feeling. I feel gutted for Flash as that one qualifying lap split us this year and is that right? I don’t know. But that gave me the edge for this weekend which has given me the edge for the season.”

“I know how much it would have meant to him as I know how much it means to me and I feel gutted for him. We’ve had a real tough year where we’ve all closed the ranks and dug deep and we’ve done it together and worked as a team, and I know what the feeling must be for him, I just wish we could have both our names on the trophy.”

At Silverstone, there were three double Champions on the grid with Matt Neal, James Thompson and Jason Plato, but now Matt Neal will be the driver with the most Championships to his name on the grid in 2011, returning with Honda in the new 2012 Civic.

“I’m sure I’ll change by the beginning of next year, but I almost think I’m happy with three. I’m not a big stats person…What we’ve got looking forward looks really exciting with the new Civic, really exciting with NGTC regs. So if they think they’ve had a problem with us this year, wait till next.”

On whether his 2011 Championship success feels different to his previous titles with Team Dynamics, when his main rivals were Vauxhall’s Yvan Muller in 2005 and SEAT’s Jason Plato in 2006, Neal said: “I think this has been harder. It’s been such a topsy-turvy year, I had Brands, race one being nerfed out; Snetterton, first lap; Oulton, falling on my sword and slashing Gordon on the way with it, and Rockingham. I’ve had a handful of events where it’s been horrible…some my own making and not my own making, and it’s just a relief to get to the end.”

Next year, the Honda Racing Team will be selling their drivers’ and manufacturers’ Championship winning Super 2000 Honda Civics and building a brand new car based on the upcoming ninth generation Civic to the BTCC’s new Next Generation Touring Car regulations, which Neal is looking forward to but at the same time says he’ll miss the current car.

“It is sad to see it go now, and I was sad on the shakedown knowing it was going to be our last one as it has just been a delight to drive. The engine, the chassis, you can work with it and tune it, it’s got no bad vices and it’s just a fabulous car to drive, and roll on the new one.”