Matt Neal has said he believes a second consecutive Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown is "in the bag".

Neal, from Droitwich, can provisionally clinch the 2006 title at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent this coming Sunday – scene of his 2005 triumph.

He knows that if he maintains his 53-point championship lead over his closest rival Colin Turkington in Sunday’s three races then provisionally he will have successfully defended his crown – the first driver to do for 20 years.

Team Halfords driver Neal said: "I’m not one to pre-empt anything but, as long as nothing stupid happens, I feel it’s in the bag.

"I really didn’t enjoy the final two meetings of last year because of the immense pressure I was under personally and in the points table – I’d never really been in a position win such a major championship before.

"This time, though, I’m really looking forward to Brands and Finals Day at Silverstone in October. The latter half of last year was completely new territory for me but, now I’ve been through it, I know what to expect."

However, Neal also said his potentially historic season had been soured by an on-going feud with one of his title rivals, SEAT’s Jason Plato, with whom he’s experienced a fair few clashes on and off the track.

Neal added: "There was a point a few races ago when I wasn’t looking forward going to the circuits because I was fed up with all the nonsense that was flying around. I don’t mind fighting my corner, but I didn’t enjoy all the bile that was going on."

And the 39-year-old is wary of how quickly it could all go wrong – at Brands back in April he suffered a huge accident when his Honda Integra came off second best in a collision with Robert Collard’s Team RAC MG at the notorious Paddock Hill Bend corner. That was after a mechanical failure had almost seen his car roll over in qualifying.

"That’s the one chance they have," admitted Neal. "If someone tags me in the first race as Collard did back in April then I could have a big problem. So I’ve definitely got to drive with that in the back of my mind."

Brands Hatch this Sunday will stage the season's penultimate three rounds of the BTCC season. At lunch time, the crowds will be invited into the pit lane to meet the teams and drivers for a special autograph session.

Also on the bill will be eight more races from the supporting Porsche Carrera Cup, Formula Renault UK, Renault Clio Cup, SEAT Cupra and Historic Touring Car championships.

For more information about the BTCC visit the championship's official website btcc.net. For a Brands Hatch BTCC timetable click on the website's ‘Calendar' section.