It was four wins, three fastest laps and two pole positions for Team Abba Racing and the Mercedes AMG GT3 pairing of Richard and Sam Neary last weekend (5th and 6th June 2021)
Sam Neary initially set the pace taking pole position by two seconds over the nearest rival and Richard Neary was on equally strong form when the lights went out at the start the 25-minute sprint contest.
Neary senior charged to a clear victory by 17s at the flag over the Lamborghini of Lucky Khera which came out on top in a back-and-forth dice with both GT3 and GTO cars.
Race Two was the 50-minute endurance which provided some spectacular racing throughout. Up front, a dominant stint by Richard Neary was enough to give the Team Abba Mercedes a significant advantage for Sam to ease the car home and double up their win tally for day.
Commenting on the Saturday’s performance, Richard Neary said: “We thought we would really struggle in the second race as we had a 20-second pit stop success penalty to manage. I started and just pushed it as hard as I could. There was nothing left in that car! We managed to come in with a 32-second lead which made it doable, and we’re really happy today. We’ve been doing plenty of testing this season and we’re getting to grips with the car more and more each time we go out."
Day two saw a repeat performance from the Team Abba Racing duo. This time Sam Neary dominated the sprint race from the start and was never in trouble on his way to victory by 47 seconds.
Despite the endurance race delivering a race win of eight seconds for the team, it was by no means an easy one.
A safety car interruption near to the pit window bunched the pack and with a 20-second pit stop success penalty to manage, getting a clear exit from the changeover was key. Sam Neary came out inches ahead of Will Tregurtha in the Tecserv UK Nissan Nismo GTR GT3 and the Scott Sport Lamborghini Huracan of Phil Quaiffe; Neary and Tragurtha continued side-by-side into turn one with Neary winning out in the end.
The pressure continued as Neary junior proceeded to hunt down and rein in the fifteen second gap to race leader Lucky Keira in the Simon Green Motorsport GT3 Evo.
Neary continued to carved his way through the pack to take a much deserved fourth win of the weekend and leave them heading up the GT3 class and second in the overall championship.
Next stop for GT Cup is Oulton Park International on Saturday 3rd July.
Last year Sam Neary proved a revelation during his maiden British GT campaign and his ability in wet and changeable conditions was comparable with far more experienced factory drivers, while his pace in the dry also took a notable step forward as the season progressed.
Sam was selected to join the Motorsport UK Academy’s Team UK Futures programme this year, the governing body’s talent development pathway that equips the UK’s most promising young drivers with the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to maximise their performance https://www.motorsportuk.org/news/motorsport-uk-academy-selections-2021/
Recently the nineteen-year-old has also joined the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) as a Rising Star. The BRDC Rising Stars are aged under 24 and viewed as the `future of the club’, taking their motor racing seriously and aiming for a professional career within the sport.
Commenting on the prestigious appointment Sam Neary said: “This is a huge honour, and I am very pleased to know that my achievements to date having been recognised by such an influential organisation; I am really looking forward to representing the BRDC.”
More information about Sam Neary is available at www.samnearyracing.com .
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