Sam Neary
| Sam Neary | |
|---|---|
Neary in 2023 | |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 27 April 2002 Liverpool, England |
| Relatives | Richard Neary (father) |
| Categorisation | FIA Silver (until 2024) FIA Gold (2025–)[1] |
| Championship titles | |
| 2021 | GT Cup Championship – GT3 |
Sam Neary (born 27 April 2002) is a British racing driver who last competed in the British GT Championship for Team Abba Racing.
Personal life
Neary is the son of Team ABBA Racing founder Richard Neary,[2] who he has driven with in the British GT Championship since his debut in 2020.[3]
Career
Neary made his car racing debut in late 2017, racing in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series for TCR.[4] After finishing third in the SP3 class at the 2018 12 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps for Team ABBA,[5] Neary returned to his family's team to compete in the 2019 Britcar Endurance Championship.[6] Racing primarily in the Class 4, Neary scored three wins in the six races he contested to end the season fifth in points.[7] During 2019, Neary also won the 12 Hours of Brno in the SP3 class for the same team.[8]
In 2020, Neary continued with the family team to make his debut in the British GT Championship alongside his father, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3.[9] In his first season in the series, Neary scored a best outright result of sixth at Donington Park and three Pro-Am podiums to end the year fifth in points.[10] Returning to the series for the following year,[11] the father-son duo became the first in series history to win a race, doing so at the first Donington Park enduro.[12] Across the rest of the season, Neary scored Silver-Am wins at Brands Hatch and the second Donington Park, with the latter also being an overall podium, to secure runner-up honors in class.[13] During 2021, Neary also raced with the same team in the GT Cup Championship,[14] in which he won both the GT3 and overall titles.[15]
Continuing with the team for a third season in the British GT Championship,[16] Neary scored a best overall result of third at Snetterton, which was also a Silver-Am win, as well as another class win at Oulton Park to round out the year fifth in points.[17] During 2022, Neary also made select appearances in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie for various teams,[18] as well as racing in the Dubai 24 Hour for Holmgaard Motorsport in the TCR class.[19] Towards the end of the year, Neary was also drafted in as a last-minute subsitute for Chris Froggatt at the FIA Motorsport Games GT Cup,[20] in which he finished third for Team UK.[21]
Remaining with Team Abba for 2023,[22] Neary clinched four Silver-Am podiums and a best result of fifth four rounds into the season at Snetterton, in the team's first race with the AMG GT3 Evo spec.[23] In parallel, Neary joined Lamborghini-linked GRT Grasser Racing Team to race in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup,[24] scoring a Silver Cup win at Barcelona and a further class podium at Monza to finish sixth in points.[25]
The following year, Neary stayed with Team Abba for their first full season with the AMG GT3 Evo,[26] securing two Silver-Am class wins and a best overall result of second at Silverstone en route to runner-up honors in the class standings.[27][28] During 2024, Neary also raced at the 24 Hours of Spa for McLaren-fielding Optimum Motorsport.[29] After being upgraded to an FIA Gold Categorisation,[30] Neary only returned to the British GT Championship with Team Abba the following year,[31] taking a best result of fourth at Oulton Park and a Pro-Am podium at the first Donington Park enduro.[32]
Racing record
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ginetta Junior Winter Series | TCR | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 13th |
| 2018 | 24H TCE Series – SP3 | Team ABBA with Rollcentre Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | NC |
| 2019 | Britcar Endurance Championship – Class 4 | Team Abba Racing | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 97‡ | 5th‡ |
| Britcar Endurance Championship – Class 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | NC† | ||
| Britcar Endurance Championship – Class 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† | ||
| 24H TCE Series Europe – SP3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | NC | ||
| 2020 | British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 11th |
| GT Cup Championship – GT3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | NC† | ||
| Tecserv UK | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 72‡ | 2nd‡ | ||
| 2021 | British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 8th |
| GT Cup Championship – GT3 | 1st | ||||||||
| 2022 | 24H TCE Series Continents – TCR | Holmgaard Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | NC |
| British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 19th | |
| GT Cup Championship – GT3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| GT Cup Championship – GTH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| FIA Motorsport Games GT Cup | Team United Kingdom | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/a | 3rd | |
| Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie – BMW M2 CS | Walkenhorst Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie – BMW M240i | Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| Schnitzelalm Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie – VT2 R+4 | Team Sorg Rennsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| 2023 | British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 23rd |
| GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup | GRT Grasser Racing Team | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup – Silver | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 53 | 6th | |||
| GT Cup Championship – GTC | Topcats Racing | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 432‡ | 1st‡ | |
| 2024 | British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 74.5 | 8th |
| GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup | Optimum Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup – Bronze | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 36th | |||
| 2025 | British GT Championship – GT3 | Team Abba Racing | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12th |
| Sources:[33][34] | |||||||||
† As Neary was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
‡ Team standings.
