Neal weighs up BTCC retirement
Three-time British Touring Car champion Matt Neal could hang up his helmet at the end of the season, although he insists the decision is not taken yet.
Neal, the most experienced BTCC driver of all time, has driven for the family Team Dynamics squad for most of his time in the series. The team currently runs the official Honda effort, and Autosport understands that it is commercial issues for the Japanese manufacturer in the current financial climate that could hasten Neal’s departure from the cockpit at the age of 53.
“We don’t know yet, but if we do I’ve had a good run and I can’t complain,” Neal told Autosport. He added that Dynamics, which is in the midst of a 2020 challenge with Dan Cammish at the wheel of the sister Civic Type R to Neal’s, will definitely continue, and he could be replaced by Gordon Shedden, who took three BTCC titles with Dynamics but has not raced in the series since 2017.
“Oh yeah,” said Neal. “We’d try and run Dan and maybe a younger driver [than Neal]: it could be ‘Flash’ [Shedden]; it could be someone else.” Neal’s son Henry has taken part in official BTCC testing and has won this year’s Touring Car Trophy in a Civic. Of his chances his father said: “Possibly, but it’s got to stack up commercially.”
Neal added that he would prefer to see out his career once crowds have been allowed back to venues. “Of course,” he said. “I still get a good buzz off it. I’ve done the BTCC almost my whole adult life. If it is my last season, it’s going to be a strange weekend in three weeks’ time [at the Brands Hatch finale]. But there are still a lot of factors involved.”