to stay ahead of rivals
Reigning champion Matt Neal this weekend (3-4 June) heads to Thruxton - a circuit he has never won on - urging his Team Halfords squad to wring extra performance from its Honda Integra in a bid to keep ahead of what he says is "growing opposition" in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Neal, from Droitwich, says the competition in 2006 is stronger and more varied than in 2005 when the title came down to just him and Vauxhall's Yvan Muller. Even SEAT's Jason Plato couldn't keep up. But this time around, Neal has greater concerns for his championship lead.
Neal, out testing his Honda this week in a bid to find improvements, said: "Everyone in the team knows we have to find more... more speed from the car and more speed from me.
"You see the strengths of the opposition - SEAT has won four of the nine races so far, the two Team RAC MGs are very strong and Vauxhall has also pulled its socks up. Plus there are several others who are consistently in there fighting.
"Last year we really only had to worry about one person in terms of a consistent threat and that was Muller. Jason was quick on his day and there were other individuals who could challenge every now and then but didn't have the consistency. But now everybody has found the consistency required to be a real pain in the neck."
Neal holds a 14-point championship lead over SEAT's James Thompson after the first nine of this year's 30 rounds. Plato is just one point further back and is in effect Neal's main title rival as Thompson will miss four of this year's race meetings - starting with Thruxton where he'll be replaced in the SEAT squad by British Le Mans 24 Hours star Darren Turner.
Thruxton, in Hampshire, is also the only track that Neal, known for his superstitions, has failed to win on since he started his racing career in the 1980s. Furthermore, as championship leader, he will have to drive in Saturday's qualifying session and the first of Sunday's three BTCC races with his car carrying maximum success ballast - an extra 45kgs in weight.
Neal added: "Realistically, with the extra weight, I predict sixth place smells good for where I'll qualify - anything higher than the third row of the grid and I'll be delighted.
"Fourteen points isn't much of a lead. Remember, I turned around a bigger gap than that at Mondello Park to move into the lead. I won't be sitting back and playing it safe... it's far too early in the season for all that. Right now, every point counts.
"If I don't win at Thruxton, I won't be overly stressed. What's most important is I maximise what I've got at my disposal."
Neal and his BTCC rivals will be in race action three times at Thruxton on Sunday and the crowds will be able to meet the star drivers for autographs and give-aways during the FREE and hugely popular Pit Lane Walkabout session. Another seven races are on the bill from high-profile supporting championships run by leading manufacturers BMW, Porsche, Renault and SEAT.
