Matt Neal delighted to equal Andy Rouse record

Matt Neal admitted he was delighted to match the win record of four-time BTCC champion Andy Rouse after securing victory in the opening race of the weekend at Thruxton.

Having taken a first pole position for five years in qualifying, Neal was able to control the race from the front as Honda locked-out the top three positions – with team-mate Gordon Shedden and Eurotech’s Jack Goff joining him on the podium.

It means Neal now has 60 career wins to his name alongside Rouse, with Jason Plato the only man to have secured a greater number of victories.

“It hasn’t sunk in that I’ve equaled Andy’s record – I don’t think it will for a while,” he said. “It’s similar to when I secured my first win at Donington Park as I didn’t realise then how significant it was.

“It wasn’t something I’d even thought about until we were sitting on the grid, and then the butterflies started to flutter a little bit and there was a bit of wondering ‘what if’ but everything went to plan when the lights went out.”

With Shedden running behind, Neal was able to break away in the early stages and then manage the gap at the front; insisting that he’d been able to control the race in the ideal way.

“Obviously I knew where Gordon’s car would be strong, and that I had the advantage of the weight as well,” he said. “I tried to make sure I watched the tyres and got the buffer which then meant I could turn the engine down towards the end and bring it home. There was a little worry when I caught up with the [lapped] Audi but once I cleared that, I was delighted to get the finish and pick up the win.”