BTCC Action >> Drivers >> Paul O'Neill

Paul O'Neill

• Career BTCC Results

Above: Paul O'Neill.		Nationality: British Date of birth: 31 December 1979 Place of birth: Widnes, England Status: Single Website: www.owyracing.com BTCC Debut: Brands Hatch, 16 April 2001, Peugeot 306 BTCC Races: 87* BTCC Wins: 2 BTCC Podiums: 9 BTCC Points: 238 BTCC Seasons: 6 * after Round 15 2009
One of the BTCC's most popular racers, Paul O'Neill makes a welcome return to the championship in 2009 to race a Honda Integra for Team sunshine.co.uk. It means he will work again with the team who he was raced with previously in the BTCC, in 2001 and 2006. O'Neill first joined the BTCC in 2001 when he raced a humble Peugeot 306 in the production class of the championship. He had first got into racing when he decided to try out the Jim Russell Racing School in 1998 after having been spurred on after writing off his sister's Mercedes SLK. One thing led to another and O'Neill was soon racing in the MGF Cup, then the BTCC Production Class. A successful debut season saw him finish in 8th overall and a bigger drive beckoned for 2001. 2002 saw O'Neill being given a drive in one of the serie's top teams, Triple Eight. Under the name Team Egg Sport, and driving the championship winning Vauxhall Astra Coupe, O'Neill had a hugely successful first year in the top class of the BTCC, recording his debut win at Oulton Park and finishing eighth overall in the championship. Things were to improve even more for 2003 and O'Neill received a works contract to race for Vauxhall. The 2003 season was O'Neill's best in the BTCC to-date as he went on to take fourth overall and secure yet another win, this time at Snetterton. However for 2004 he suffered a major setback when he discovered that he had diabetes. With his racing licence temporarily withdrawn, O'Neill instead helped out Tech-Speed motorsport and coached then-driver Fiona Leggate. He made a brief appearance at the end of 2006 with the team after Leggate departed, ironically racing a car powered by sugar - something that due to his diabetes O'Neill cannot eat. In late 2007 O'Neill once again made a brief appearance in the BTCC, this time with Motorbase Performance. For 2008 he concentrated on racing in the British GT Championship before confirming his first season-long campaign in the BTCC since 2003 for this year.

Above: 2009

Above: 2007

Above: 2006

Above: 2003

Career Rundown

2009:	British Touring Car Championship, Team sunshine.co.uk, Honda Integra
2008:	British GT Championship, Team RPM, Dodge Viper 16th overall. 1 win. Guest drive in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Oulton Park (6th)
2007:	British Touring Car Championship, Motorbase Performance, SEAT Toledo Only entered for the final 3 races at Thruxton. British GT Championship, Team RPM, Dodge Viper
2006:	British Touring Car Championship, Thurlby Motors with Tech-Speed, Vauxhall Astra Coupe Entered the final two meetings of the year in bio-ethanol powered car. Guest drive in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Oulton Park (6th)
2004:	Britcar 24 Hours, MG Sport & Racing, MG ZR 1st in class.
2003:	British Touring Car Championship, VX Racing, Vauxhall Astra Coupe 4th overall, 1 win
2002:	British Touring Car Championship, Team Egg Sport, Vauxhall Astra Coupe 8th overall, 1 win
2001:	British Touring Car Championship Production Class, Tech-Speed, Peugeot 306 8th overall in class
2000:	MGF Cup, 8th overall
1999:	MGF Cup, 15th overall and rookie of the year One-off race in National Saloon Car Championship
1998:	Jim Russell Racing School

Archive categories:

Select Archive Circuits Drivers      Allison, Matt      Chilton, Tom      Collard, Rob      Giovanardi, Fabrizio      Jackson, Mat      Jelley, Stephen      Jones, Adam      Jordan, Andrew      Jordan, Mike      Kane, Steven      Kizilirmak, Erkut      Leggate, Fiona      Leslie, David      McMillan, Liam      Menu, Alain      Neal, Matt      Onslow-Cole, Tom      Pickford, James      Plato, Jason      Shedden, Gordon      Smith, Gavin      Stockton, Chris      Thompson, James      Turkington, Colin      Turner, Darren      Vaulkhard, Harry Results      2008      2007      2006      2005      2004      2003      2002 Teams