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PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:44 pm 
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Good article from Autosport.com on Matt Neal about how he could have become a works driver during the Super Touring era of the BTCC

Autosport.com wrote:
After Matt Neal impressed in his battle with fellow British Touring Car Championship star Rickard Rydell and Jim Richards for victory in the 1998 Bathurst 1000, Volvo came calling.

An underwhelming season for its second driver Gianni Morbidelli in the BTCC meant the ex-Formula 1 driver had exited stage left and there was now a vacancy for Neal alongside reigning champion Rydell at the TWR-run team.

But Neal instead remained at independent squad Team Dynamics and from there created a BTCC behemoth.

"I got the call but it was no-earner for me - it wasn't one of the big paid drives," Neal recalls.

"I'd been testing with the Nissan [Primera] over the winter at Albacete and then I got the nod to test at Jerez with TWR.

"I went and thought, 'I can't drive this thing'. I was two seconds off Rickard.

"They asked me what I wanted to change on the S40 but I wanted to change nothing. The car does it, Rickard does it, so I wanted to work it out.

"We did a full day there and by the end I was within a couple of tenths. I'd figured it out but it was hard work."

Struggles to adapt to the Volvo's understeer-biased balance hadn't killed the deal, leaving the door open for Neal still to join. But time was ebbing away.

"The sponsorship was already in place with Team Dynamics, who had been speaking to [Australian touring car star] Paul Morris to replace me for 1999," Neal explains.

"The team gave me a deadline to make my mind up and I remember Morris sitting in the office and we were together and I got the call from Volvo.

"I thought, 'Stuff it, I'm going to stay' and the rest is history."

Arguably, the most significant part of that history comes from Donington Park at the start of the 1999 season.

When Neal might have been at the wheel of the factory S40 Super Tourer, he was instead relieving Alan Gow of £250,000 for becoming the first independent driver to win a race in that era of the BTCC.

"We had the big win, which put you on the map," says Neal. "The money was great - although we had to give a third back to Nissan for their employee Christmas fund, which was fine - and then a load went into buying a new truck and starting who we are today.

"[Staying at Team Dynamics] was probably the best move I've done."

Now that Neal is a three-time BTCC champion, it seems the bold decision to let one of the most coveted drives for 1999 pass by was the right thing to do.

In his place, Vincent Radermecker filled the second Volvo seat. As Rydell dropped to third in the points in the face of Nissan dominance, Radermecker ended up winless and only eighth. Volvo withdrew at the end of the season.

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:29 pm 
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Good call on Matt's part, though Paul Morris in the BTCC would have been...interesting

Anyone got Plato's book? Was tempted to buy it - is it any good?


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:29 pm 
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James B wrote:
Good call on Matt's part, though Paul Morris in the BTCC would have been...interesting


Looking back it was a good decision, but looking at the timeline and in the years that immediately followed he may have questioned his own sanity. The team and Matt disappeared from BTCC following 2000. Matt then drove a single BTCC round in 2001 following his false start with Vic Lee's Pug squad (probably a blessing in disguise) and instead drove a Nissan Primera for RJN in ETCC. The egg:Sport Astra in 2002 must have felt like the career break he'd been looking for. Team Dynamics didn't reappear in the BTCC until the final rounds of 2003. From 2004 onwards they've been a mainstay.

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 1:38 am 
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Wreckinturn4 wrote:
Stewart Lines considering a return to the BTCC

https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/146 ... lls-return


Interesting, because pretty much the only part of the (17 car lol) TCR 24 hours I saw was Stewart talking at length about how strong TCRUK was, how next year they'd have a much bigger grid of cars in the UK and over 30 for the Spa race, giving it the hard sell

I guess the TCR/TCT phone has continually remained dusty and un-rung and the writing is on the wall....

Unless he plans to run a car with a big "TCR is 1/3rd of the running costs of this car and you get a 24 hour endurance race at Spa to boot" advert all over it?

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:12 am 
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Ingram confirmed for 2020 with Toyota:

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1193629/Tom-Ingram-BTCC-2019-Toyota-Ginsters-sponsor


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:00 pm 
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In support series news, the Mini Challenge has confirmed it has 32 of the 34 confirmed entries it allows for 2020. They expect with part season and guest appearances, this number will be between 40 and 50 cars at some rounds!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 12:50 pm 
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They'll trial a new quali system at Snetterton. 25 minutes then the top 10 do a 10 minute shootout.

https://www.autosport.com/btcc/news/146 ... snetterton


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 8:50 pm 
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Harry King is your Porsche Junior driver for 2020/21, so moves up to Porsche cup.


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 8:54 pm 
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Goff stays:

https://www.team-hard.com/jacks-back-to-captain-team-hard-btcc-campaign/


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 9:08 am 
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Image
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https://www.itv.com/btcc/hyundai-set-to-join-btcc-grid-in-2020

Hyundai on the grid with Excelr8 Motorsport! Supported by Hyundai UK dealers


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 1:10 pm 
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I didn't have any idea which make they'd be running next year but I wasn't expecting Hyundai. The car looks good in NGTC trim.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 1:12 pm 
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that looks awesome


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:17 pm 
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So, Laser Tools have signed Ash Sutton. Quite surprising


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:48 pm 
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That's a huge signing for them.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:58 pm 
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Lasertools are building two new chassis for 2020. Will be interested to see how Sutton goes


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:59 pm 
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PowerMaxed Racing have also posted in what looks like they will be running brand new Astras in 2020, maybe 3 in total.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 9:57 pm 
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Non of AMD’s drivers return in 2020, going by Shaun Hollombys Facebook post


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 5:05 pm 
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Mike Bushell will drive for Team Hard next year!:

http://www.btcc.net/2019/11/29/bushell-back-in-the-driving-seat-with-team-hard-racing/


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:42 pm 
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kart99 wrote:
Non of AMD’s drivers return in 2020, going by Shaun Hollombys Facebook post


Not even Butcher? Blimey


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 12:10 am 
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yea that leaves butcher as the odd one out at AMD. i wonder if AMD will run 3 cars again, meaning that many driver spots to be filled?


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