Matt Neal joins Milltek endurance racing team

Exhaust manufacturer Milltek has announced that it has signed triple BTCC champion Matt Neal to its endurance racing team, to compete in the Mugello 12 hours on 13-14 March.

Neal will need little introduction to tin-top fans, as one of the most popular, successful and longstanding faces in the BTCC paddock. In a career that has spanned three decades, Neal has also racked up an incredible set of career statistics since winning the Total Cup in BTCC back in 1993. Since then of course, he has consistently run at the front of the BTCC grid as one of its regular stars, in a variety of both independent and manufacturer-backed machines. With a stellar CV that includes DTM and V8 Supercar races, Neal is clearly adept at turning his hand to anything.

Neal’s talent then is a given, but he is also joining a team with some impressive statistics of its own. Run and prepped by KPM Racing, under the experienced hand of team principal Kevin Poole, Milltek has racked up no fewer than five endurance podiums and two victories, including class honours at Mugello in 2014.

As in that race, the car used for the 2015 assault on this demanding Italian circuit will be the 300bhp diesel VW Golf. A veteran of the world’s endurance circuits, this car has taken the team to much of its silverware, and with a wealth of set-up knowledge behind them, KPM’s engineers are confident of delivering a machine that can place well in Italy.

The rest of the driver line-up has yet to be announced, but as a team that prides itself on selecting true talent, including previous hot-seat stars like BTCC and GT star Tom Onslow-Cole, you can bank on a team capable of finishing the 12 hours on the top step once again.

“Signing a big name like Matt is a wonderful way to start our 2015 motorsport campaign,” announced Milltek managing director Steve Pound. “Everybody knows his talent over the shorter BTCC races, but I know he’s keen to prove once again that he can maintain that pace over an endurance distance, as he has done before in races like the Bathurst 1000km. As ever, we’re going to Mugello with the express intention of taking a podium at least, and a win if we can – and I’m sure Matt will be an essential part of helping us to do that.”

Clearly relishing the challenge ahead, Matt added, “I’m really looking forward to some more endurance racing. The Milltek team’s stats are impressive, and diesel racing is something new for me to try! It’s fantastic as a driver to get an invitation to step outside of your comfort zone for a while, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun in Italy.”