OTHER TURKINGTON AND NEAL BATTLE IN TOURING CAR TROPHY
The TCR Uk/touring Car Trophy’s entry at Croft contained two very familiar tin-top names, in Neal and Turkington. Matt’s son Henry and Colin’s younger brother James, respectively, are both trying their hands at a touring car campaign.
Former Mini Challenge competitor
Neal is now competing in the Touring Car Trophy in a Team Dynamics Honda Civic raced previously by his dad.
“We’d been in Minis three years but we’d had our time there; we had a lot of mechanical issues,” Neal said. “The [TCT] championship came about and we had a car in the garage just sat there doing nothing so we thought why not livery it up and let’s go touring car racing? It gives me a good year in the car without having to spend the budget of BTCC.
“It’s mega, the car’s just a totally different animal compared to the Mini.
The car’s planted and when it goes sideways it’s predictable.
“Dad’s been at every session, every shakedown, every race. He’s my dad and driver coach – so I’m very lucky!”
Matt Neal’s BTCC team-mate Dan Cammish also helped Henry on Friday at Croft. “We compared data and stuff, and he talked me through his lap on the in-car. That’s helped me go much quicker,” Henry noted.
He has been on the pace throughout this season and in Croft’s first race picked up his third second place of 2019, though race two ended early with a puncture. “I’m learning every day – I need to get the monkey off my back and get that win!” Neal concluded.
Turkington’s path into the series was less regular. “We sort of ended up in a TCR car by default!” he admitted.
He started the season trying the Touring
Car Trophy in his decade-old SEAT Leon Supercopa Mk2 he’d competed with in the Northern Ireland Saloon Car Championship. “We thought it’s five rounds, it’s a good opportunity, then we went to Oulton [for round one] and were four seconds a lap off !” Turkington said.
After that, championship boss Stewart Lines gave him access to a more up-to-date TCR Leon. “I never really planned to end up in TCR, but here we are!” Turkington added. “We’re taking it weekend by weekend at the minute.”
Turkington is making good on it too, as he took two podium finishes at Croft including second in race two having shadowed double victor Lewis Kent.
“It’s a bit of a challenge but I’m enjoying it,” Turkington continued. “I was surprised by how good the TCR car and platform really is, it’s such a step on from our own Supercopa in every aspect. You can really wring the neck out of them.
“We’re just gaining more confidence every time we get into the car, everything’s becoming that bit more familiar, we’re making progress.” As with Neal, a win is his next target.
And Colin, of course, has been helping. “He has been good, he was at Donington for the test day so that brought us on leaps and bounds,” said James. “Not a bad tutor to have, I guess!”