Complete British GT Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Team ABBA Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GT3 Pro-Am | OUL 1 8 |
OUL 2 Ret |
DON1 1 6 |
DON1 2 20 |
BRH 7 |
DON2 8 |
SNE 1 DNS |
SNE 2 DNS |
SIL 11 |
5th | 106.5 |
| 2021 | Team ABBA Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GT3 Silver-Am | BRH 5 |
SIL Ret |
DON1 1 |
SPA Ret |
SNE 1 |
SNE 2 |
OUL 1 DSQ |
OUL 2 DSQ |
DON2 3 |
2nd | 75 |
| 2022 | Team ABBA Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GT3 Silver-Am | OUL 1 13 |
OUL 2 4 |
SIL DSQ |
DON1 13 |
SNE 1 3 |
SNE 2 11 |
SPA |
BRH 9 |
DON2 Ret |
5th | 119 |
| 2023 | Team Abba Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | GT3 Silver-Am | OUL 1 Ret |
OUL 2 13 |
SIL 13 |
DON1 Ret |
5th | 91.5 | |||||
| Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | SNE 1 5 |
SNE 2 14 |
ALG |
BRH Ret |
DON2 14 | |||||||||
| 2024 | Team Abba Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | GT3 Silver-Am | OUL 1 11 |
OUL 2 8 |
SIL 2 |
DON1 13 |
SPA Ret |
SNE 1 3 |
SNE 2 7 |
DON2 DSQ |
BRH 4 |
2nd | 158.5 |
| 2025 | Team Abba Racing | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | GT3 Pro-Am | DON1 5 |
SIL 10 |
OUL 1 4 |
OUL 2 Ret |
SPA Ret |
SNE 1 |
SNE 2 |
BRH |
DON2 9 |
12th | 45 |
Complete GT World Challenge Europe results
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | GRT Grasser Racing Team | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | Silver | MNZ 27 |
LEC Ret |
SPA 6H 28 |
SPA 12H 62† |
SPA 24H Ret |
NÜR 47 |
CAT 16 |
6th | 53 |
| 2024 | Optimum Motorsport | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | Bronze | LEC | SPA 6H 45 |
SPA 12H 39 |
SPA 24H 23 |
NÜR | MNZ | JED | 36th | 4 |
References
- ^ Goodwin, Graham (9 October 2024). "FIA Releases Provisional Driver Categorisation List For 2025". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ^ "The father and son team taking GT racing by storm". autosport.com. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Sam Neary: "Racing with my dad is a lovely memory that we both cherish"". gt-report.com. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Jewiss Leads Strong Entry Into 2017 Ginetta Junior Winter Series". thecheckeredflag.co.uk. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "12H: Scuderia Praha Ferrari 488 GT3 seals victory, PROsport Performance AMG GT3 takes the 2018 GT Euro title". circuitprodigital.com. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Britcar Season Opener At Silverstone Hits 36 Entries". dailysportscar.com. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Race Report – JMH Automotive win round 2". racing24-7.net. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Bohemia Energy racing with Scuderia Praha still undefeated at the 12h de Brno". sport-auto.ch. 26 May 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Richard Neary et son fils Sam associés en 2020 sur la Mercedes-AMG GT3 ABBA Racing". endurance-info.com (in French). 16 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Parker Bentley Takes Donington Sprint Race". dailysportscar.com. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Abba Racing's Richard and Sam Neary return to British GT in Silver-Am class". gt-report.com. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Nearys battle through British GT carnage to make history as HSCC's Superprix thrills". autosport.com. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "British GT Donington Park: Leo Machitski and Dennis Lind take the crown, Enduro win the race". gt-report.com. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Abba Racing Wins Opening Race Of 2021 GT Cup Championship. (10.04.21)". enduranceandgt.co.uk. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Sam & Richard Neary Take Championship Win In Abba Racing AMG". dailysportscar.com. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Abba and Nearys target more giant killing in 2022". gt-report.com. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Loggie & Macleod Take Race One Win For RAM". dailysportscar.com. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "160 Cars For NLS3, Including Global Debut For New BMW M4 GT4". dailysportscar.com. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "24H: MS7 by WRT has secured its first outright pole position at the Hankook 24H DUBAI". circuitprodigital.com. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Sam Neary Replaces Unwell Chris Froggatt In Team UK Line-up". dailysportscar.com. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "France Takes Gold in GT Cup Main Race". sportscar365.com. 29 October 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "Abba and Nearys return for 2023 Silver-Am challenge". gt-report.com. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "British GT Snetterton: Barwell take untroubled race one victory". gt-report.com. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "GT World Challenge Europe: Grasser Racing Team bestätigt zweites Aufgebot". gt-place.com (in German). 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "GT World Challenge Europe: Sieg und Titel für Grasser Racing Team". gt-place.com (in German). 1 October 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Team Abba Racing Gears Up for Fifth Consecutive British GT Season with Neary Duo". gt-report.com. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "RJN Takes Brands Hatch Finale Win, Rob & Ricky Collard Crowned 2024 Champions". dailysportscar.com. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "British GT: Garage 59's Shaun Balfe and Adam Smalley Take the Win at Silverstone". racerviews.com. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Revised 67-Car Entry List For Spa 24 Published". dailysportscar.com. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ^ "LMGT3 Stars Headline FIA Driver Rating Adjustments". sportscar365.com. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Nearys Set for Sixth British GT Season with Fresh Look and Pro-Am Move". gt-report.com. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Cook Holds Off Götz For Race 1 Victory At Oulton Park". dailysportscar.com. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ^ "Sam Neary Results". motorsportstats.com. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ^ "Sam Neary | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
External links
- Sam Neary career summary at DriverDB.com
- Official website