Matt Neal at Motorhome and Caravan Show 2014

by Jo Subramaniam
British Touring Car Champion Matt Neal attends Motorhome and Caravan Show today, with Bailey Pursuit
British Touring Car Champion Matt Neal was at the Motorhome and Caravan Show today, sharing his crazy caravanning tales. The three time British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) champ was at the Bailey of Bristol stand with a Pursuit caravan and dishing out a stack of autographs higher than, well, any of us to a steady stream of fans in attendance. Neal might have been decked out in Honda Yuasa merchandise, but, as we found out, he is a wildly enthusiastic caravanner.
We asked him about his first caravanning experience, and we did not expect what came next.
”My first experience with a caravan was when I was 17, and I went down to Porthmadog,” began Neal. ” There were eight of us, at a Welsh farmer’s campsite, and we were all squeezed into a two berth caravan! It was quite cramped, but I never looked back from there on,” he chuckled. Given Neal’s imposingly tall frame, we gave that anecdote quite a bit of thought.
It’s actually not that surprising that Neal didn’t look back from that rather hellish sounding trip, because it turns out that caravans relax him more than cars. ”Racing requires so much concentration doesn’t it, and it’s lovely to just chill out and cruise in a caravan.” And car fans, we know your secret, so don’t pretend like you don’t like caravans either. Matt Neal took the Bailey Pursuit 550-4 to the tracks at Snetterton for a surprise lap, and the crowds could not get enough.
The freedom that a caravan offers probably has something to do with it, according to Neal. ”Home is where you lay your head, and it’s nice to sometimes hide away or go away on the weekends,” he commented. And indeed, Neal’s teammate Gordon ‘Flash’ Sheddon often goes on weekend getaways in the Pursuit 550-4.
Before long, the never ending line of fans seeking autographs had caught up with us at the Bailey stand, but we couldn’t let Neal get away without pestering him with one last question. ”My favourite place to go caravanning is definitely North Devon. Bit of beaches, bit of camping, I love it there!” So the next time you’re in North Devon, be sure to look out for Matt Neal and his Bailey Pursuit 550-4.