Paul O'Neill interview

Egg Sport driver Paul O'Neill has a reputation for having a laugh, and even as we started this interview he had us in stitches as he knocked over Vauxhall's artificial flower display, declaring "F***in' hell, the water's gone stagnant!" But does Paul view his driving seriously? You bet he does, and he told us how he thought 2002 had gone.

What were your hopes at the start of the year, driving for a very serious team?

All I wanted to do was probably get a couple of podiums and finish about the top eight of the Championship, so I've done that, very happy.

Were you pleased with the car's performance over the year?

Yes but now it's getting a bit hard because everyone's caught up so now we haven't got an advantage at all, so it's difficult. I'm pleased but I think the car will go better next year if I'm about. So hopefully people think it's a good first year - the last bit of the year's been a bit dodgy but that's the way it goes: up and down. I'm happy overall though.

Paul O'Neill And your own performance - obviously you had the win at Oulton Park that everyone remembers!

I think the first half of the year was really good, I wasn't right on it but it was enough to get in the top three, top four, so I was pleased with that; then the second half of the year I dropped my head a bit because my engines were blowing up and I lost 10 or 15 points and started to get a bit under the weather. But I'm happy with what's happened, I never look back - I don't think I could have done anything any different so I'm happy. It's been good.

How much do you think you've learned as a driver through the year?

You can't really put your finger on it to be honest. Just every year in motorsport I've done I've always been in something just stupidly hard, so I've learned really quickly - or had to learn really quickly. Production last year was dead competitive, and now this year it's just a joke: it's proper hard. So I've had to learn quick and hopefully I've done alright.

Probably an obvious question: what's been your favourite moment of the year?

There's two actually. Oulton Park was definitely the one without a doubt, but Silverstone was a good race for me because I really was on the pace all weekend and out-qualified all this lot to put it on the front row; and I had really good races with Matt in both races so they were two good moments. But the Oulton Park one was just the best in the world!

What's the atmosphere been like at Vauxhall with the other three drivers?

Yeah, it's been good. It's been difficult, it's really hard when you're driving against three people that you've watched all the time - you know you never thought you'd get there. I was what - 20, 21, and only last year I thought I might have a chance of doing Touring Cars. When I was 17 or 18 I didn't know what I was going to be doing because I wasn't a karter. If you're a karter maybe you know you're going to be in motorsport and you've got a chance of doing this but because I never knew it was really mad. Everything you do is just strange.

It's a bit funny, it's like that Toca 3 game with Ryan McKane - sometimes you just think "it's a bit weird this", you just don't expect to be here. But the atmosphere's great, the lads are alright. It's getting a bit tense now because it's Championship time but that's good.

And are you still managing to fit in your social and personal life around it all?

No! Big problems, it's difficult at the minute. Work's been really hard because I've been in London one day, then back up to Warrington to work, then back down to London and back to Warrington - so the job's going to have to get knocked on the head if I get a permanent drive next year. But apart from that it's been alright, some relationships get a bit strained don't they - family, friends and stuff - that's the way it is. But I wouldn't change it for the world, it's been the best ever thing and even if it fell on it's arse I wouldn't be arsed.

So do you know what plans you've got for next year?

Not at all, no. It looks bleak to be honest. Ian Harrison's made it quite clear that he wants to keep all four drivers so if he can do that it would be fantastic. I'd love to stay. Nothing's sealed yet, there's only Vauxhall that's committed - there's no-one else knows anything about what they're doing. But everyone's contracts last a couple of years - MG and Honda - so it's difficult to get a drive anywhere else.

It's hard because there's a lot of good drivers, all the field are good - there ain't one driver in Touring Cars you could look at and say "oh, they're shite", they're all very good drivers. In Touring Cars they're all very good, but in Production the field is not as good as it was last year. The top six, top seven are really good, but we had the top eleven or twelve cars in Production last year with really hard drivers. I'm glad, I made the right move - I didn't know if I wanted to come, I didn't know if it was the right time but I've learned so much here it's been good.

Now that it's been announced that the rules are going to stay stable for the next few years, do you think that will bring more manufacturers in?

I thought there would be more manufacturers in after this year really, but no-one's committed. There's no money in the game any more, with what's happened in the world the last couple of years people are being a bit more tight with their money. The world economy's not very good so you can't really blame them for not taking the chance. People have got mortgages to pay at Ford factories - so they don't want to be going into Touring Cars if they don't know if it's going to work. It's hard. I'd love to see ten manufacturers or whatever, it would be really good. These rules are proper you know, European Touring Car rules are just terrible, I don't think they're very good at all - gearboxes and everything - but these rules are really good.

If there was one rule you could change?

I don't know, I think they work really well. Maybe make the tyres a bit thinner, because they've got a bit too much grip. They do slide a bit now but not to the point where you point where you think "shiiit!" They're to a point where they just slide. Touch wood I've only spun this car about three or four times, but in Production I spun every five minutes. But these are technical, you've got to be really fast in the corners, if you go off you usually go and understeer wide. But in Production you just don't know where you're going to spin off - so yeah, thinner tyres.

Any plans over the winter?

Probably going karting with one of my mechanics and his dad, we're going to have a go at that. I just need a holiday after this - I'm knackered! I haven't got anything booked - I usually go away for Christmas but I'm not going to this year. I might just stop here. It's my birthday New Year's Eve so I might just go to Pontins!

What are your long term racing goals? Where do you want to be in a few years?

Here. I want to be in Touring Cars for the rest of my life really, nothing else appeals to me.

Is the Championship a realistic prospect?

I couldn't really say at the minute. I don't see why not, because I can comfortably be in the top six - that's not a problem - and I think that with the right car you can win a Championship, and this is the right car. It's difficult. I've got so much respect for these guys, I'm not saying I'm no brilliant driver but it's so difficult. Sometimes you get out of the car and you're two tenths off Yvan and you think "I can't go any quicker than that, how can that guy go any quicker than that?" It's because they're better, and they're a good driver and that's what it takes to win a Championship. I want to win the Championship, but I've always been realistic and I never thought I'd win a race, so yeah, I'll say I want to win the Championship.


Our thanks to Paul for his time. Text and picture copyright BTCCinfo.co.uk

Paul's website can be found at www.owyracing.com