Matt Neal insists that a podium finish in the latest rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Chmpionship was just a 'small way to say thank-you' to the Team Halfords crew who had worked round the clock to ensure he made the trip to Scotland.
Neal saw his car written off in the opening race at
Brands Hatch when he was left with nowhere to go following a spin for
Mat Jackson, making contact with the
BMW before his stationary car was hit by Dave Pinkney's Alfa Romeo at full racing speed.
Luckily, both Neal and Pinkney escaped serious injury, although the same couldn't be said for their cars – with the Halfords crew being left with little more than a week and half to build a new Civic ready for it to head north to
Knockhill.
Not only was the car ready, but Neal was able to shake it down prior to the weekend and then qualified in ninth place – albeit lower than he had hoped for as he struggled to get the same kind of reaction from the car as with his old one.
However, after a retirement in race one following contact with Jackson on the run to the Hairpin, the defending champion took a solid sixth place in race two before joining team-mate Gordon Shedden on the podium in race three as the team took its first 1-2 since switching to the Civic at the start of the season.
"It was a tough start to the day but it's ended up great with a first 1-2 finish with the Honda Civic - so that it a real milestone for us,” he said. “I don't think anyone can appreciate how much work has gone in to getting me here this weekend as the guys have done two months work in ten days. It is a small, close-knit group and I can't name names as they have all worked so hard. I saw them on Bank Holiday Monday working with a smile on their face and it brought a tear to my eye as they are so dedicated. This is a small thank-you to them going into the six week break before
Thruxton.
