Matt Neal eyeing the top step of the podium at Oulton Park

Matt Neal was delighted to get the time he did out of his Honda Civic Type-R, stating that he was right on the “ragged edge” in order to take second in qualifying.

Neal set a time just 0.011 slower than pole sitter Jason Plato’s lap record breaking time, himself going six tenths of a second under the previous record, but Neal says he had to work incredibly hard in order to reach his time.

“I didn’t think it was going to be that quick,” Neal told TouringCarTimes. “Then you get to that and you always want that little bit more, but I’m dead chuffed because it was definitely on the ragged edge. I thought we had time in the car from free practice but not that sort of time, to be that close to [Plato] I’m really, really pleased.”

Looking forward to the race, Neal would not predict how the race would go, knowing that he was carrying the most ballast of the first two rows and that he had a fast starting BMW lining up behind him on the grid. Despite the potential drawbacks, he still has his eyes set firmly on the top step of the podium.

“I’m never confident but we’ll see,” he continued. “Priaulx should be very fast out the blocks. I’ve got the most weight out of the front two rows, so I’ve just got to try and get a quick lap down. It’s going to be hard on brakes round here. It’s going to be all about the start, Jason’s normally quick out the blocks but he’s had a couple of ropey ones this year, as has Andy so who knows. I want to win, I want wins.”