Matt Neal 'back in the game' after hat-trick
Matt Neal declared he was ‘back in the game’ after a hat-trick of podiums in the latest round of the British Touring Cars Championship (BTCC) at Oulton Park.
The Stourbridge racer scored a pole position, two second places and a third to move up the championship standings to fifth.
He now trails Honda Yuasa Racing team-mate Gordon Shedden by 33 points after the Scot’s win in race three saw him reclaim his position at the summit.
Three-time champion Neal said: “It’s been a cracking weekend! To be honest, we didn’t know what to expect coming here, but it worked out pretty well. I pushed hard in races one and two and to finish on the podium both times – particularly with 66kg (of race ballast) in the car in the second of them – was great.
“We then lucked in with the reversed grid, but we had the pace to make it work and we made the most of the soft tyres.
“I covered Gordon’s back and in return, he opened the doors for me so I just had to make sure I stayed as close as I could to him to follow him through.
“I was actually more pleased with that one than the previous two – it was a real team effort. We needed a strong weekend, and this has lifted us right up there in the standings – we’re back in the game!”
