NEAL UNDER PRESSURE "TO DO IT AGAIN"
Matt Neal might be preparing to take part in the 300th race
of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship career
at Croft on 16 July, but says he and his team will still feel
the pressure as they continue their quest for an historic
second straight title.
Team Halfords Honda driver Neal will reach his triple century
in the second of Croft's three BTCC races, but there'll be
little time to dwell on the milestone - he wants to build
on to the 33-point lead he currently holds over nearest rival
Colin Turkington, in team RAC's MG, and SEAT pair Jason Plato
and James Thompson.
Neal, from Droitwich, said: "It's quite scary to think
I've been around for that long, but it doesn't feel like 300
races. It's gone in the blink of an eye.
"It'll be quite an achievement to get to 300, but more
importantly to me right now is the fact we've been on a roll
recently and I want to keep that momentum going.
"The SEATs and MGs will be very strong at Croft this
weekend. Every time we line up on the grid they'll see it
as an opportunity to take points off me. And there are now
so many quick cars you can't afford to simply throttle back
and pick up points.
"I know Colin's ahead of Jason on points, but I still
think it'll be Jason who'll be there worrying me the most
at the end of the season. He knows how to win championships
and if I'm honest he's had a run of bad luck. He should have
had a win at Oulton Park but got a drive-through penalty and
at Thruxton he was all over me like a swarm of bees but got
a puncture. That sort of luck can't last forever."
Neal says learning to handle the pressure en route to his
maiden title in 2005 has toughened his resolve, but admits
that being reigning champion has brought new challenges for
him and the Team Dynamics operation that runs Team Halfords'
BTCC programme.
He said: "I feel calmer in myself, but there is pressure
from the sponsors and from me - we all want to do it again.
It's familiar territory, but I still feel up against it because
I desperately want to do well and not make mistakes. And let's
face it, at this level there's a fine line between doing well
and making an idiot of yourself on national television.
"The team really has the confidence and belief it can
do it again. It's a very talented group of people at Team
Dynamics - that was obvious before but, like me, they don't
want to make any errors. If I make a mistake on the track
I kick myself and they're the same way with the car."
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