Team ABBA Racing has announced that Richard Neary will be joined by son Sam for a 2020 British GT Championship campaign in the team’s Mercedes-AMG Gt3.
Richard Neary’s racing career began in 2015 with Rollcentre Racing and the St Helens-based owner of ABBA Commercials has raced in the British GT Championship since 2016. Neary took his first podium in the domestic series I 2019, taking second in Race Two at Oulton Park, on his way to finishing twelfth in GT3 Pro-Am drivers standings.
17-year-old Sam Neary has already accumulated solid experience in the GT3 category with appearances in the GT Cup and Dunlop Endurance Championship organised by Britcar in 2019.
Sam Neary is looking forward to contesting his first British GT Championship season in a Pro-Am pairing with his father.
“This season has been all about getting up to pace in the Mercedes-AMG and the last few outings have demonstrated where I am at,” said Sam. “At 17, I feel incredibly lucky to be given this opportunity in a GT3 car and proud to be racing as a father and son pairing. I hope, with Dad’s racing experience and my youth, we will be able to do some good things together next season and maybe achieve a podium or two!”
After competing alongside Mercedes-AMG factory driver Adam Christodoulou for the past two seasons, Richard Neary made the decision to compete as a Pro-Am pairing with his son in order to give Sam the best possible racing opportunities for the 2020 season.
“For the past two years I’ve supplemented my British GT programme by coaching and supporting Sam in several club racing championships,” said Richard Neary. “He is a fast learner and has demonstrated that he is more than ready to take on the next test at British GT.
“The Pro/Am pairing of Silver and Bronze won’t play to our advantage but with Gold/Silver not an option and Silver/Silver carrying a weight penalty, we didn’t think Sam would be able to shine. A Bronze/Silver he gets to compete directly against some of the best Gold and Platinum drivers in the world. Sam is focused on the prize and I believe we will have a great season together.”
The 2020 British GT Championship gets underway at Oulton Park on April 11 – 13.