MATT Neal reckons his historic third British Touring Car Championship crown boiled down to one superb lap.

The 44-year-old, who also won in 2005 and 2006, claimed the title by eight points from Honda Racing team-mate Gordon Shedden in a thrilling finale at Silverstone.

It elevated Neal into an elite group of just six drivers who have won the title three times since the competition began in 1958.

The others are Frank Gardner, Bill McGovern, Bernard Unett, Win Percy and Andy Rouse.

However, Neal puts his latest success down to a final flying qualifying lap which lifted him from fifth on the grid to pole position for the first race, which he led all the way to the chequered flag.

The Worcestershire ace finished runner-up in the second race behind Shedden and eighth in race three to secure the crown for his Pershore-based team.

“It all came down to one qualifying session and one lap,” he said.

“That gave me the edge for the Silverstone weekend and the edge for the championship. I went out on fresh tyres and I had one lap to get it. Before that I was down in fifth so it wasn’t looking pretty. That was the springboard to get me to pole.”

Neal, though, also admitted to mixed emotions in the wake of his victory, having been neck-and-neck with Scot Shedden for most of the campaign with only a point separating them ahead of the Silverstone showdown.

The Shenstone driver said: “It’s a bit surreal. The last time I won it, it took a week to sink in and it’s the same now.

“I feel over the moon but gutted for Gordon because I know what it would mean to him. It’s mixed emotions at the moment. It’s been a stressful year so I am glad to get it over with.”

Yet already he is turning his attentions to defending his crown in 2012 when Honda introduce the Next Generation Touring Car specifications, aimed at significantly reducing running costs, to their Civics.

Neal added: “We have been working on the new car for two months and were even talking about technical issues on Sunday night. We are out testing next week.”