Matt Neal: “We can’t fight in this car”

Matt Neal qualified in seventh position, the best-placed of the three Team Dynamics Honda Civics at Rockingham Motor Speedway, and explained the car feels like it’s the best it’s ever been, but that it can’t compete for pace with its rivals at the moment.

The triple-champion was three-tenths behind pole-sitter James Cole’s Subaru in the qualifying session, while team-mate and championship leader Gordon Shedden was 16th, with Matt Simpson’s satellite-run entry in 27th.

“The car feels great. It’s the best car we’ve ever had,” said Neal to TouringCarTimes.

“I was absolutely wringing the neck out of the car, but to explain where we are, you just have to look where we are in the speed traps. Over the finish line we’re 30th and 31st (with Shedden and Simpson).

On race day strategy, Neal explains the plan is one of survival.

“We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get the thing smashed up in the midfield – when you consider who we’re surrounded by. We just can’t live with them on the straights at the moment. I wish I could paint it better than that – it’s the same car I stuck on pole twice at the beginning of the year, but we can’t fight in it.”