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When Neal spurned a factory Volvo seat

Matt Neal laid the foundations for his three BTCC titles with his breakthrough 1999 season in Team Dynamics' privateer Nissan. But that only happened because he'd rejected the team that took Rickard Rydell to the '98 championship

After Matt Neal impressed in his battle with fellow British Touring Car Championship star Rickard Rydell and Jim Richards for victory in the 1998 Bathurst 1000, Volvo came calling.

An underwhelming season for its second driver Gianni Morbidelli in the BTCC meant the ex-Formula 1 driver had exited stage left and there was now a vacancy for Neal alongside reigning champion Rydell at the TWR-run team.

Previous article Did the right driver win the BTCC crown?
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