It was a terrific start to the season for Team ABBA Racing in the opening round of the Intelligent Money 2020 British GT Championship this weekend (1st/2nd August 2020) achieving third place in Pro-Am class and eighth overall in race one.
Richard Neary maintained qualifying position in the Team ABBA Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Oulton Park to hand over to son Sam, the youngest GT3 driver on the grid.
Despite a faulty pit stop timer, which meant that Sam left the pits five seconds too late, he drove a competent stint to complete his first British GT race under massive pressure from Matt Griffiths in the chasing Ferrari GT3, taking P3 in the Pro-Am category.
Race two carried different fortunes for the family run race team with Sam Neary punted off the track at turn fourteen, lap one by a chasing car which ultimately led to their early retirement.
Commenting on their first time pairing in the British GT Championship, Richard Neary said: “Sam has shown bags of promise this weekend and at one point was third fastest on the track in race two. It’s fantastic to be racing with him and good to have the first round under our belts now after such a long wait. We’re looking forward to Donington already!”
Sam is the iZone Motorsport UK AASE Young Driver of the Year. Last year, Sam who only started racing at the age 15, competed in Team Abba Racing’s BMW M3 GTR in the Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship and the Creventic 24-hour series.
By June 2019 he was testing the Mercedes AMG GT3. He competed successfully in the Mercedes in the Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship and GT Cup (taking several pole positions, several firsts and Sunoco Driver of the Day twice).
Thanks to Ian Cutting Photography for photos.