Matt Neal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matt Neal |
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Neal at the Knockhill round of the 2017 British Touring Car Championship
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 20 December 1966 Stourbridge, England |
| British Touring Car Championship career | |
| Debut season | 1991 |
| Current team | Halfords Yuasa Racing |
| Racing licence |  FIA Silver |
| Car no. | 25 |
| Former teams | VX Racing Peugeot Sport UK Team Mazda Tech-Speed Motorsport Pyramid Motorsport |
| Starts | 719 |
| Wins | 63 |
| Poles | 17 |
| Fastest laps | 52 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2005, 2006, 2011 |
| Previous series | |
| 2001 1993 |
ETCC DTM |
| Championship titles | |
| 2005–06, 2011 | BTCC |
| Awards | |
| BRDC Silver Star | |
Matt Neal (born December 20, 1966) is a famous British race car driver. He has won the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) three times: in 2005, 2006, and 2011. Matt also holds a record for winning the BTCC Independents Champion title six times (1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2005, and 2006). He even won a race in the European Touring Car Championship. Being 6 feet 6 inches (2 meters) tall, he found it hard to race in smaller, single-seater cars. Today, he also works as a director at Rimstock, a company that makes alloy wheels, which his father Steve started.
Matt Neal's Racing Journey
How Matt Started Racing
Matt was born in Stourbridge, England. He first raced motocross bikes. In 1988, he switched to cars, driving in the Ford Fiesta XR2i series. He became the British Group N Champion in both 1990 and 1991. He also helped win the 1990 Willhire 24 Hour race at Snetterton in a BMW M3.
Racing in the BTCC (1991–2001)
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Matt first raced in the BTCC in 1991 with Pyramid Motorsport. He drove a BMW M3 at Silverstone. He later joined his father's Team Dynamics team in 1992. He won the Total Cup for drivers without big team support in 1993.
He then raced for Mazda but had a big crash at Silverstone. In 1995, he returned to Team Dynamics. He often surprised bigger teams and won the Independents' title three more times. These wins were in 1995, 1999, and 2000.
In 1999, Matt made history by winning a race at Donington Park. He was the first independent driver to win in the modern BTCC era. This win earned him a big prize of £250,000. He won another race in 2000. In 2001, he briefly raced for Peugeot Sport UK. Then he spent most of that year racing in the European Touring Car Championship.
Racing in British GT (1998)
In 1998, Matt raced once in the British GT Championship. He finished third, sharing a Porsche 911 GT1 car with David Leslie.
European Touring Car Championship (2001)
After a short time in the BTCC, Matt moved to the European Touring Car Championship. He raced a Nissan Primera with RJN Motorsport. He finished 14th overall and won one race in Portugal.
Back to BTCC (2002–2003)
Matt came back to the BTCC in 2002 with egg:sport. He drove a Vauxhall Astra Coupé. He finished 3rd in the championship that year. In 2003, he switched to Honda Racing. This started a long partnership with Honda. He finished 3rd in the championship again.
Return to Team Dynamics (2004–2007)
In 2004, Matt rejoined Team Dynamics, now sponsored by Halfords. He finished 5th in the championship. For 2005, his team built a Honda Integra from a regular road car. This was unusual for an independent team. But their hard work paid off! Matt won the drivers' title in the final race at Brands Hatch. Team Halfords also won the Teams and Independent Teams Championships. Matt scored points in every single race that year.
In 2006, Matt drove the No. 1 Honda Integra. He won the championship again by finishing consistently well. He had no mechanical problems for two years. But then, his car had a suspension failure before the last race.
In 2007, the rules changed, so Team Dynamics switched to a Honda Civic. Matt won the third race of the season. However, other cars were faster, so he couldn't fight for the title. He had a big crash at Brands Hatch and had to go to the hospital. This caused him to lose points.
Racing for VX Racing (2008–2009)
In 2008, Matt joined VX Racing. He won only one race at Rockingham. His teammate, Fabrizio Giovanardi, won five races and kept his title. Matt finished 5th overall. In 2009, Matt started strong by winning the first race. But he didn't win again that season. He finished fourth in the standings.
Back to Honda Racing (2010–2020)
Matt returned to Team Dynamics in 2010. The team was now called Honda Racing. He raced alongside his former teammate, Gordon Shedden. Matt narrowly missed winning the championship to Jason Plato. But he helped Honda Racing win the Manufacturers and Teams Championships.
Matt stayed with Honda in 2011. His Honda Civic now used a new 2.0 NGTC Honda engine. For most of the season, the Honda Civics were very fast. After a close fight with his teammate, Matt won his third drivers' title. This happened at the final race at Silverstone. His team also won the Manufacturers and Constructors title.
In 2012, Matt drove the new NGTC Honda Civic. He won the first-ever race for an NGTC car in the BTCC. This was at Brands Hatch. Matt won two more races at Oulton Park. With his teammate Shedden also winning, Honda Yuasa Racing Team made history. They were the first team to win all three races in one day since 2010. Matt finished second in the championship, right behind Shedden.
Matt continued with Honda for the 2013 season. Before a race, he broke his finger in a martial arts accident. But doctors said he was fit to race. He finished 4th in the championship that year.
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In 2014, he raced the new Honda Civic Tourer. Matt finished 9th overall. For the 2021 season, Matt did not race in the BTCC. This was the first time since he started in 1991. His team lost its sponsors, Honda and GS Yuasa. Matt said he had a sponsor for a third car, but other teams didn't agree. He said this break from racing was "not a retirement."
Racing in Australia
Matt has raced in the Bathurst 1000 race in Australia four times. He raced there in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2008. He also raced in the 2001 Queensland 500.
Other Activities
Matt Neal lives in Shenstone, Worcestershire. He has appeared on the TV show Top Gear many times. He raced in fun events like the Historic People Carrier race and a football match using Toyota Aygo cars. He also raced a motorhome and airport vehicles. Matt has also worked as a co-commentator for Eurosport's racing coverage since 2010.
In 2009, he gave masterclasses to Olympic and World Cycling Champions. In 2015, he raced in the Mugello 12hr race and won the Gerry Marshall Trophy race. In 2021, during his break from racing, Matt joined Jason Plato for a live podcast about BTCC.
Fitness and Training
Matt Neal says he stays fit by training in martial arts. This helps him with his breathing and flexibility. In 2012, Matt earned his 2nd degree black belt in the British Free Fighting Academy. He trained with martial arts instructor Andy Hopwood.
Images for kids
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Neal demonstrates his Honda Integra at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
See also
In Spanish: Matt Neal para niños
