HALFORDS Yuasa Racing duo Dan Cammish and Matt Neal say they are eager and raring to go when the 2020 British Touring Car Championship eventually gets under way later this year.
The opening weekend of the new BTCC campaign was scheduled to take place this Saturday at Donington Park, although the curtain-raiser – in addition to the races at Brands Hatch and Silverstone – have all been postponed following a statement by organisers TOCA last week.
Heartbreak was suffered by Cammish heading into the deciding lap of the final race of the 2019 campaign at Brands Hatch last October when a sudden brakes failure resulted in his only non-finish of the season – cruelly denying him the Drivers’ Championship title.
The crash meant the 30-year-old racer placed as joint runner-up with BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan, two points behind winning Team BMW driver Colin Turkington.
But the task at hand for Cammish is now very much straightforward – to continue the good work which took him so close last time out.
“The car looks great and we’ve enjoyed some excellent development over the winter,” he said.
“Meanwhile, my new two-year contract with the team gave me a huge boost.
“I’m going into 2020 with the same attitude as 2019 – I want to do the best job I possibly can. I so nearly won the Championship last year so I know I have what it takes.”
For three-time champion Neal, who placed ninth overall last year, the pre-season period has been a challenging one following a mountain bike accident in January which left him with multiple fractures and a punctured lung.
Another Honda legend in Gordon Shedden – who lifted three BTCC titles between 2012 and 2016 – duly filled in for testing duties before the 53-year-old made a return in early March.
With a landmark year now in store, Neal says he is looking to secure honours across the board for the team, Honda and himself.
“My season hasn’t started off in the best of sorts with my shunt earlier in the year, but I’ve been progressing well,” he said.
“2020 is a special year for me as I reach my 30th season in the Championship. I know I still have the pace and with Dan I feel we have a pretty awesome team of old heads and young talent.
“Personally, I’ll be gunning for my fourth title, but first we need to get the Team and Manufacturer Championships wrapped up as well for our sponsors.”
